Pooja goes from global IT leader to community changemaker

But breaking into the Australian workforce proved far tougher than she expected. Over two years, she applied for more than 600 roles but never secured an interview.

Employers wanted local experience, references, or qualifications, leaving her caught in a familiar cycle: she needed an opportunity to gain Australian experience, but she needed Australian experience to secure an opportunity.

“Rebuilding a career in a new country is not always linear. I began to doubt myself and worried that everything I had worked for was being lost,” Pooja said.

The setback became a turning point. After years in corporate environments driven by efficiency and performance, Pooja wanted to channel her technology and project-management expertise into work that changed lives.

The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland’s Bright Future Project offered that opportunity. Pooja completed a Certificate I in Workplace Skills (BSB10120) with TAFE Queensland while undertaking a traineeship placement at Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS).

Choosing a Certificate I after completing a Bachelor of Technology and postgraduate business studies was a bold step. When an IT referral arrived at the same time, she chose the traineeship, a purposeful new pathway into the community sector.

“The traineeship gave me the local workplace education, frontline client experience and industry context I needed to step confidently into the not-for-profit sector,” she said.

TAFE Queensland teacher Tracee Cook helped Pooja understand the value of relationships in Australian workplaces. Collaborative classes and assessments grounded in real placement experiences helped her reconnect, contribute and rebuild her professional confidence.

Through the qualification, she strengthened practical skills in digital technologies, data collection, teamwork and sustainable workplace practices. More importantly, she learned how Australian workplaces operate - and how her global expertise could create value in a new environment.

“Transitioning from a high-level corporate IT background into the Australian not-for-profit sector was a unique experience,” she said.

“It meant learning a completely new operational language and culture while re-establishing my professional identity as a skilled migrant.”

At RAILS, Pooja was encouraged to contribute beyond her trainee duties. She improved digital processes, resolved IT issues and translated complex technical information into clear, practical advice.

With every contribution, her confidence grew - and she saw that the expertise she had built overseas could power her next chapter.

When a Projects Officer role became available, Pooja secured it through a competitive recruitment process.

Her responsibilities soon expanded to a broader digital transformation project, combining her corporate experience with a growing understanding of the people, processes and priorities of a community legal service.

“Seeing firsthand how our work directly and positively impacts people’s lives has been incredibly rewarding,” she said.

“Turning my corporate experience into genuine community value required me to step back and learn the local landscape. The traineeship was the bridge that made it possible.”

Her achievements earned statewide recognition at the 2026 Queensland Training Awards, where she was named the Metropolitan region Bob Marshman Trainee of the Year and a regional finalist for Equity Student of the Year.

“It was a wonderful celebration of vocational education and training - and of the many different pathways people take into meaningful work,” she said.

“I am grateful to share that recognition with the other finalists and everyone who makes these pathways possible.”

Alongside her Projects Officer role, Pooja is building Pooja Pacific Partners, a technology advisory and services practice helping not-for-profit and community organisations improve digital processes, manage technology risks and unlock greater value from their systems.

Her experience across major technology projects and frontline community work gives her a distinctive understanding of the resource pressures and operational challenges not-for-profit organisations face.

For Pooja, the journey proved that the path you never expected can lead to the opportunity you were searching for.

“Vocational education opened a door when formal pathways alone were not enough,” she said.

“Capability is not defined by a single credential from a previous country or career chapter. With the right training, support and opportunity, people can contribute deeply to their communities - and organisations can benefit immensely from their experience.”

Her advice to other skilled migrants is simple: stay open to opportunities that may look different from the future you first imagined.

“Your experience still has value, even if employers cannot immediately see where it fits,” she said.

“For me, a Certificate I traineeship became the bridge between my previous experience and a new career. It gave me the local knowledge, relationships and opportunity I needed to move forward.”

“Today, I measure success by the contribution I can make to people’s lives. My traineeship helped me find the place where my skills and sense of purpose could come together,” Pooja concluded.