From an IT specialist to president of a community support group, Tomoko talks about her big career change

Tomoko Otani, president of the Japanese Australian Support in Community (JASIC) Credit: SBS

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"I thought I had a good career in IT. But at that time, there was not so much considerations for carers in the workplace even in Australia. I wasn't given a choice to go part-time," Tomoko Otani says.

Ms Otani got her Master's degree in Sydney and built her career as an IT specialist. Then her mother developed Parkinson's disease.

Ms Otani had no choice but leaving her IT career to look after her mother. She also needed to collect information on Australia's aged care support, which she didn't know much about.

Her IT expertise helped Ms Otani land in a job in the community support sector. After building another career, Ms Otani is ready to support people in the Japanese community.

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