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Stephen Aspinall I’ve been with V/Line for more than five years. It’s a really rewarding business to be part of.
Before starting with V/Line I had worked at Coles straight after school then as a gaming attendant a few years later. I’d studied fire technology at uni, my dream was to be a fireman. But an accident in one of the training exercises changed all that; I needed a full knee reconstruction and didn’t know where to go from there.
When I heard about the job as a conductor, I’d become engaged and was looking for a stable job where I could utilise my customer service skills and have plenty of contact with people, which was important to me. From day one, I really enjoyed the whole experience of being around people, learning to use my personality in various situations, travelling to different regional locations every day and meeting people from all backgrounds. When I was a conductor I was responsible for customer service and safety, along with ticket checking and selling. I travelled to all parts of Victoria.
In 2006 I was promoted to the Staff Clerk position, where I was managing rosters and shifts. It was something I hadn’t planned on, but it opened my eyes to more of the business as well as the complexities of managing people. I was also spending time in the control room, looking after the station information screens and making public announcements.
In July 2008, I became one of V/Line’s three Conductor Service Managers based at Southern Cross Station – and one of eight across the state. It’s a big job managing the daily operations such as complaints, compliments, performance and needs of a team of over 60 conductors. It has given me more contact with people – something I thrive on.
That’s the great thing about V/Line. Staff can move around the business and management are very supportive of that. You can find the role that gives you the right work life balance. It’s a family-focussed business. I’ve got a fantastic manager who’s very supportive and gives me a lot of guidance.
Now I’m doing a Management Development Program through Swinburne University, which will give me a Diploma in Business. It’s an awesome opportunity. I’m getting a qualification that’s paid for by the business, which will put me in a great position for moving into management. I’m really happy where I am right now, but maybe in a few years I’d like to move into the management of operations.
Main duties: Managing a team of conductors.
Minimum qualifications: Experienced conductor, relevant work experience in hospitality or customer service and front line management.
Your skills: Communication, problem solving, friendly attitude and supervision.
Job benefits: People focussed, travel.
V/Line training: Six weeks conductor classroom and ongoing on-the-job training.
Job locations: Based in Melbourne and locations across Victoria.
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