Hi, I'm Ankita Dhar — a Software Engineer based in Melbourne, Australia, with a passion for building thoughtful software and exploring the intersection of web, engineering and artificial intelligence. I currently work as a Java backend Software Engineer at SEEK, where I get to work on products that help millions of people find meaningful work.
My engineering journey spans over a decade and two continents. I started my career in Bangalore, first as a System Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services, and then as a Senior Software Engineer at Xoriant (MapleLabs), where I worked for over four years building robust systems with JavaScript and TypeScript. Those years gave me a strong foundation in large-scale software development and a deep appreciation for clean, maintainable code.
In 2020, I made the move to Melbourne to pursue a Master of Information Technology specialising in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Melbourne — a decision that reshaped the way I think about software. During and after my studies, I worked as an Academic Tutor at the university, teaching subjects ranging from Programming and Software Development to AI Planning for Autonomy. I also spent a fascinating year as part of the ACRUX-2 CubeSat team at the Melbourne Space Program, contributing to real satellite engineering.
Before joining SEEK, I spent nearly four years as a Software Engineer at Jora, working on their job search platform using Ruby on Rails and AWS. It was a role that deepened my love for full-stack product engineering in a hybrid Melbourne environment. My time at Telstra as a Summer Intern, working with Remix Framework and React.js, also gave me early exposure to modern front-end development in the Australian tech ecosystem.
Outside of day-to-day engineering, I've been recognised with a few awards I'm proud of: the People's Choice Award from Telstra and the University of Melbourne, the Best Tech Prize at the Codebrew 2020 Hackathon run by CISSA, and an Employee of the Month Award from MapleLabs early in my career. Each of these reflects moments where I pushed myself to build something meaningful under pressure.
This blog is my space to share what I'm learning, building, and thinking about — across full stack development, AI, and everything in between. Thanks for stopping by!