The post: Traction Manager, Northern Ireland Railways
The post holder: Michael Chisholm
Good communication and the ability to prioritise are crucial skills in Michael Chisholm’s role as a Traction Manager.
Here’s how he became a Traction Manager at Translink.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I have a varied work background having worked in finance, education and public service. I worked as a classroom assistant in both mainstream education and special educational needs services prior to joining Translink. In addition, I gained business related experience working in two high street banks.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I attended school in Belfast and participated in a number of the many extra-curricular activities they offered, however being a sporty person my favourite subject was PE, which I studied though to A-level. I also enjoyed Biology and Geography, some of which I have been able to draw on within my current role.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so what did you study and where?
Yes, after leaving school I had aspirations to be a teacher but life had other plans; therefore I went on to study Health and Leisure Studies at Stranmillis University College, Belfast. I enjoyed my time at Stranmillis and came out with a 2:1 degree. The course had modules of Business Management and Health and Safety, all of which have been very useful in my role with Translink.
How did you get into your area of work?
After I got married in 2013, my wife and I moved to Qatar for work. Our plan was to stay for a number of years but yet again life threw us a curve ball and we came home when we found our son was on the way.
Once we returned to Belfast, it was my wife that spotted the advert for the management programme with Translink and suggested I might be a good candidate. I applied for the programme and passed each phase of the selection process to get in.
Once in the company, I spent time moving around each department learning how a public transport organisation works. After a year, I was successful in getting a temporary management post allowing me to ascend from the graduate programme early. This was invaluable in giving me first hand management experience within Translink. Following on from that post I applied and was successful in getting the role I am in today, which is diverse, challenging and always exciting.
Is this what you always wanted to do?
No, when I was young I wanted to be an army officer but that then changed to being a PE teacher. It was only when I realised the transferable skills that I had to offer that I knew I would be a good fit in Translink.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
A degree in any discipline with at least a 2:2 classification and one years’ experience of working in industry, commerce or retail.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
My role is very varied with an emphasis on dealing with people, so being able to communicate effectively is a key requirement. I have 150+ staff across the province reporting directly to me, so my ability to communicate with them is vital. Other important key skills are time management and prioritisation. My role can be very demanding and often requires me to react to what is happening within daily operations so my ability to manage my own workload is key.
What does a typical day entail?
The joy of my job is that I genuinely don’t have a typical day due to the nature of my role. A lot of my time is spent dealing with the day to day operations of train services and any driver related issues/concerns.
I am responsible for ensuring the competency of all the train drivers and my supervisory team carry out assessments to ensure they are meeting the high standards required to deliver a quality train service. I work closely with trade unions to ensure that a good, collaborative working relationship is maintained and that communication channels are always open. Planning can also take up a significant portion of my time through input into many of the significant infrastructure projects ongoing across the railway network.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
I like dealing with people and in this role I get to meet some very interesting characters and hear some interesting stories. Dealing with people can be challenging too. I consider myself to be patient and a good listener, so I can best try to support my colleagues in their role.
Why is what you do important?
The role I am in currently is vital for the delivery of high-quality train services in Northern Ireland. I manage all NI Railways train drivers to ensure we deliver a safe, reliable and high-quality service to our customers. Our train drivers are trained to a high standard and empowered to make the best decisions at all times, to ensure everyone gets home safely.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
I am the sort of person that believes that if you don’t give it a try you will never know what the outcome could be. I would say to anyone who is interested in following a similar path as me, ‘don’t be afraid to ask the silly question’ because in my experience you will not be the only one thinking it and you will only expand your knowledge and skill by tapping into those around you who have already experienced similar scenarios. Translink is an excellent employer and you just have to look at the average length of service of our staff to see that people tend not to leave once they have started here.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Don’t rule yourself out without first asking ‘do I have any skills/attributes that would be transferable into this role’? A lot of experience can be gained once you start but think through how the skills you have now could get you there.
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