By Julia Paczkowska on Mon 15 November 2021 in Placement Blog
Hear from Julia about her experience so far of being the first ever Project Management Placement!
To expand on my International Business Management degree at Lincoln University, I’m delighted to be writing this blog as the first ever Project Management placement at ProspectSoft on the Premium Serivces team! A year ago, I began my search for a placement, and it’s safe to say, securing a placement at ProspectSoft has been pretty great! In just four months, I’ve had so many new and exciting experiences, where I’ve gained invaluable insights into the company’s customer base and how to successfully manage and the bring to life customer projects. My University course has given me an insight into the basics of project management – scope of work, using tools to measure time or success, strategies to effectively manage projects. But nothing is quite like getting real-life, hands-on experience!
Training Month
When August came around, I had real a mix of nerves and eagerness ahead of meeting my colleagues and starting my new role. But I shouldn’t have worried! The first month consisted of a full training programme, where we learnt about the software so we were well equipped when stepping into our roles. To help us bond and get to know one another, we completed a range of group training activities and team building exercises – as well as the a social event or two, like our game of rounders and Junkyard Golf! This all made us feel really welcomed into the team.
Month 1
Following completion of the training, I joined the Project Management team, and began contributing to meetings, tasks and projects straight away. As you can imagine, it was pretty nerve-wracking being the first ever Project Management placement. But it was great to know that a colleague within this team had been a placement many years ago – straight away I felt at ease and excited about this new opportunity! Right from the get-go, I’ve engaged with new projects and got familiar with the project process. This involves me writing down the customer’s project requirements, getting a monetary estimate, meeting customers virtually to discuss the project, and dedicating a suitable timeframe to complete it.
The Role
Given this is a brand new placement opportunity, I wanted to share some insights into the day-to-day role, so future applicants (maybe you!) can get a feel for what to expect. Within this team, you’re given a real sense of responsibility and independence as soon as you join. There’s something new to learn every day – whether it be from team members or our customers, it’s amazing how much new information I’m absorbing. Each week, I get assigned different tasks to focus on and it’s my responsibility to stay on top of them and allocate the right amount of time to them based on customer expectations. We always have morning meetings to help us focus, ask any questions, and chat to the rest of the team about anything they’re working on. This contact time makes me feel really supported and valued – something ProspectSoft pride themselves on!
Plus, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with customers and investigating how they manage their businesses. It’s crucial that I establish a good relationship with them early on as I’m their first point of call for any queries or updates on their project. Being confident and organised are essential in me maintaining an open line of communication with them.
Working in an office environment and in a business that has a great culture has helped me get back into a good routine where I feel encouraged to contribute my ideas. Whether it be ways to improve the efficiency of our project process or suggesting some bespoke changes to be made, the team are always striving to improve, and want me to impact change.
Highlights!
My favourite part of my role so far has been interacting with and meeting customers – from brief catch-up calls or project discussion meetings, it can really brighten up your day and make you feel like you’re making a difference to their business, however big or small! To build on this, a goal I’ve set myself to achieve by the end of my year is being able to confidently demonstrate the CRM to migrating customers from previous software versions, and being ready to answer customers’ questions faster.
Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my role so far and the responsibilities that have come with it. The opportunity to work on such a diverse range of tasks within my department has enabled me build on my interest of managing projects and explore my strengths within this area. Looking forward, I’m excited to know there’s so much more to learn, especially knowing how rewarding it’s been so far, seeing projects successfully completed and customers satisfied. I can only look forward to how my confidence, knowledge and experience will grow for the rest of my placement!
Does our Project Management role sound like a bit of you? Join our fast-growing Premium Services team and make an impact from day 1 – apply now!
Training Month
When August came around, I had real a mix of nerves and eagerness ahead of meeting my colleagues and starting my new role. But I shouldn’t have worried! The first month consisted of a full training programme, where we learnt about the software so we were well equipped when stepping into our roles. To help us bond and get to know one another, we completed a range of group training activities and team building exercises – as well as the a social event or two, like our game of rounders and Junkyard Golf! This all made us feel really welcomed into the team.
Month 1
Following completion of the training, I joined the Project Management team, and began contributing to meetings, tasks and projects straight away. As you can imagine, it was pretty nerve-wracking being the first ever Project Management placement. But it was great to know that a colleague within this team had been a placement many years ago – straight away I felt at ease and excited about this new opportunity! Right from the get-go, I’ve engaged with new projects and got familiar with the project process. This involves me writing down the customer’s project requirements, getting a monetary estimate, meeting customers virtually to discuss the project, and dedicating a suitable timeframe to complete it.
The Role
Given this is a brand new placement opportunity, I wanted to share some insights into the day-to-day role, so future applicants (maybe you!) can get a feel for what to expect. Within this team, you’re given a real sense of responsibility and independence as soon as you join. There’s something new to learn every day – whether it be from team members or our customers, it’s amazing how much new information I’m absorbing. Each week, I get assigned different tasks to focus on and it’s my responsibility to stay on top of them and allocate the right amount of time to them based on customer expectations. We always have morning meetings to help us focus, ask any questions, and chat to the rest of the team about anything they’re working on. This contact time makes me feel really supported and valued – something ProspectSoft pride themselves on!
Plus, I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with customers and investigating how they manage their businesses. It’s crucial that I establish a good relationship with them early on as I’m their first point of call for any queries or updates on their project. Being confident and organised are essential in me maintaining an open line of communication with them.
Working in an office environment and in a business that has a great culture has helped me get back into a good routine where I feel encouraged to contribute my ideas. Whether it be ways to improve the efficiency of our project process or suggesting some bespoke changes to be made, the team are always striving to improve, and want me to impact change.
Highlights!
My favourite part of my role so far has been interacting with and meeting customers – from brief catch-up calls or project discussion meetings, it can really brighten up your day and make you feel like you’re making a difference to their business, however big or small! To build on this, a goal I’ve set myself to achieve by the end of my year is being able to confidently demonstrate the CRM to migrating customers from previous software versions, and being ready to answer customers’ questions faster.
Overall, I’ve really enjoyed my role so far and the responsibilities that have come with it. The opportunity to work on such a diverse range of tasks within my department has enabled me build on my interest of managing projects and explore my strengths within this area. Looking forward, I’m excited to know there’s so much more to learn, especially knowing how rewarding it’s been so far, seeing projects successfully completed and customers satisfied. I can only look forward to how my confidence, knowledge and experience will grow for the rest of my placement!
Does our Project Management role sound like a bit of you? Join our fast-growing Premium Services team and make an impact from day 1 – apply now!