Meet Magda
Magda Kortas was a Data Scientist in Poland before moving to Sydney to become a Data Scientist at Cloud infrastructure company, Kablamo.
Why did you apply for the fellowship?
In 2022 I received a Global Talent Visa (fast-tracked Permanent Residency programme, in just 3 months!) and I was about to move from Europe to Australia and took part in a fellowship remotely from Poland to make my move easier, learn about Australian culture, build a network and finally find a job in Australia. I was happy to receive a scholarship which made my participation much easier (apart from crazy time zone differences).
How would you describe the fellowship to someone else?
Quite intensive but very helpful. I feel that networking is much more important here in Australia than it was back home, and it was an amazing opportunity to build a network for someone without any connections, coming to Australia for the first time.
What is the value you got out of the fellowship?
Knowledge about Australian startup culture, job seeking and of course, all the people I met and talked to on the way.
Would you recommend the fellowship and why / why not?
Yes, and I did! My fiancé is currently doing Launch Club. And I keep recommending Women Fellowship to all women thinking about pivoting to a new industry.
Describe your journey since finishing the fellowship, professionally and personally.
Directly and indirectly thanks to the fellowship, I was able to secure two job offers before coming to Australia. I landed in February for the first time in Australia and started my job in just two weeks. Here in Sydney, I am building AI solutions to assist emergency services in preventing and responding to bushfires. It’s meaningful work and since I am passionate about AI for Good and climate change counteraction, I couldn’t imagine a better industry to work for. It’s already 8 months since I got to Australia and I love it here.
