"I am sure that the education and knowledge I gained at university has had a great impact on the course of my career. They are its foundation. The broad knowledge of psychology that I was able to acquire during my studies supports my work every day. Taking it a step further, my studies have also taught me to trust myself, to look critically at what I hear and verify it. This is a lesson that you never forget."

What is your best memory of studying at the Jagiellonian University?

I don’t know if I can name a specific moment. I am sure it was very important for me to learn that I’d been accepted for my dream degree subject. I still remember when I opened the letter – the joy was really immense. My biggest dream at that time came true. I also remember very well the words of professor Przemysław Bąbel during one of the exams. The professor always said not to change the answer once marked. This was a great lesson for me, which in my interpretation built up my faith in my own intuition. Another very precious memory for me was the last exam before defending my MA thesis. On the one hand, I went into the exam room with joy, because it was the last exam in five years of various exam marathons, and on the other with sadness because this adventure was already coming to an end. It was an oral exam, and I’d had very few such exams in those five years. It also showed me a very important thing – often, the simple answers are the best. Even though they seem “too easy”. As it turned out later, the end of my studies was the beginning of the fulfilment of my dreams and the achievement of my next goals related to psychology.

How did your career start? What were the turning points?

I started my career quite early, practically at the very beginning of my studies; my ambition was to quickly become independent and self-employed. I started, as most students do, with odd jobs in shopping malls. The first breakthrough for me was getting to know the specifics of the HR department in one of Polish companies. I started working there as a receptionist. Then I gained my first experience in the HR field. It showed me that it is quite a cool thing to do and maybe an idea for the future, even though I hadn’t considered it at all before. The second turning point in my career was when I met the founder of an academy for educating leaders in the beauty industry during a coaching course which I was also doing during my studies. We were both enrolled in that course. This friendship turned into a very effective cooperation. I became a coach at the academy. There, I acquired and developed my coaching skills and competencies. The third decisive event was getting a job in the company where I currently work. Initially, it was supposed to be “a short-term job, until the end of my studies, and then we will see”. 😊 Meanwhile, I met people who strongly believed in my potential and in two years I turned from a junior to the leader of the whole team.

How has education contributed to your career development?

I am sure that the education and knowledge I gained at university has had a great impact on the course of my career. They are its foundation. The broad knowledge of psychology that I was able to acquire during my studies supports my work every day. Taking it a step further, my studies have also taught me to trust myself, to look critically at what I hear and verify it. This is a lesson that you never forget.

Tell us about your current job. What are you doing now?

Currently, I am supervising a team in charge of employee training in an IT company employing over 700 people. Everything we do together with the team is aimed at strengthening the skills of our colleagues and taking care of their everyday job satisfaction. We also implement solutions which build commitment and support well-being, which is crucial in today’s reality. Apart from coordinating the work of our team, I also conduct trainings for managers in the field of soft skills, as well as advise and support our managers in issues related to people management.

What are your biggest challenges now?

My biggest challenge is probably fighting with my own convictions 😊. Especially working on remembering that despite my young age and relatively short work experience, I bring a lot of value which experienced managers of many years can use to reinforce their skills as well. We are also challenged by the situation we find ourselves in. Being in the office and seeing everyone every day, it was easier to notice those problems which we are afraid or don’t want to talk about for whatever reason, but which are very important for our work. Working remotely makes this very difficult and requires even more sensitivity to the surroundings. Fortunately, flexibility and always being in touch come to the rescue here 😊

What is life and work like in the city/country you live in?

I think that Cracow is well known to many students. The work is certainly very dynamic and teaches you how to organize your time. Especially if you like a packed schedule 😊 Cracow itself teaches us how important is the ability to predict - for example, will we manage to get to the meeting on time and, if not, perhaps, it’s better to choose a different means of transport than we initially thought ;)

What is your definition of success?

Success for me is living in harmony with yourself and following the path that leads to our dreams becoming a reality. It is also about believing in yourself and your skills. It is also about overcoming your fears, which often make us give up on challenges. And most importantly – success for me is the ability to learn from mistakes and learn lessons from failures in such a way as not to make the same mistakes in the future.

What tips do you have for students who are just entering the job market?

Believe in yourself and look for a job that you enjoy. Use your time at university to find out about different jobs. Take advantage of opportunities for internships, apprenticeships, voluntary work or casual jobs. It’s a good idea to invest your time during your studies so that you can follow the path you feel most comfortable taking after graduation. See what you like and what you’d rather avoid. Experiment, but within reason 😊

How do you envision the Jagiellonian University’s collaboration with graduates?

The key for me is to stay in touch in order to show our colleagues who are still studying what opportunities they have. Also, to take inspiration from the graduates, to show what we can expect after graduation. And above all, to show that we started out just like them: we faced similar problems, overcame the same difficulties, experienced the same joys, which led us to where we are now 😊. Graduates can be a great support for younger colleagues, they can help to tame the unknown and build self-confidence 😊