Oleksii Minenko

Oleksii Minenko from Ukraine graduated in 2019 with a Master’s degree in Diplomacy and International Relations. Currently, he works at Phoenix as a Dispute Administrator while freelancing in recruitment and career consulting. In this story, he shares his memories, life updates, and advice with current students.

My fondest memory of VMU is the international atmosphere – studying Chinese, living in Kaunas, and building friendships that shaped my life. Moving from Ukraine to Lithuania was not easy, and the biggest challenge as a student was balancing studies in two countries, survival, and part-time work. But that experience gave me resilience, adaptability, and courage to explore paths far outside my comfort zone.

My career has never been a straight line. Before entering recruitment, I worked in FinCrime, logistics, sales, support, even driving a taxi for a while. In 2019 I joined a startup project Gaono Namai, which was my first taste of entrepreneurship. It was awesome, but COVID ended this business, yet have a lot of valuable connections.

In 2020, after gigs in Denmark and Germany, I moved into Revolut, starting in financial crime investigations. That role sharpened my ability to analyze patterns and details. Soon I transitioned into recruitment – because once you know how to track criminals, you also know how to find the right people. Recruitment became my main focus, and over time I worked with international IT companies and startups, hiring for different levels and roles.

Later, I expanded into large organizations such as Ignitis, ProtonMail, Girteka, Booking.com, gaining experience in compliance, operations, and customer-facing roles. These “ups and downs” sometimes felt like moving sideways or even backwards, but they gave me a unique perspective: how companies really work, what stress does to people, and why resilience matters.

Currently, I work at Phoenix as a Dispute Administrator, while continuing freelance recruitment and career consulting. I help professionals prepare for interviews, build confidence, and navigate their careers. At the same time, I am developing KinaiFlow – a somatic and mindset method inspired by aikido, psychology, and resilience practices. Aikido has been part of my life since 2008, and it has taught me discipline, adaptability, and balance. With KinaiFlow, I bring these principles into workplaces and personal development.

Since graduation, I’ve learned that success is not a straight line but a collection of experiences. Each role, even those outside my main field, added a piece to the bigger picture. Work–life balance remains a challenge, but aikido and training keep me grounded and energized. For me, success means freedom to build projects that matter, to help people grow, and to turn ideas into systems that work in real life.

My advice for students: don’t fear nonlinear paths. Don’t panic if your career doesn’t go “up” all the time. Every step teaches something valuable. Collect experiences, keep learning, and later you will see how they connect to your own unique story. VMU gave me adaptability and a global perspective – the skills I rely on every day.