Volodymyr Sychov: from job loss to chief operating officer

Volodymyr Sychov

Сhief Operating Officer

Zaporizhzhia Success story is provided by Prometheus

I wanted to be part of something bigger than just making money. It’s about helping people, about life’s purpose. In my new profession, I can be systematic, useful and still be myself

The full-scale war in Ukraine has disrupted millions of lives. One of them is Volodymyr Sychov, an internally displaced person from Zaporizhzhia, who rebuilt his career from the ground up.

Before the war, Volodymyr worked for over 20 years across sales, support, admin, and education. Trained as a systems engineer, he had always worn many hats. But the war brought chaos — tanks outside his window, constant air raid sirens, a young child to care for. Fleeing to Vinnytsia, he found himself jobless in a new city with no support network.

There, he discovered the Prometheus platform and its free career-switching opportunities.

Volodymyr took time to reflect, and realised project management could unite his technical background with his people skills. He enrolled in the Project Manager course, which offered structured theory, real-world assignments, and continuous mentorship.

Early job applications went nowhere. It wasn’t until a career boot camp, part of the programme, that Volodymyr understood how to create targeted CVs, analyse rejection patterns, and position himself strategically.

Over two months, he sent out more than 240 applications, applied not only for PM roles but adjacent ones too, took marketing and AI courses, and improved his English from A2 to B2. He also worked with a therapist to avoid burnout.

Volodymyr eventually received several offers. But it was the COO position at Lavka Molfara, a company producing certified health supplements, that felt right.

Today, he leads operations: process optimisation, logistics, team management, and growth strategy. Volodymyr’s story shows that even in times of great uncertainty, change is not only possible — it can lead to your most meaningful work yet.

Training was supported by Prometheus