First steps in project management

How to become a project manager?

For my whole life, project management was a foreign topic to me. Until –  starting a new job changed everything. Several months passed before I started managing company projects. During this period, I became familiar with the theory and learned about various training courses I had no idea about before.

I was introduced to the world of project management by an expert, Arkadiusz Urbański, who, thanks to many years of experience as a project manager, showed me not only project management theory but also various examples illustrating how to apply the knowledge gained in everyday duties. Applying the topics I had learned in my everyday work turned out to be the best training.

Starting your first project can be a little daunting because of a lack of practical experience, but it is worth approaching it calmly, and also with patience and consistency. These are key throughout the whole process. There is no room for fear here, because even mistakes can be treated as something positive – a lesson for the future. After all, every experienced project manager was a beginner once. When starting my first project, I was also a bit lost – I didn't really know where to start and what exactly I was supposed to do. Fortunately, I was surrounded by supportive colleagues. I was guided step by step, which made it much easier to take on this challenge, and whenever I had doubts I could ask questions or ask for help.

Having overcome my fear and uncertainty back then, today I see projects as an interesting, exciting challenge. Like every beginner project manager, I still have better and worse moments and occasionally lose track of some tasks. I honestly record both my failures and my successes. I am currently responsible for two ongoing projects and keep working to make them a success. What I have learned is that you should never give up – it is worth remembering this in everything we undertake.

Although at first I didn't know whether project management was an area where I would feel confident, I can now honestly say that it is something I enjoy doing and want to devote more of my working life to in the future. Maybe even my entire career? We will see. Through my current experiences, I have learned that failures can often teach us the most, so there is no point in being afraid of them. They can make us better at what we do. You just need to find your way.