Age of Product - Navigating the Agile Job Crisis

While the current Agile job crisis is apparent, there is also hope for practitioners willing to refine their skills, share knowledge, and network with peers. (Read online.)

This article outlines actionable strategies for thriving in challenging times, emphasizing that growth and success are achievable by leveraging community strength and readily accessible resources. Check out also how I can support you on your journey below.

What You Can Do to Improve Your Professional Standing

To enhance your agility—no pun intended—and resilience in the face of the current Agile job crisis, I recommend engaging in a continuous learning and development journey, focusing on deepening your understanding of principles, sharing knowledge, and expanding your professional network through various practical activities:

Deepen Your Understanding of Agile Principles:

Let us start with honing your craft to overcome the Agile job crisis:

1. Regularly read and analyze the Agile Manifesto and Scrum Guide: Allocate time each week to reflect on one principle from the Agile Manifesto or a section of the Scrum Guide. Write down how you applied this principle or rule in your past projects and how you could do it differently.
2. Engage in reflective practices: Start a personal journal to document your daily practices, noting successes, challenges, and lessons learned. Reflect on how your actions align with Agile values and principles.
3. Experiment with applying principles: Initiate a “pet project” within your organization or community that allows you to apply Agile principles in a new context. Document the process and outcomes to share with others.
4. Write articles or blog posts: Choose a specific principle each month and write an article or blog post on how it can be applied effectively. Share these writings on professional networks and solicit feedback. (Don’t be frustrated if your initial efforts do not cause a swell of responses; getting started and sticking with it is what matters.)
5. Read books and listen to podcasts: Catch up with all the books you have ever wanted to read. And do not forget all podcasts on Agile. (I have a pile of unread or partially read books topping a meter in height myself.)
6. Collaborate with other practitioners: Organize or join a monthly roundtable discussion with peers to exchange insights, experiences, and best practices. Use platforms like LinkedIn groups or Meetup to find or create such groups. (Check out my LinkedIn group, the Agile Clinic.)
7. Mentor or coach others: Offer free coaching sessions to startups or non-profits. This offer will help refine your coaching skills while giving back to the community.
8. Participate in advanced workshops or training sessions: Identify workshops that offer interactive, real-world problem-solving scenarios. Look for sessions that use role-play or simulation games to deepen your understanding of principles. (My Professional Scrum and other training classes are designed exactly for that purpose.)
9. Attend conferences or webinars: Choose events that offer case studies or insights into innovative applications of Agile principles. Prioritize interactive sessions where you can ask questions and engage directly with speakers. (See the Hands-on Agile Meetup community below.)
10. Participate in community discussions: Join forums or social media groups. Regularly contribute to discussions, offering insights or asking thought-provoking questions. (For example, you may have noticed that I asked many questions in various LinkedIn groups to encourage reflection and discussions.)

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Diversify Your Skill Set to Overcome the Agile Job Crisis:

Next, sharpen your facilitation, coaching, and technical skills by staying adaptable:

1. Develop strong facilitation skills: Practice by leading a volunteer group or a special interest club. Use these opportunities to experiment with new facilitation techniques, for example, Liberating Structures, if you haven’t done so yet.
2. Enhance coaching skills: Enroll in a course specifically for coaching skills development. Practice these skills in different contexts, including outside work, to refine them.
3. Enhance communication skills: Join a local Toastmasters club or similar to practice public speaking and communication in a supportive environment.
4. Acquire skills in (digital) tools: Choose a new tool each month to explore. Create tutorial videos or guides based on your learning and share them with the community. (There is an abundance of tools available for free. Moreover, I am not merely talking about software applications but also, for example, about canvases and other frameworks that augment “Agile.”)
5. Study organizational change management: Apply for a short course or prepare for a challenging certification. Use volunteer opportunities to practice these skills in a real-world setting. (Coursera is a good place to start your search for a change management course.)
6. Learn about various frameworks: Create a study group with peers interested in learning SAFe, Kanban, or other frameworks—set goals to apply one new framework aspect to a project every quarter. (You may not like SAFe; however, it is a prevailing player in large organizations. Deal with it.)
7. Learn about emerging technologies: Join online courses or webinars focused on, for example, AI, blockchain, or IoT technologies. Explore how these can be integrated into Agile projects. (If you are not yet exploring Generative AI and its impact on your industry, you are losing out.)
8. Build expertise in specific industries: Choose an industry and dive deep into its challenges and opportunities. Offer to give free webinars sharing Agile solutions to industry-specific problems.
9. Understand budgeting and finance in an Agile context: Offer to assist with the budget planning session for a project, incorporating Agile principles into the financial planning process.
10. Develop metrics and reporting techniques: Work on a personal project to explore different metrics in an agile context. Offer to prepare a metrics analysis report for a small team or project, providing insights and recommendations.

Engaging with the Community:

Lastly, you never walk alone; reach out to your peers to overcome the current Agile job crisis collaboratively:

1. Join Agile and Scrum user groups: Actively participate and offer to organize or speak at meetings. Meetup.com is a good starting point.
2. Engage in online Agile communities: Share your experiences, ask questions, and support others posting inquiries. Set a goal to connect with a new practitioner each week, focusing on different industries or specializations. (You can quickly meet peers in LinkedIn, Subreddits, or Meetup groups.)
3. Start a podcast or YouTube channel: Focus on sharing practical tips, interviewing other practitioners, and discussing the application of agile practices in various contexts. (Do not underestimate the grit required to do this, not to mention the technical aspects.)
4. Participate in coaching or mentorship programs: As a mentor or mentee, engage deeply with the program to maximize learning and networking opportunities.
5. Share and discuss case studies or success stories: Write up your own experiences or those of your network to share lessons learned and best practices. (Become known as someone who is supportive of the community; there is no better way of building a personal brand.)
6. Actively contribute to blogs or social media groups: Regularly post insightful content, engage with others' posts, and contribute to building a positive, knowledge-sharing community. (Algorithms love meaningful comment threads. LinkedIn, for example, ranks those threads at the top of all comments, which increases your visibility within the community massively.)
7. Volunteer for conferences: Offer your skills in organizing, facilitating, or even speaking at events. Community-led Open Space or Barcamp events are often interested in volunteers. (The Agile Camp Berlin, for example, was built on volunteers’ help to organize and run the event.)
8. Contribute to open-source projects: Find projects looking for practitioners to help guide their development process.
9. Collaborate on research projects or papers: Contact academics or practitioners working on Agile research and offer your insights or collaboration. (Consider using ResearchGate for an initial analysis of who is working in the field.)

How I Can Support You to Overcome the Agile Job Crisis

There are several ways how I can tribute to you navigating the Agile job crisis; you do not have to start from scratch:

• Through my blog and ebooks, I can provide you with detailed insights and advanced strategies on Agile and Scrum, deepening your understanding and equipping you with innovative approaches to “Agile.”
• With my Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide book, I can enhance your grasp of Scrum, steering you away from common pitfalls and towards effective strategies to improve your Agile practices and outcomes.
• Join my Hands-on Agile Slack community. I’ll provide you with a valuable network where you can exchange ideas, gain diverse perspectives, and discover solutions to your Agile challenges, all of which will contribute to your professional growth.
• Don’t miss the opportunity to engage directly with your peers in my Hands-on Agile Meetup group, where I can connect you with thought leaders, real-world insights, and practical tips.
• My Professional Scrum training classes are designed to offer you structured, in-depth learning experiences that will arm you with the essential skills and knowledge to increase your effectiveness in Agile environments. (As a subscriber of my newsletter or member of my Meetup group, you will also have access to a limited number of community tickets at a major discount.)
• I can also guide you through the crucial aspects of Scrum with my cohort-based classes on Product Backlog management, helping you excel in Product Backlog refinement and prioritization for successful alignment with stakeholders and customers.
• If you prefer a flexible, self-driven learning approach, my self-paced online course on mastering Agile allows you to develop a comprehensive understanding of Agile at your own pace. (It will be available in April 2024.)
• Lastly, subscribe to my Food for Agile Thought newsletter for regular updates to keep you well-informed and a step ahead in your Agile journey.

Conclusion

Despite the challenging landscape, the path for Agile practitioners isn’t without hope. By dedicating time to hone your craft through accessible resources, sharing your insights generously, and engaging deeply with your peers, not as competitors but as vital allies in networking, you can navigate these turbulent times. This collaborative approach enriches your expertise and strengthens the Agile community, creating a win-win scenario for all involved.

What are you already doing to educate yourself and support the agile community? Please let us know your approach in the comments.

The Agile Job Crisis — Recommending Reading

Hiring: 73 Scrum Master Interview Questions To Avoid Agile Imposters

Peer Recruiting: How to Hire a Scrum Master in Agile Times

Scrum Master Salary Report 2024

Download the ’Scrum Anti-Patterns Guide’ for Free

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Best,