Courses That Helped Me Organize Work
and Support Management
I've noticed that while many developers are skilled at implementing solutions to defined problems, those problems often evolve during development. Even after the initial challenge is solved, shifting requirements frequently demand further adjustments to truly meet the underlying goals. I can only imagine how challenging it must have been for managers trying to plan and organize the team's work amid such uncertainty.
Although navigating those constant changes wasn't officially my responsibility, I felt that as a team, we could work more effectively, and I wanted to help make that happen. So, I began searching for ways to improve our overall performance. On one hand, I read extensively and took some courses. On the other hand, I tried to apply this knowledge in practice. Through working with more professionals, delivering software across various industries, learning from other teams, and spending the next few years building solutions, I've had time to rethink that and combine it with engineering knowledge to better assist managers.
In this article, I'd like to share some courses that have helped me better organize engineering work and more effectively support project management.
Table of contents
Professional Scrum Master Training
The first course that had a major impact on my understanding of the product development process was the Professional Scrum Master Training. At the time, the industry was still shifting from waterfall to more agile methodologies. While there were plenty of Scrum-related courses available, I was encouraged to join one led by a trainer from Scrum.org and that's how I found the Professional Scrum Master™ Training.
Scrum is a simple framework designed for creating, delivering, and supporting complex products. It is a particular agile approach that enables teams to manage their tasks in iterative and incremental cycles, emphasizing teamwork, self-management and ongoing improvement.
Wanting to deepen my understanding and see how this framework works in practice, I decided to take a course to find out if it would be a good fit for me. The course was hands-on and practical, which helped me better understand what Scrum is about and what a Scrum Master's role involves. Through discussions and exercises, I became familiar with the core ideas behind Scrum, gained insight into the Agile mindset, and saw examples of how teams apply these practices.
I also started reading the Scrum Guide which is a helpful resource for Scrum knowledge. There are many materials out there about Scrum but I picked this one because it was written by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland the co-creators of Scrum. It gives a solid overview of the Scrum framework covering its definition, pillars (transparency, inspection, and adaptation), values, team roles, events and artifacts. It's a handy reference you can always come back to especially when you want to refresh your understanding of the Daily Scrum or remind yourself why it matters in the first place .
Professional Scrum Master I (PSM I) Certification
After completing the Professional Scrum Master training, I decided to go for the Professional Scrum Master™ I Certification. This certification shows a solid understanding of Scrum principles as described in the Scrum Guide and how they're applied within Scrum Teams. People with the PSM I certification consistently use Scrum terminology and follow the framework. Because of this, the PSM I credential is widely recognized as a trusted proof of Scrum knowledge in the industry.
Earning the certification requires passing an exam covering various Scrum-related concepts, including teams, events, artifacts, empiricism, and the definition of done. It may also include team development topics like self-managing teams, facilitation, and coaching. Additionally, areas related to product management such as forecasting and release planning, product value, backlog management, stakeholders, and customers can be part of the exam.
While the training gave me a solid foundation, I wanted to deepen my understanding. I spent time reading forums, blogs, and articles, comparing what I learned with the Scrum Guide. I also thought about how teams work, the challenges they face, and how Scrum helps solve them. This helped me develop a clearer understanding of Scrum and was really valuable while preparing for the certification. After a few weeks of study, I decided to take the exam. In the end, the Scrum Guide proved to be the most helpful resource and had everything needed to pass. So, I highly recommend thoroughly reviewing the Scrum Guide before taking the exam.
Going through the training and certification helped me better understand the product development process. I started applying what I learned in real-world situations, gradually integrating it into my day-to-day work. Over time, I noticed opportunities to combine my engineering background with this perspective to better support the teams and managers I worked with, always keeping servant leadership in mind.
TOGAF 9 Foundation course
The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF) is a widely adopted framework for enterprise architecture. It offers a structured approach to designing, planning, implementing, and managing an organization's IT architecture. TOGAF takes a high-level view on system design and is typically organized into four layers: Business, Application, Data, and Technology. The framework emphasizes modular design, standardization, and the use of established, proven technologies and solutions.
I came across TOGAF while searching for ways to improve architecture planning. Although it initially seemed complex for the problem I was facing, I decided to give it a try. After considering several options, I chose the TOGAF 9 Foundation course by Asseco Data Systems, which I really enjoyed. Since it was a few years ago, I couldn't find a direct link to the exact course, but it seemed similar to TOGAF® EA Foundation - Level 1.
The course introduced me to key TOGAF concepts, including its pillars, business architecture, data architecture, application architecture, and technical architecture. For me, the most valuable takeaway was the idea of Building Blocks, which are reusable components of enterprise capability that can be combined to create architectures and solutions. It is a helpful way to think about building systems like assembling building blocks. The course also provided a useful introduction to TOGAF certified tools, including Sparx Enterprise Architect.
This course helped me expand my perspective beyond just developer, product owner, and stakeholder views. It highlighted the importance of business and technology working together to find solutions through shared understanding. I learned that large organizations consider multiple types of architecture, such as business, data, application, and technical, when designing systems. It reinforced the idea that understanding the business model and requirements is essential to creating an architecture that is both solid and adaptable to future changes. The concept of viewing system elements as building blocks stood out as especially useful.
Agile with Atlassian Jira
Over time, I've mainly worked as a Software Engineer or Developer, but I've also taken on responsibilities as a Team Leader, Scrum Master, System Architect, and Analyst. These roles were different but felt connected, with transitions happening naturally as I adapted to evolving needs. Regardless of the role, organization, or company, one thing consistently tied all my experiences together: tracking issues.
I came across various tools for tracking what needs to be done, such as bug trackers, issue trackers, wikis, to-do lists, and more. When working on a small project, a simple to-do list is often enough, since these tools are straightforward and get the job done. However, as projects become more complex, involving multiple people and teams working toward a common goal, effective coordination becomes more challenging. Among the tools I tried, Jira was, in my opinion, the best option for managing large-scale projects. It's easy to start with a small project, and as it grows and the backlog expands, the setup can be scaled to meet increasing complexity.
Even though I've used Jira for years, I thought I might still learn something new. That's how I found the Agile with Atlassian Jira course, which covers the core principles and best practices of agile methodologies and shows how to use Jira effectively. The course goes through searching, JQL, filters, custom issue types, epics, versions, and ways to display information useful for the team. It also covers user management and working with permissions. The course finishes with a final project that reflects the ongoing changes within the team's agile process.
I like how this course combined Agile principles with hands-on Jira training, guiding me through configuring Jira, managing agile workflows, and adapting the tool to a team's evolving needs.
Software Processes and Agile Practices
A few months after finishing the Agile with Atlassian Jira course, I found another interesting training on Coursera: Software Processes and Agile Practices by the University of Alberta. I like to see the big picture, which is why I enjoyed previous Scrum-related trainings and the TOGAF course, and why I value having a well-organized backlog in Jira. A software process guides development through all stages, from initiation to completion. This felt like the right course for me to try, and it certainly was.
The course began with an introduction to software processes and then smoothly transitioned into Agile practices. It covered various software process models, including linear and spiral models, the unified process, prototyping, and continuous delivery. The focus then shifted to Agile practices such as Extreme Programming and included some Scrum-related topics. Finally, the course touched on Lean Software Development and Kanban.
I liked the course for its broad overview of various software development processes, from linear and spiral approaches through Unified Process and prototype models to Agile methodologies including Scrum, Lean, and Kanban.
Conclusion
These courses helped me see how engineering work fits into the bigger picture and how I might support it better. They introduced ways to communicate more clearly, organize work more effectively, and stay aligned with changing priorities. I've noticed that even small changes in how a team plans, coordinates, and reflects can make a real difference. If you're an engineer looking to go beyond just writing code and want to learn more about project management, these courses could be a useful starting point.
In many cases, training and courses are rewarded with badges or certificates that appear on user profiles:
I think it's a nice way to acknowledge the effort and learning. After all, as engineers, sooner or later we'll want to show that we haven't wasted our time and that we've worked hard to keep our skills sharp . Thank you for reading, and I hope you found something useful here.
Author
This article was written by Kamil Mazurek, a Software Engineer based in Warsaw, Poland. You can also find me on my LinkedIn profile.
My public repositories can be found on my GitHub and GitLab profiles:
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