Here at ASPE-SDLC we are committed to providing the Agile community with need-to-know information covering both technical and professional topics. In years past we have developed a very specific and focused salary survey for use by the Agile community. And with the growing adoption of Agile methods, the growing demand for Agile training, and the growing value of Agile skills and certification, we have decided to re-launch our Agile Salary Survey in partnership with our friends at Global Knowledge, HP and ICAgile. We want to show the Agile community just how valuable their skill set really is.
We highly encourage you to participate in the 2013 Agile Salary Survey. We want to know about your current position and what is happening in the Agile World. This survey will take approximately 5 minutes to complete and you can withdraw from the survey at any point. Survey responses are strictly confidential and data from this research will be reported only in the aggregate.
A report containing a detailed analysis of survey results will be distributed to participants soon after the survey period closes as well as available on www.aspe-sdlc.com for download.
As Agile continues to mature as a product development approach and the community of Agilists swells, there is an increasing need to have a shared framework for certifying Agile experience and expertise. While there exists a multitude of training and education options out there, there has been no certifying body to bring the diverse and extensive training options together into a single, holistic certification offering. That is until now.
Over the last several months, I have been working closely with the International Consortium of Agile (ICAgile) to certify our Agile courses under their certification program. I have been thoroughly impressed with the amount of forethought they have put into this program as well as the rigor they apply when certifying courses. It has been a challenging process but one that bore a tremendous amount of value, as it provided me a great deal of time to evaluate our courseware and how it served those individuals that were looking for an Agile education.
What makes ICAgile different than other certifications currently available:
Are you currently making your summer plans? Maybe a drive down the coast with Jimmy Buffet blasting is in your future? Or will you be found sipping a Corona on the beach? Whatever your summer plans, ASPE wants to be included. Take advantage of our July and August specials and train with us this summer!
All companies need training from time to time. For some, training is an ongoing business function. For others, training fills a critical juncture during important projects or initiatives. But one thing is true for all companies: it’s important to get the best value for your training dollar.
Believe it or not, the summer months offer a great opportunity to get the most out of your training dollars. Because the business world slows down during the summer, several opportunities open up for anyone who needs training. While the slowdown can present a challenge, savvy folks can actually take advantage of it. Here’s how:
Your competition is sluggish during the summer slowdown. Get an edge going into Fall.
Remember, all companies deal with the summer doldrums. Some make cutbacks or generate busy work to keep the gears turning until business picks back up. Naturally this creates a lag when business picks back up in the fall, because people lost their momentum filling time with busy work. It also dulls employee enthusiasm. You can gain a competitive advantage by maintaining a productive pace until the fall. Training your people is a perfect way to do it, since it builds enthusiasm and gives your people fresh new skills. By the time business begins to pick back up, those skills have really been mastered and integrated into the organization. You’ll enter the fall market with an edge, while your competitors are busy trying to shake off the lull of the summer blues.
When business is slow, employees have time to pick up new skills.
With a decade of experience training all sectors of the corporate world, we’ve found that employee flexibility is at its peak during the summer months. When projects heat up later in the year, sometimes training can be more of a distraction or burden than an aid. But if your people experience a lag in their schedule, backfilling that time with new skills or certification training is a good move.
Training doesn’t just improve your people. It upgrades your business processes.
A potential slowdown can offer an opportunity to upgrade processes, as well as employees. Employee training almost always goes hand in hand with adjustments (usually improvements) in business processes. If there is a new methodology to adopt or software to deploy, the summer months provide a good time to make the transition. Your busy time of year isn’t the best time for such a rollout. If you have a bit of summer flexibility, you can afford to upgrade without disrupting your business flow.
Virtual training allows you to train at any location.
Many times the date or location of training conflicts with schedules. With virtual training you can keep your summer schedule and fit in training. It’s a win-win for you. ASPE can offer you Agile training as you lounge by the pool, or if you’re really ambitious, teach you how to be a SharePoint Power User while you’re on your Hawaiian cruise. Our virtual training goes anywhere you go. So take ASPE to the beach with you this summer!
You can currently save 24% on July and August sessions or 20% on other sessions if you book your upcoming training this summer. Learn more about how Training Budgets Go Further When It’s Hot!
In an effort to improve their planning efficiency, Agile teams utilize leaner, lighter written requirements to document the needs for their product. This approach allows teams to focus on creating effective, working software sooner, but also presents a challenge for these teams when they are required to effectively size their project work and predict when they will complete their development. In order to address this dilemma, Agile teams must employ an enhanced estimation technique that allows them to evaluate the level of effort required to deliver their product.
On Tuesday, May 22nd, Tom Wessel presented the web seminar “Enhanced Agile Estimation Techniques.” Tom discussed the methods today’s Agile teams use to solve the common problem of creating estimates when the complete set of requirements are unknown. Below you will find a link to the recording of the presentation as well as a written transcript of the Q&A portion of the seminar.
What does it take to be a great Agile product owner? What qualities should you look for when determining who will be your product owner? This 10 minute training video with ASPE Instructor Bill Gaiennie (@AgileAdvisor) will identify the 3 main ingredients for a GREAT Agile product owner.
Stay tuned for more from the 10 Minute Training Series with Bill Gaiennie coming soon.
Radical new events are strongly becoming the norm in 2010. Everything from new healthcare reform to the worst environmental disaster America has ever seen to the final episode of the ABC hit show Lost. What do all of these big events have in common? They will all need people with software developments and project management skills to accomplish new goals. All of these massive events call for new or improved infrastructures, both technical and physical.
Hospitals and insurance companies nationwide are dealing with new standards and regulations that will ultimately mean massive change over a long period of time. The disaster in the Gulf has required immediate action across the country calling for people to mobilize supplies and efforts to reduce the damage that is being done. Thousands of new workers have been hired to deal with this very dynamic problem. The end of the popular television show Lost means ABC will need to find a new golden child to produce millions of dollars in advertising revenue that also maintains and grows their current audience. With so much money on the line you can bet ABC will spare no expense in getting the best in software development and project management to guarantee success.
What does this mean to you? SDLC skills are in high demand and that demand will continue to grow. That being said, what are some of the trends we are already seeing in 2010 for SDLC professionals?
I was speaking with Brian M. Rabon, an ASPE-SDLC instructor who is a CSM, CSP, MSEE and PMP. Brian is also the president of The Briantrust Consulting Group, you can read his blog, find him on Facebook, and connect with him on Linkedin or Twitter. He shares with us a few of the trends he has seen so far.
For Project Managers PMP is a pre-requisite today. You won’t even be considered for a position without it. However, having a PMP is no longer rare and doesn’t help you stand out from the crowd
Reports are coming in that CSM is being requested more and more (salaries are increasing and rivaling traditional PMs too) .
Scrum is becoming mainstream in tier 1 markets. However in tier 2 markets it has just come out of the chasm (Geoffrey Moore analogy). I believe that Scrum utilization is going to increase (in 2010 keep an eye on Scrum.org and how Ken S. may challenge the Scrum Alliance)
Lean is hot and will continue to grow; obscure Agile frameworks (Crystal, DSDM, etc) are fading into obscurity
There appears to be a major shift in what types of projects are being worked on in 2010. There are fewer “re-invent the world” projects being started from scratch. There is an increase in the number of customization/integration projects with COTS. Also, smaller scale app dev is skyrocketing (look at the number of apps in the iTunes store)
Experience is definitely valued right now, especially in deep verticals (healthcare, etc…). I wouldn’t want to be a new grad right now
PMI is going to be pushing the CAPM exam for recent grads (because it focuses on book knowledge, not experience) – heard this from the PMI COO
To give people some perspective I’ve included some research we did in 2009. Skills like Domain Knowledge and Business Alignment made SDLC professionals indispensable, while Agile methods skills and specialized certifications made you more marketable. (This is a very small excerpt from a larger article; you can view the whole thing here.)
So far 2010 has had some hard hitting trends that directly affect those in these professions. Considering this subject affects so many people, I’d like to throw a couple questions out there: What trends are you seeing? Instructors and readers who are in the trenches what have you noticed?
[UPDATE: check out the comment section for some great feedback]
You can now provide instantaneous feed back on any of our courses by visiting our Rate Our Courses Page.
Whether you had a positive or negative experience, we welcome your comments. The purpose is to open dialog between ASPE and students, as well as facilitate honest student-to-student interaction.
