Before joining Monash University Malaysia, she was a Lecturer with the Faculty of Social Science and Humanities, Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, Kuala Lumpur. Sharmini has advised and supported management and staff on security issues and political developments in Malaysia during her tenure as a Research Officer with the Southeast Asia Regional Centre for Counter-Terrorism (SEARCCT), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Malaysia.
She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours in International Studies) from the University of Adelaide, Australia. She later obtained her Master of Arts (International Studies) from the same university.