Upskilling has been a business buzzword for a few years now, and for good reason. The job market is highly competitive, and companies want employees who are eager to strengthen and grow their skillsets in order to provide the most value to their Team.
What is Upskilling
Upskilling is to acquire (or provide, if you’re an employer) more advanced skills through additional education and training.
In Scrum terms, it’s the Scrum Alliance Path to CSP—starting with the basic Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and Certified Product Owner (CSPO), then continuing along the path to Advanced Certified Scrum Master (ACSM) and Advanced Certified Product Owner (ACSPO), then moving to Certified Scrum Professional – Scrum Master (CSP-SM) and Certified Scrum Professional – Product Owner (CSP-PO).
Because what is Agile if not continuing to inspect and adapt and grow in your career?
Reasons to Upskill
Ensure your skills aren’t outdated
Especially in technology, the market is constantly growing and shifting and requiring new skills and systems. Just look at the changes to Scrum Guide 2020 and how they affect every role on a Scrum Team! Watching webinars, attending workshops, and taking advanced classes will ensure that your skills are up-to-date and therefore an asset to your Team.
Assess your job role
We love a good retrospective, especially when it’s regarding your role within your Team and Organization. When you upskill, you can take an objective step back and see what’s working within your role, what’s not working, and what can be done to fix it. Or, sometimes, people go through additional training and realize they want to switch roles within their Team!
Prepare for promotions
Companies usually prefer to hire internally whenever possible, unless they don’t have any employees qualified for the position. Make sure you’re always ready to throw your hat into the ring by improving yourself professionally through continuing education.
Make yourself more valuable
And if that promotion doesn’t work out, having an advanced skillset makes you a prime candidate for other job opportunities in a competitive market!
