Jeddah: British-Ukrainian creator Max Klymenko, known globally for his viral TikTok series “Career Ladder,” arrived to Jeddah to race in a special Formula E event, but he wasted no time climbing his famous ladder to interview locals.
Klymenko was spotted during the action in Jeddah over the weekend conducting his famous ladder-based interviews with people in the paddock, including Jeff Dodds, CEO of Formula E.
He has built a large presence on TikTok through short educational videos that teach viewers about professional development and career paths.
He regularly receives several million views per video and has nearly 14 million followers on TikTok alone.
The interview format involves Klymenko standing on the ladder opposite his interviewee, asking questions in order to guess what they do as a career.
Explaining his concept, he told Arab News: “Most of my questions are relevant to identifying a person’s career and the questions are a way to connect with those on the other side of the ladder.
“It is interesting conversations. I’m almost looking to stumble across the guess by chance (rather) than on purpose. You see I want the person to open up and through my questions I guess their career correctly.”
He added: “Simply, in just two minutes I want to know a little bit about what they do for (a) living and what they do or don’t like about their jobs. Sometimes I guess the career correctly, and other times, I don’t quite get the right answer.
“We make videos that make people think. Make them smile. And challenge what they think they know about the world.”
Speaking on the start of the “Career Ladder” concept, he said: “I have been making videos for 8 years and two years ago we started the ‘Career Ladder’ show.
“I really struggled to get a job when I moved to the UK in 2015. Initially, I was a lawyer and corporate consultant and it came to the point when I really didn’t know what to do.”
He continued: “One time I and my friends were in the bus and we were standing talking about the actual career ladder.
“So, we thought about the career ladder concept. Later, we bought the ladder and hit the streets for interviews.”
Klymenko and his team either carry their own ladder wherever they go in the world or buy a new one.
“We used to have our own ladder but we find it easier to buy one in each destination we go to instead of carrying one,” he said.
Visiting Saudi Arabia was a great opportunity, he explained.
“You see, I was invited to take part on elite electric racing for international content creators to be held after the end of Jeddah Formula E and this is my first visit and I am so glad to come to Saudi Arabia because I heard about it.
“During my visit, I will be conducting my interviews on my ladder in various areas in Jeddah,” he said.
“I am looking forward to taste the Saudi traditional food and I cannot wait to eat the Saudi famous fried chicken Al-Baik because I had it before somewhere else but I want to taste the original here in Jeddah.”
Klymenko revealed to Arab News that he and his crew will be starting their world tour in March 2026.
“We will go around 120 countries over two years including Saudi Arabia. I am sure it will be a success because I will know more about the people and their thinking and cultures,” he said.
