The Humans of Port Cities series takes a personal look at the lives of our members, to celebrate the diversity and uniqueness of the people who build the magic behind computers. In the series, each human of Port Cities will tell us a story that helped shape them into the person that they are today. To read more Humans of Port Cities stories, click here.
Binh Tran Thanh - Project Manager, Port Cities Vietnam
Many people told me that having a kid would change your life dramatically and not in a good way: you can no longer hang out with your buddies, no more road trips or time for personal hobbies. For me, it is not completely true, it is all about sharing those moments with another friend - your child. By “sharing” I mean it’s is a learning process from each other, between me and my little boy. In fact, at 5 months old, he already taught me these life lessons.
Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.
You can enjoy small success in every moment of your life. In my case, my little boy taught me that maybe I cannot lift the whole world with one hand, but I can hold him and comfort him until he sleeps soundly on my shoulder. Or that I do not need to be a language master but just need a have more patience and listen carefully to a language that I first did not understand - his crying pattern, to figure out what he needs. He also showed me that I don’t have to be a superman with superb durability to help lighten up someone else’s burden, by cooking for my wife, cleaning up the flat and washing all the clothes after traveling 15km from work without feeling tired.
You can still sharpen your professional skills while being a dad
As a project manager, I deal with project planning and project stakeholders. For "Project Baby", I have to compare different measurements and plans for my little boy, for example, the weight, height, and vaccination schedule among his schedule for bathing, and massages. I need to know all these ‘stats’ to make sure my “little project” is going toward a great development phase. Regarding the project stakeholders, well, you know, in the heated debate between the “old school” vs. “modern” methods of raising a baby there can be many “stakeholders” involved, like your wife, parent in-laws, and your parents. You see, working from home and taking care of your kid is not totally a setback in improving your career, specifically in terms of project planning and negotiation skills.
Be grateful for what you have
Taking care of a newborn indeed comes with a lot of stress sometimes, but from seeing that cute baby face and how fast he is growing up, I feel grateful. Why, because when looking at myself, I understand how lucky I am to be alive, to be who I am, and to be able to create another human being. Looking at people around me, I feel thankful and lucky. I think this lesson is the hardest to explain, you can only learn by going through it.
Having a kid does not need to be the end of your “flying” days. This new guy or girl will add more depth to your feelings, emotions, and challenge you to become a better version of yourself every day. At the end of the day, I would say you are still going on the same road, to the same destination, with an additional member who will carry on the trip with you. Therefore, we make sure we onboard our little new member well, among learning from each other.
Interested in becoming a Project Manager with Port Cities and enjoying great perks like flexible work hours as well as work-from-home opportunities? Check out our job openings for Project Managers in various branches here.