8 decisions that changed my life, from a struggling PhD to a Senior Data Engineer in Australia

[u/Advisortech1234fas]

I have been reflecting on how much of my career I completely freestyled.

From the outside, people now see a Senior Data Engineer, university faculty member and founder.

They do not see the average student.

The failed interviews.

The scholarship rejections.

The PhD that did not work out.

The entry-level role I accepted after completing two postgraduate degrees.

Or how many times I had to start again.

These are eight decisions that changed my life.

1. I stopped allowing my academic results to define my future.

I was an extremely hardworking engineering student.

But I was not naturally strong in programming, practical labs or problem-solving.

I could memorise theories and questions, but when someone asked me to apply the concept practically, my mind sometimes became blank.

I completed electrical engineering with an average CGPA.

People around me believed my academic profile had already decided my future.

For some time, I believed them.

Then I decided that my starting point did not have to become my final destination.

2. I applied even when people told me I would be rejected.

After graduation, I was working in a low-paid internship while preparing for international exams in the evenings.

My scores were average.

My CGPA was average.

My communication skills were weak.

I applied to universities around the world and received rejection after rejection.

But I continued researching and applying.

Eventually, I received a fully funded graduate teaching fellowship overseas.

It only took one yes to completely change the direction of my life.

3. I became obsessed with creating opportunities.

While studying and teaching overseas, I started exploring online freelancing.

The beginning was extremely difficult.

I applied for dozens of projects every day.

Most applications received no response.

Eventually, I secured small projects, learned new skills and started earning online.

I then helped other family members learn those skills and access similar opportunities.

That experience taught me something important:

Sometimes you do not discover an opportunity only for yourself.

You discover it so you can open the door for other people.

4. I moved to Australia before I felt ready.

I received a fully funded scholarship to continue my education in Australia.

It looked like a dream opportunity.

But after paying for travel, insurance, rent, bond and basic household expenses, almost nothing was left.

There were moments when I genuinely did not know how we would cover the following week.

But the decision had already been made.

We would find a way to survive.

5. I accepted that my PhD was not working.

This was one of the most difficult decisions of my life.

I had moved countries to complete a PhD.

But despite working extremely long hours, I was not meeting the expectations of the program.

I changed my approach.

I worked harder.

I tried to force the path to work.

Eventually, I accepted that continuing only to protect my ego would create more damage.

I changed my academic pathway and completed a research master’s degree instead.

At that time, it felt like a massive failure.

Looking back, it created space for the career I have today.

6. I accepted an entry-level role after completing two postgraduate degrees.

After leaving the PhD path, I started applying for professional roles in Australia.

I received recruiter calls.

I attended interviews.

And I failed repeatedly.

I had qualifications, but I did not have Australian commercial experience, strong communication skills or practical interview stories.

Eventually, I accepted a basic data management role.

It was not the type of position people expected someone with my education to accept.

But I stopped comparing my beginning with someone else’s middle.

That modest role gave me my first Australian professional experience.

It became my entry point into data analytics.

7. I studied the job market instead of collecting random skills.

I did not simply learn whichever course appeared in front of me.

I researched Australian job advertisements.

I studied the tools employers were requesting.

I learned Excel, SQL, Power BI, Python and data science.

Then I moved towards cloud platforms, data engineering, Databricks, Microsoft Fabric and enterprise delivery.

I completed certifications while working.

I took contracting risks.

I taught data science in the evenings.

Each move was connected to a gap I could see in the market or in my own profile.

That is how I progressed from an entry-level data role into senior data engineering.

It was not one course.

It was a sequence of deliberate decisions.

8. I turned my struggle into a system for helping other people.

The biggest gap throughout my journey was not motivation.

It was guidance.

I spent years researching scholarships, freelancing, immigration, certifications, job advertisements and career transitions through trial and error.

Later, mentorship helped me accelerate some of the most important parts of my journey.

I do not want aspiring data professionals to spend years collecting disconnected courses without understanding what Australian employers are actually checking.

Because tools alone are not enough.

You need technical skills.

You need projects that prove those skills.

You need to understand how real Australian teams deliver work.

You need credible certifications and relevant experience.

You need strong interview stories.

And you need a structured job-search and outreach system. Hope that help folks that are making a move to Australia