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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In Episode 4, Sohan and Laura discuss a common phenomenon - over identifying with your job. What do you do? Is the most common defining question of your personality.
This can be detrimental for your mental health and self-steem. In this episode, they share tools to prevent this from happening at work, and in other aspects of life.

Do you want to know more about You don’t look like an Engineer? Follow us on Instagram and stay tuned! @Youdontlooklikeanengineer

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In Laura and Sohan's latest conversation, they delve into the origins of the 8-8-8 split within the working day. Their conversation takes a look at how the conventional 9-5 work routine has evolved throughout the last century.

This podcast explores how societal influences have moulded our work environments, prompting a critical reevaluation of the standard 5-day workweek. This episode examines the emerging trends such as 4-day week and 6-hour workdays many companies are now experimenting with; addressing the potential implications of this shifting landscape on work-life balance.

If you've ever pondered the history behind the 9-5, 5-day workweek, or if you believe it's time for change, this episode is a must-listen.

Thank you to our sponsors, Design & Build Recruitment ⚡️

In this episode, Laura and Sohan explore what it really means to be confident, whether we have been given the right tools to date and how to improve your confidence. The confidence gap between men and women being a prominent issue in, and outside of, the workforce, the episode uncovers the psychology of confidence and how you can use it to improve your work and life, without face value advice to 'fake it 'til you make it'.

In this episode, Lau and Sohan host Angela Hucker, CEO of EPIC. Angela shares experiences from her career, spanning two decades in male-dominated industries. She talks about learning to rise to the occasion, how you can jump into a new role and learn to fit into it. She talks about the changes the industry has been through, in recognising female talent and fostering better, more inclusive cultures. Angela talks about how recognising biases was difficult in her earlier career, when it was hard to understand that certain behaviour was warranted to gender stereotypes.

A badass in her own field, Angela has a remarkable portfolio including multimillion dollar projects in oil, gas and infrastructure, and even a spotlight on US TV Show “Mega Structures”. The conversation explores the importance of fostering an open mindset in the construction industry and delves into the challenges of FIFO work. She shares about her latest venture EPIC, which seeks to empower those in construction.

Join us for this episode to hear Angela's practical career insights and genuine take on gender quotas and their impact on the industry.

The You Don't Look Like an Engineer Podcast is proudly supported by Design & Build Recruitment

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In Episode 5, Sohan and Laura discussed the importance of setting up boundaries to enhance emotional stability and reduce anxiety at work.

Do you want to know more about You don’t look like an Engineer? Follow us on Instagram and stay tuned! @Youdontlooklikeanengineer

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