Ana Lourenço left a career working with animals to join the public transit industry by becoming a bus driver. We caught up with Ana to ask her a few questions about her job and her career with Transdev
What is your job with Transdev?
I am a driver and, as such, my job is to transport our passengers to the most diverse locations within the city of Covilhã, always with the maximum safety possible and always trying to make trips pleasant for everyone.
Bearing in mind that my driving takes place in an urban environment, that gives me the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and have moments of joy with many passengers. Sometimes that’s exactly what makes a positive difference both in my day and in that of the passengers.
How does your job make sense in context of our Group’s purpose?
I try every day to show the best of me, both professionally and personally. What I do is serve the populations and take them where they need to be. For this, I strive to be as helpful as possible and take good care of those who need it, whether with that extra information on routes or consulting timetables, for example. It’s important to me to take care of passengers and help them streamline their day-to-day journeys.
How did you become a bus driver?
I thought it would be a career that would offer me stability. Also, I was also very curious to learn how to drive a heavy vehicle. It was without a great cost/benefit assessment that I « threw » myself into this profession, but today I’m sure that the decision I made at the time was great!
Tell us a few words about your professional career…
About 10 years ago I graduated in veterinary nursing and worked in this area for 8 years. Then, I got my driving license for buses, which fortunately opened doors for me to a completely unknown and challenging world. Transdev is the second company I work for as a driver – I’ve been here for about 2 years. It’s a totally different context from what I was used to and every day I see that I’m part of a huge team that works daily to make sure everything goes well, helping each other and speeding up the different departments that make up Transdev.
What are you most proud of in your career?
I am especially proud that I have prospered as a woman. I am proud to have a job that many think is one of strength or of great difficulty. It is very gratifying to have the support and sympathy of the passengers. I often feel that they are proud of me and that they admire me and that makes me proud too. Since I’ve been a driver, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in a project on gender equality developed by a local entity, and that was also a very positive professional experience.
Did you have role models?
There is no one within my inner friends or family circle that has influenced me in loving to drive, especially heavy vehicles. As I mentioned, it was out of curiosity that I ended up learning this profession that I now appreciate so much.
Your advice for a future Transdev employee?
I would tell them that it is a great responsibility to be part of such a large and professional team, with a common purpose. And I would say that taking a part in this mission that moves us daily can be stressful, but it is also rewarding.
If what you do is contribute to serve the common good, discover the opportunities we have available and join our team in Portugal, click here