Luke Szweda

1. What influenced you to pursue an MBA at the Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology?

I chose to study primarily because I wanted to expand my knowledge of management. In the past, I was a manager of a team of several people for several years, but no one at the time prepared me for this role. I had to learn a lot of things in practice, which didn't always go as I expected. When I decided to study again, my position was more technical than managerial. Looking to the future, I decided to structure my knowledge in a more formalized way, and concluded that a study of this type would help me do that.

We chose the MBA program for the IT industry run at PJAIT together with a colleague from the company after looking at several offers, both local (we are both from the Tri-City area) and more distant. Most of the offers we found lasted 2 years, while the program at PJAIT was completed in one year. The shorter period translated into a lower cost of study, both for the studies themselves and for commuting, as well as accommodation for lectures. In addition, feedback from other people who had completed 2-year courses at other universities was that the second year didn't add as much to the study program as the first, and they often got the impression that it was safe to stop at a year's study.

2. How do you recall your time at MBA 4 IT at PJAIT? What was the most significant thing for you during the studies themselves?

At first I didn't know completely what to expect. After all, the general perception is that MBAs are associated with elite universities where the "cream" of managers with decades of experience are trained. This was a bit intimidating. Meanwhile, it turned out that most of my colleagues had similar experience to mine and also chose these studies for similar reasons.

The atmosphere was very good, open and friendly throughout. The group of participants was selected in terms of similar age, experience and interests (as suggested by the name of the MBA course for the IT industry). As a result, I don't think anyone felt inferior or less important in the discussions we had, and everyone was able to share their acquired professional experience. I think this is one of the more important aspects, as it allows us to add information from the realities of each participant's daily work to the established program, which would be difficult in a formalized, rigid atmosphere.

3. What areas from the curriculum covered during the MBA program were most relevant and useful to you in your professional life?

If I had to choose one area it was definitely Mr. Christopher Gorlicki's lectures on public speaking. This has always been my Achilles heel, as I was not very comfortable in this type of situation and avoided it like hell. Christopher gave us a lot of tips and practical advice, thanks to which my confidence gained significantly. Since then, I have participated in several conferences as a speaker and conducted a considerable amount of training and presentations internally, both for Polish and English-speaking colleagues.

Another area I remembered was storytelling led by Mr. Pawel Tkaczyk. This area connects strongly with public speaking and allows me to engage the listener by encasing the topic in a story. As a result, I know how to prepare a better, more interesting presentation and often refer to real-life examples from my life and career, which noticeably improves the reception and engagement of my audience.

4. How do you assess the cooperation of MBA students during the course and the contact between the student and the lecturer. Are the relationships that have been established important to you?

Definitely. I think we were able to integrate very well as a group, which contributed to a much better conduct of the exercises and participation in the discussions that arose quite often in class. Each Meeting ended with further evening integration over dinner. We continue to keep in touch via Slack and meet whenever I have the opportunity to be in Warsaw.

Cooperation with the lecturers was at a high level. I felt that I could turn to them with any topics that I did not understand in class. Of course, the relationship stood on a different level than with colleagues, but with some of them we partially changed this at the graduation party.

5. How did your MBA study contribute to your career development?

The knowledge I gained has definitely helped me in my career. By increasing my presentation skills, I was able to present to a wider audience what I was working on. This, in turn, strengthened my position as an expert in areas close to me and ultimately contributed to my promotion from expert to Chief IT Developer a year after graduation. For the time being, my career is not following a managerial path, but I don't rule it out in the future, and I think the MBA I graduated from will certainly help with that.

6. What values, beyond the curriculum itself, were most important to you during the MBA itself?

The atmosphere of friendliness, openness, the approach of the lecturers, and the friendships and time spent with the other participants were key in my eventual overall perception of the study. I don't have a sense of wasted time (and yet, years later, I regret that these studies were not two years). I do miss meeting regularly in a group of classmates, discussions, working together and informal gatherings after class.

7. What tips could you give to potential MBA candidates?

First and foremost, they should verify their expectations for their future after college. I believe that studies are designed to show us many different areas and give us a solid foundation to explore those that a person is interested in. No curriculum will make us an experienced manager or computer science. This comes with time, and studies are only a prelude. Fifteen years after finishing my first studies at a polytechnic, I don't remember most of what I learned there, but what remains is a certain "aura," an outgrowth of the various topics I encountered, and years later, the sense that "I heard it somewhere" returns, allowing me to delve back into the subject more quickly and effectively. It is no different with MBA studies, and I believe that the knowledge I acquired there will be fruitful in the future, whatever career path I may take.