Give yourself time to try new things

By Mariano Jurczyszyn, Project Manager

Years go by and experience confirms that I have a strange working style: I’m unstructured, and my personality was built around that way of being.

My life in general is not common, but it gave me the tools to know how to move in different very unique situations.

I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and emigrated to Spain when I was 10 years old. I didn’t understand the situation… I didn’t understand anything, but at 10 years old you can only put your head down, obey and move on. An introverted and shy personality didn’t help me to be social, but it wasn’t something I considered necessary either: good grades, playing at recess and trying not to attract attention was the routine.

One day I met my first great love: basketball. Actually, I fell in love with the concept of being part of a team, of having teammates, of sharing spaces, of having outings and weekend plans… I opened up completely and discovered that a basketball team isn’t only about competing, it’s much more. Truth is that we wern’t the best at the game, but happiness came from the time we were together… a bunch of crazy guys that were (and still are) a big family.

-Before and after- photos of the basketball team.

Then cartomagic came along from the hand of the renowned magician René Lavand, my mentor in books, whom I had the opportunity to meet and chat at his home for 1 hour; a talk full of lessons that I’ll keep for life.
I took up the discipline as a hobby from which I understood the importance of being self-taught; having at my fingertips thousands of books, thousands of opportunities from which to learn anything with dedication.
Magic taught me to express myself in front of other people. No matter how closed one is, there are always barriers that can be broken.

René and young-me in his home, 2014. He passed away one year later. Thanks for sharing your wisdom.

Some time later I became a radio amateur… what a beautiful practice. I remember watching a documentary on television about shortwaves and the next day I got on a bus and straight to the Radioclub Argentino, where I discovered the magic of going live with a radio, an antenna and waiting for someone to answer me, whoever, from anywhere in the world and for no particular reason.

My first time talking on a radio transmitter, taking notes of all the important information.

So…

Regardless of the activity, I understood the relationship between people and communication. Clearly, it wasn’t until after studying Computer Engineering that I asked myself if one can dedicate one’s work to those things we like, those hobbies or pastimes.

Today, I can attest that it’s possible: I’m a professional focused on educational project management, the perfect combination of team management, learning new technologies, programming, robotics, and a thousand other things for a curious mind.

I had great challenges and great opportunities that I was forced to take, at the time, without having experience; things that taught me not to shrink in the face of great challenges and to give myself the time and space to try new things.

Thanks to several leaders (the ones I had and the ones I have today), I apply that same philosophy to everyone: not to be the only link in the communication between teams and clients; people need room for exchange, discover how to handle themselves in different situations and, finally, each person should find a role for themselves.

I really enjoy working with my colleagues. The dynamics of the relationship with them points out that it’s mutual; and I’m not talking about the work, but also the personal stuff. Anyone at PSh shows a synergy and camaraderie worthy of note.

There is never a lack of greetings from other work teams, hamburger or sports gatherings… there’s a good vibe and that isn’t found in any place, it’s something difficult to achieve: clients stop having labels and become one more in the group. We exchange opinions, stories, anecdotes, etc.

Again, it is difficult to achieve.

It takes a conducive atmosphere, professional but companionable, free and comfortable… something that, for the time being, I could only find working here.

We’re simple people, who enjoy the routine with simple things, but that each one of us encloses in a complexity that makes us who we are; each one in his own way.

As René used to say: “Simplicity is the most beautiful thing, and how complicated it’s to get there!”