From Tech Company VP to Apple to Unemployed in Berlin: What Happened Next

Position of Strength

In 2020, I was in a good spot: eight years in AdTech, VP of Business Operations. I felt steady—things made sense, the office and the faces around me familiar, everything ticking along. 

After the company was bought by a big conglomerate, I ended up the last executive standing and took responsibility for integrating our team into the new holding.

My work felt meaningful, and I genuinely enjoyed being the “queen bee” who knew every corner of the business, who could make sure the ideas I valued actually got put into action.

The job felt easy, almost second nature. I travelled—a lot: Tokyo, San Francisco, Shanghai, Seoul, Bangalore. The work was rewarding and alive.

People and the Job Hunt

The team was shrinking, the structure shifting — some colleagues were laid off, others left on their own so they wouldn’t have decisions made for them. I loved helping them exit properly, with dignity.

But the real question was always the same: what’s next?

We’d sit down together, go through their résumé, and I’d try to spot what each person was truly good at. 

I loved spotting a role that made people’s eyes light up. When you know someone beyond the paper version, it’s so much easier to connect the dots: this one’s a creative, that one’s a strategist, another’s a natural negotiator. And suddenly, you know exactly the kind of place that’ll let them breathe.

Every single time I watched someone realize they might be capable of more than they thought—it’s honestly addictive. 

It wasn’t just job advice; it was about showing them, Look, you’re literally stronger than you give yourself credit for.

Money and Freedom

My own situation stayed solid. The pay was far beyond what I’d pictured for myself—thanks to a mentor who said, “ask for more.” I remember that numb disbelief, seeing the numbers on my payslip. 

I had plenty of freedom—I understood the business, knew how to build systems without needing to overthink each step.

Losing the Drive

On paper, everything was perfect. But slowly, the thrill faded. No fresh challenge, no kick of the new. I didn’t even feel like hunting for a different job—I just waited for something to happen.

Part of me thought: this all came too easily, so maybe it was just luck. Real success should feel heavier, soaked in effort and struggle. 

Of course, I conveniently ignored the years I’d worked nights for the fun of it—launching and tweaking ad campaigns, infecting my team with energy, figuring out leadership, fighting for the interests of one, then five departments, taking charge of the tricky stuff. I kept things clean and brought projects home. Yet in that moment? None of that felt earned—it felt accidental.

And it’s funny—so many of my career coaching clients say exactly the same thing: “I didn’t do anything special… I just did my job.”

As long as I couldn’t see the value in my own work, I had no idea what to aim for. I drifted, out of sight of my own goals. 

Weirdly, I could see what was special in other people at a glance—the way their strengths just showed up. 

For myself, I figured I was just lucky to be there, doing what anyone would do.

Apple

Insane but true: floating along with zero plan seemed to actually pay off.

One day I got a LinkedIn message: Apple wanted to talk. They were starting up a new team and invited me to interview.

“Yes, I’m interested,” I answered, probably sounding way more casual than I felt.

I literally spelled it out in my head: “A-p-p-l-e—seriously? You mean, THAT Apple?”

I had no idea they were opening an office in Berlin. I’d always worked in English in Germany, and the whole big-company thing never appealed—mostly because the prerequisite is usually to work in German. Even though I’m fluent, I prefer teams made up of passport salad, where working in English is a feature, not a problem.

Still, the timing lined up: Apple was building in Berlin, looking for people to work with Central and Eastern European advertisers. They wanted someone who’d managed teams and processes, and who could do the job in English, with my Russian & Ukrainian being an advantage.

Interview process: marathon edition. 

Six rounds, case study, presentation for a VP out in Cupertino. Each stage felt like another level, tension cranking up every time. It was a lot, but it was doable. It all made me feel more capable than ever.

And quietly, my confidence grew.

I went through all the stages and got the offer. It was a bit unreal—like suddenly landing in a different life.

The First Month

August 1, 2020—first day at Apple.

A week goes by. Then another. Then three. And I start to realize—this isn’t it.

Every ounce of energy was being spent just fitting in. I’d wake up and not want to open the laptop. Every day felt heavy. Ironically, the team and the conditions? Fantastic.

But I felt like someone had dropped me off a ledge. Why wasn’t I inspired, why didn’t I care, what had happened to that old push I used to feel for a new challenge or the business?

It was like matching with a perfect person in a dating app—mental images of weekend getaways, but the moment you actually meet there’s just no spark at all. 

I felt cornered, mostly by myself, for not having guessed what could go sideways—or for not being ready. Stuck, properly.

The Decision

I tried to talk myself into giving it time, scoping out options. But deep down, I knew: I want to quit.

Come on—it’s Apple. If this isn’t enough, what am I even after? What do I say to my friends, let alone everyone else? Admit I’ve lost any idea what I want?

I needed something to put up front.

So I decided: my own business. I didn’t know which, or how. But as soon as I picked that as my Plan A—business of my own, details to follow—I sat down with my manager and said I was resigning.

Unemployed in Germany

After leaving Apple, it was the first time in years I didn’t have a job lined up. My knowledge of Germany’s support systems was pretty much nil.

Signing up as unemployed felt odd—kind of off-brand. I had no clue what would happen next. Would the Arbeitsamt start sending me to interviews? Did I have to jump into a bunch of bureaucratic back-and-forth with rules I didn’t even know?

But at my first appointment at the Agentur für Arbeit, I was honestly surprised.

It felt like stepping onto a plane—me, the passenger, being logged in and looked after by people whose only goal was helping, staying positive, following a plan. It threw me. Turns out, the Arbeitsamt is actually on my side.

That one meeting shifted how I look at social support here.

This is why it’s important for me to share my step-by-step guide on working with the Agentur für Arbeit or Jobcenter—how to get a voucher for free coaching via your advisor.

Of course, coaching is exactly what I was missing five years ago, when I stood at that crossroads. I knew the Agentur paid for coaching, but I convinced myself my path was too weird for anyone else to help. Didn’t even try. I figured no one could help map out something as jumbled as mine.

Now I know: If I’d looked for the right coach, I would have found one. Who knows? Maybe I wouldn’t have spent five years wandering toward entrepreneurship. Maybe I would have gotten there a lot sooner.