LADY OF THE MONTH: JOANNA MARIE CAMET – LADIES WHO ONLINE 

Filipina airline employee, Joanna Camet, accepted a job in a Dubai-based company seven years ago. In the past decade I’ve known her, she has always been the type who fights for her dreams. When she has a goal, she would make sure she achieves it, no matter what. Seeing where she is now and how far she has come is a true testament of this woman’s resilient spirit.

“My dream of seeing the world encouraged me to work away from home. I can also say that another reason I worked overseas is that I wanted to earn more than what I can earn back home. I am certain that most people who work overseas will give the same answer – a greener pasture. In my case, my dream to travel weighed more than the numbers,” Joanna shared.

FOR THE LOVE OF TRAVEL | This very sheltered girl has accomplished a lot through her years of living on her own abroad. Since then, she has learned how to cook and do household chores, and now enjoys living a domesticated life. But the thing she loves the most is her job, as it brings her to some of her dream destinations. “I work for an airline and although it includes layovers at various places, I am even more encouraged to have my own trips. Traveling has always been the main reason I left my country and to move to Dubai. When I was a kid, I would always read the Atlas to see pictures of distinct places. Now that I have the chance to see those pictures in reality, I try to make the most of every opportunity given to me. I feel contentment whenever I travel,” Joanna shared.

WORK-LIFE BALANCE | When Joanna is at her workspace, she leaves all non-work related stuff and emotions at home. She shared, “my life is not smooth sailing. I encounter problems. But I always try to leave my baggage behind from the moment I put on my uniform and report for duty. Part of my uniform is that one big smile, so I cannot afford to let my emotions overwhelm me while in service.” 

And when on her day-off (pre-Covid days), she gets on with her routines like cooking her own food, going to church, and shopping for essentials. She sometimes goes out with friends, but only to have coffee or quick meals with them (nothing lavish).

WORK CHALLENGES | For Joanna, a significant barrier in her career is how people perceive her job and towards her race. “I know that we cannot please everybody but we can control our reactions. If I feel that people belittle me, I show them I am the bigger person. I don’t allow them to step on me,” she shared.

 SUCCESS HABITS | “I put my focus in what I do. I enjoy when I have to, but when the circumstance requires me to take things seriously, I give my best. The road to success is not and will never be easy. That’s why it took me countless rejections to get to where I am today. I could not say that I am very successful now. In due course, I know I may have to shift careers to achieve more. A victory, big or small, has to be recognized and celebrated. I believe we are all put somewhere for a reason, and it’s the journey towards success that will matter the most. I can say that reading self-help books helped me to maintain an optimistic mind,” she shared.

WORDS OF WISDOM | Joanna encourages the next generation of young women to succeed in the workplace or business, and she imparts some great advice for all the ladies who are dreamers and achievers like her. “Never give up, no matter how many times life shows you failures and rejections. Life is not smooth, and so is the road to our goals and ambitions in life. The hurdles you will face aren’t meant to crush you, but to make you a better person. If everything will always be in our favor, then how will we improve ourselves? Accepting our mistakes will not make us less of a person. We become a bigger person when we acknowledge our mistakes, and when we make room for improvements. Our failures in life will never define how good you are as a human being.

Remember that DETERMINATION is the key. If you’re determined to reach your goal/s, it means that you believe in yourself. Consider FAILURE positively rather than negatively. Failure is inevitable. I am not saying that you should not feel frustrated at all when the outcome does not go in your favor. It’s natural to feel down, but make sure to move forward after that. I faced countless rejections before I got my present job. I cannot count how many times I questioned myself where I went wrong. I just tried to improve what I already had instead of finding out about the mistakes,” she shared.

Love and light,
Mai