Why I Left Germany to Build in Vietnam

After my Master’s in Kassel and three years in CRO at audibene in Berlin, I had what many people would call a safe path. A good job, a growing field, a life in Germany.

Then the pandemic changed how I looked at time.

I kept asking myself the same question: what am I building that would not exist without me?

The answer kept pointing home. Over the years, I had met many talented young Vietnamese people abroad. Some of their stories moved me to tears. I knew how much a good guide, the right preparation and one open door can change a life. I also knew how many young people at home never get that door.

So at 31, I moved back to Ho Chi Minh City and started building a team at Clevermann from three people, to help young Vietnamese build careers in Germany and become global citizens.

It was not a step down. It was a different kind of step up. In Berlin, I optimized one part of a very large machine. In Vietnam, I had to build the whole machine: marketing, sales, partnerships, people, cash flow. Everything I had learned about customer behavior suddenly had to work in the real world, every day, with real consequences.

Three years later, the team had grown past 20 people and signed contract value had doubled. More importantly, many families are now building their lives in Germany.

The lesson: A career is not only about the next title. Sometimes the bravest move is choosing the place where your work matters most to you.