After a career break, Infosys alum Ambika Tarachand was keen to re-enter the workforce; Infosys Australia welcomed her back with open arms.

How did you come to join Infosys for your first stint with the company?

In July 2006, I completed my engineering degree in computer science. I applied for a position with Infosys and was accepted into the Bangalore DC, where I completed the customary six months of training.

My family was very proud when I joined Infosys, not only because it’s one of India’s—and the world’s—top IT companies, but also because I was the first woman in my family to earn a C.S. engineering degree and go to work for a company like Infosys. It felt great to make my family proud.

How would you describe your first eight years with Infosys?

I’ve always cherished my experience of the initial training period. We started with general training and then went into more specialized courses, and I really enjoyed all of it. It was like going to a new college, learning new things, and meeting a lot of great people.

When I think back to my first tenure with Infosys, I always think about the continuous learning. Every year we had to complete one domain certification, plus a non-technical training course. Ongoing training was great for helping us in our specific career streams, but it also opened up new opportunities.

After my training, I was posted in Chennai as a technology analyst. I worked with great people and had a really good time doing it. I always felt like I made the right career choice coming out of college.

?You left Infosys in October 2014. What led you to make that decision?

In 2014, I was hoping for a promotion but didn’t get it. I was ready to take the next step in my career, and not getting the promotion was frustrating for me. I didn’t want to wait a year for the next round of promotions, so I decided to move on and continue my career with another company. I’d like to emphasize that I didn’t hold any hard feelings toward Infosys or my managers. I think the fact that I’ve come back to Infosys is proof of that!

What made you choose Infosys for your career restart?

I was a senior associate at my new company, also in Chennai, for over three years, until late 2017. Then, my husband got a job in Australia, so we moved. I decided to take a bit of a career break, mainly so I could take care of our young children. I always intended to return to work, however, once our children got a little older and we got settled in Australia.

When I decided to return to the IT world, I did a lot of certifications and applied for many jobs. Although I got a lot of calls from companies, I wasn’t getting the next level because I didn’t have the local experience in Australia.

Then, I got a call from an Infosys manager asking if I would be interested in working for an Infosys client in Australia. I worked for that client for six months, until January of this year, and then I joined Infosys Australia as a scrum master in March.

I appreciated that the salary I was offered was quite competitive. I was also happy that Infosys accommodated my wish to keep working in the same industry—banking—that I had been working in.

?For other Infosys alums considering the next steps in their career paths, what would you want them to know about your experience as a “boomerang”?

Infosys really lived up to its ideals for me when it came to welcoming me back after I had taken a career break. In my first tenure with Infosys, I think I had demonstrated my ability and potential. When I was ready to return to the workforce, the Infosys recruiters, HR team, and managers who hired me showed great trust in me. They acknowledged that I took a career break for valid reasons, but that when I was ready to come back to work, I was all in.

There’s just a level of trust here that I find to be very positive. I appreciate that Infosys understands that women can manage both their families and their work.

What’s it been like to be back with Infosys Australia since March, once you finished your six-month engagement with the Infosys client?

The onboarding process was very smooth. Once I was selected, there were no delays whatsoever. By the next day, processes started moving swiftly.

The HR team and my manager kept in constant touch with me, which gave me additional confidence I had made the right choice. When I joined, on my first day, the processes and procedures still felt familiar. I knew immediately how to start getting to work. ?

In fact, it’s not like I’ve rejoined the company at all. It’s more like I took a break and was on holiday and then came back and everything felt natural and normal again. It feels like coming home again.