What if the thing people call your weakness is actually your superpower? 🦸‍♀️🤔

Kelen Polli went from a low-income childhood in Brazil to winning Young Engineer of the Year for Queensland and Australia, and her story is a masterclass in resilience, belonging, and sheer grit.

Raised by a single mother and grandmother, Kelen shares what it took to break into engineering without a single roadmap or role model to help pave the way.

She talks openly about the violence, financial hardship, and self-doubt that shaped her early years - and the scholarship exam she failed not once, not twice, but three times before finally getting the score that changed everything

We break down the real path into the industry for overseas-trained engineers, including learning English from scratch, working multiple jobs, getting her degree recognized, and landing that first opportunity through networking instead of online applications.

Kelen shares the importance of mentors to help support you and promote you to new heights in your career. But most importantly, Kelen shares her inspiring journey on giving back to the community from the privileges engineering has shared with her.

It's about what happens when you keep showing up, even when you feel out of place.

Perfect for anyone navigating a career pivot, building a life in a new country, or needing a reminder that your differences are not a flaw, they are your power 💪

If you've ever felt like you don't belong in the room, press play ▶️

In this Episode of You don't Look Like and Engineer, we delve into what it really means to build a career as a woman in the energy and engineering sectors. Carolina Mayol, a senior grid connections engineer, and Jasmine Wiklander, a senior energy and infrastructure recruitment consultant, share how childhood passions, cultural identity and career twists led them into renewables and people-focused work. Together, they unpack “quota hire” versus “qualified”, how unconscious bias shows up in hiring and promotion, and why women are often required to overperform just to be seen as equally capable. They explore confidence gaps, risk-taking, leadership styles that don’t fit the traditional “boys’ club”, and the power of using your voice without dimming your femininity or authenticity. This is a practical, honest conversation for women in STEM, leaders, and anyone serious about building truly inclusive teams.

Our Podcast channel aims to communicate our personal experience in a male-dominated industry, the lessons we have learned through our professional and personal journey; but more importantly, provide you with a different perspective of what STEM is about. We aim to spread awareness about diversity in STEM while providing tools to make you be the engineer of the life you want.

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