How to Prepare for a Scrum Master Interview, Part 3 – All about You
Photo by Michael Li
In part 1, I wrote about how to explain the Scrum framework and demonstrate your knowledge. Part 2 covered highlighting your real-world Agile experience and how you’ve helped teams improve. This post is about sharing your you-ness.
Your resume probably shows your past jobs and when you first became a Scrum Master. However, it’s likely less clear about why you’re interested in being a Scrum Master and what makes you uniquely qualified for the role.
Your Agile Origin Story
Fans of comic books and superhero movies will recognize an origin story as the backstory that informs the identity and motivations of heroes and villains. It is the narrative of how they came to be the hero or villain that they are.
I met someone recently at a party who had been told by a friend to look into becoming a Scrum Master. As we talked, I learned that this person is currently in an accounting position and good at math. His friend thought he’d be a good Scrum Master because he could create accurate burndown charts and calculate the team’s velocity. And then I learned that he doesn’t like socializing much at work. As I described more about the Scrum Master as the team’s coach, he decided that it might not be such a good role for him after all.
Think back to how you first learned about agile and when you started trying Scrum. What stands out in those memories? As you continue remembering your agile journey, there is something about being a Scrum Master that you love—what is it? Each one of us has a different path when in becoming a Scrum Master—different backgrounds, education, roles, and experiences. Those differences shape who we are.
Noticing the patterns or themes in positive past experiences may highlight the aspects of agile that are most important to you. Whether I was a project manager or agile PM or Scrum Master, I loved going into messy or chaotic situations and finding better ways of delivering software to customers by working with both technical and business people. That was my one-liner in interviews. How I found better ways of delivering software by working with people evolved over time. What’s your one-liner of what you love to do?
Using Your Strengths
As a Scrum Master, you bring certain strengths and passions to the role that set you apart. To determine your strengths, you can take an assessment like StrengthsFinder or ask coworkers what they think your strengths are. You might think about the compliments you’ve received in the past or situations where you excelled. There are things others struggle with that you find easy to do.
When you’re doing work you care about and using your strengths, you work harder and better. When you look at your past, what impact did you have on the individuals you worked with? What awesomeness did you inspire? How are you connected to those people, and what are they doing now? Talking about the impact you’ve had on real people and relationships you’ve grown gives confidence in your abilities. And sharing how you helped others become better feels good.
Rock the Scrum Master Interview
This the last post in a 3-part series on how to prepare for a Scrum Master interview. These posts will help you be more confident and clear in explaining the Scrum framework, describing your agile experience, and showcasing your personal agile journey and strengths. Interviewers ask a variety of questions and look for different skills based on their organization’s needs. Preparation as a candidate will give you a better sense of what you are looking for in an opportunity. Good luck on your interviews, and remember they are a two-way process so you can (and should) ask questions too.
