From Sri Lanka to Adelaide, the long way.
This is the story behind the posts. Where I started, what went wrong, and the lesson from each chapter. If you only read one page on this site, read this one.
- Sri Lanka
Studying and building websites
While I was still at university, I started Qualon, a small web development company, and built sites for local clients. It taught me to ship, talk to customers and get paid for my work.
Lesson: Building things for real people teaches you faster than any course.
- Sri Lanka
Senior software engineer at Sysco
A good role, a good team, and a comfortable life. I still decided to move.
Lesson: Seniority back home doesn't automatically transfer. Your network and reputation have to be rebuilt from scratch.
- 2024
Arriving in Adelaide
New city, no local experience, no network. Months of reading visa rules taught me more than I ever wanted to know.
Lesson: Start the paperwork earlier than you think you need to. Visa posts
- 2024
700+ applications in three months
Most went unanswered. I tracked every one in a spreadsheet, changed my resume over and over, and slowly worked out what Australian recruiters were looking for.
Lesson: Volume matters less than fit. A tailored application beats ten generic ones. Career posts
- 2024
First job at Land Services SA
Eighteen months that gave me local experience, Australian workplace habits and my first real referees.
Lesson: Your first job here doesn't need to be your dream job. It needs to be your first.
- 2026
Royal Flying Doctor Service
Six months building software for an organisation that keeps remote Australia connected to healthcare.
Lesson: Once you have local experience, doors open much faster.
- Now
Software engineer at Qantas
Alongside work, I'm investing every pay, training for my first half marathon, and building a skilled visa explainer for the people coming after me.
Next: Run 21.1 km in December, and launch the visa explainer.
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