"The world is a big playground - follow your passion!"

Toyota role model’s advice to young girls aspiring to STEM career
27/04/2023
As part of its Girls STEM the Future programme, female Toyota role models have been contributing their video messages to Inspiring Girls International’s video hub. Katy Smets, Information Technology & Digital Senior Specialist shares what helped her get a dream job. 

My best-ever teacher: trying out for myself

Already early in my teenage years, I had passion for informatics and started to create my very first websites. I had no books nor teacher to tell me how to do it, so I had to try, fail and try again by myself. I learned how rewarding it is to try for yourself in order to make things you have in your imagination. You learn much more from that than anything else. 

Let your passion drive you

I wanted to study informatics at high school but I was not eligible because I didn't have enough mathematics knowledge. I studied marketing, but informatics was still my passion. So, right after completing my marketing degree, I started studying informatics in the evening while working my marketing job during the day. After a year, even before finishing my informatics studies, I had my first job in informatics. 
“ My first employer in the field of my dream – informatics – told me that my motivation and passion led them to choose me. I advise you to always follow your passion. Your passion will drive you. Nothing will be able to stop you.”
Katy Smets, Senior Specialist Information Technology

Your dream job is not in an advertisement

You will never find your dream job in an advertisement. You have to create it for yourself once you are working for a company where you feel good. Start to do the things you love doing, and pull these things towards you by training yourself and communicating with people around you about what you love doing. And you always need to keep on learning. The more you know the easier it becomes to learn even more new things. Read a lot, try out a lot. The world is a big playground. 
“ Don't work for thank you's, but build in some challenges, targets and learnings for yourself to work towards. Just by achieving your own targets you will feel so much fulfilment.”
Katy Smets, Senior Specialist Information Technology

For Katy’s full video message, please go to https://videohub.inspiring-girls.com/en/videos/katysmets (Opens in new window)

 

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