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After 12 years in Germany, Indian woman says hard work 'borne no fruits': 'Disappointed in myself'
An Indian biologist in Germany detailed workplace struggles and personal setbacks in an email shared by Ankur Warikoo, sparking debate on success and pivoting.
Entrepreneur and content creator Ankur Warikoo recently shared a deeply personal email he received from an Indian woman living in Germany, shedding light on the emotional and professional challenges many immigrants face as they build a life overseas. Posting on X, Warikoo also shared the response he sent her, urging her to reflect on what truly matters in life.
In the post, Warikoo shared that the woman described moving to Germany at 23 to pursue higher studies in biology and biotechnology. What began as a dream of becoming a scientist, she said, gradually turned into disappointment after she lost her passion during her Master’s thesis and encountered difficult workplaces.
“Being a foreigner is not easy at all,” she wrote, adding that despite learning German in Bengaluru, she faced several toxic work environments where she felt “overworked, underpaid, underappreciated, mentally harassed and even bore the physical brunt.”
The woman shared that her personal struggles intensified in 2023 when her mother was diagnosed with cancer. While visiting Bengaluru, she extended her stay by a week to support her family, only to be fired upon returning to Germany.
“Funnily the company I was working in was working on cancer immunotherapy. The irony,” she wrote. After 12 years abroad, the biologist said she still earns significantly less than peers in other fields and feels she has not achieved her childhood dreams.
“I feel like a failure as I am unable to even reach the first step of my dreams from childhood. I live almost hand to mouth. No matter how many skills I acquire or how skilled I am, I seem to never go ahead in life,” she wrote, calling the situation “utterly disappointing.”
(Also Read: ‘How to teach value of money to 13-year-old?’ asks Ankur Warikoo. X user suggests ice cream theory)
Ankur Warikoo’s reply
Responding to the email, Warikoo encouraged her to imagine herself at the age of 80 looking back on her life, and to consider whether she would regret staying in circumstances that no longer aligned with her values.
“You don’t want to say, ‘I wish I had not tolerated this life for longer than I did. I wish I had the courage to listen to myself,’” he wrote, suggesting that fear should not outweigh self-belief or hope. “That would be a tragic life, isn’t it?”
(Also Read: Ankur Warikoo recalls laying off 80 employees after raising $17 million: 'Toughest period of my life')
Social media reactions
The post struck a chord with many on social media, prompting a wave of reactions about career pivots, self-worth, and redefining success.
“We glorify ‘don’t give up.’ We rarely talk about ‘maybe this isn’t your path anymore.’ Pivoting isn’t quitting. It’s evolving,” one user commented.
Another wrote, “If the soil hasn't yielded fruit after 12 years, it’s time to change the ground, not your self worth. Go where you are valued, be with those you love, and stop trading your soul for a dream that no longer serves you.”
“That is an excellent piece of advice. To imagine and look in retrospect. I think the sooner we do it; the better one can prioritize. Though work experience abroad can vary in experience; I still feel some diversity adds a great deal of perspective and multi-tasking skills. It helps to gain cultural sensitivity; especially when the world is getting smaller and smaller due to technology. Though somewhere her post did resonate with me at some level,” said a third user.
“That's a heavy story. Sometimes success isn't about income or title, it's about having the courage to course-correct when something isn't aligned anymore,” commented another.
