Bus driver, Stagecoach

Name: Mary-Ann Pange
Age: 31
Role: Bus driver, Stagecoach, Wiri, Auckland
Working hours: 40-45 hours a week
Average pay: $12.69 to $16 an hour depending on service and experience
Qualifications: Heavy transport licence, passenger endorsement

Describe how you got this job?

I saw an advertisement in the paper. You have to do a maths quiz as we use maths on the job, plus an English competency test, and then an interview with a depot manager. I have been in the job for four years.

Describe what you do?

I drive buses around South Auckland. I work a broken shift. I start most days at 6am, then come off the road between 9am and 11am. I come back about 2.30pm and finish about 6pm. Because I am a tutor operator, I train new drivers, taking them through the South Auckland routes we cover. Otherwise, I drive whatever route needs to be done. You get a run cover in the morning and it tells you what runs you are doing and what time you have to be at a specific place.

What have you had to do to succeed at this job?

You have to have great people skills and great time management and customer service skills.

What sort of training or experience do you need?

You need to know how to drive a bus. Once you have qualified for a job the company sends you to the training school for three weeks. Then drivers are allocated a depot and that's where my job as a tutor operator comes in. Some people are fast learners and it takes them two weeks to get familiar with all the routes. It's good to have a good knowledge of Auckland. You have to have held a full New Zealand driver's licence for two years.

What skills do you need?

You have to be a people person. You need time management skills, as you have to make sure you are here on time to run the trips. If you can't get up in the morning, this job would not be so good for you. You need patience because sometimes passengers are out of the ordinary and you need to know how to deal with them without being rude. You have to learn to deal with stress - traffic, passengers, everything.

Best part of the job?

I love my job, I enjoy it. The best part is meeting lots of new people.

Most challenging part?

It is the passengers not the traffic. Sometimes there is a language barrier. With the diversity in Auckland it can be hard to understand what a customer is trying to say about where they want to go. Normally I write it down and show it to them. You have to accept the traffic as there is nothing you can do about it. If you are running late, the company says "claim the overtime".

How do you define success?

When you get compliments from passengers on your driving and customer service. That always makes it a really good day.

What are your career hopes?

I plan to do midwifery but money to pay for the studies is a key factor.

If I wanted a job like yours, how would I go about it, and what qualifications would I need?

First, ring 0800 Stagecoach and talk to the recruitment section. They normally ask age, driving history and whether you have had a licence for two years. You can get a heavy transport licence yourself, otherwise the company puts you through the training.

What advice would you have for someone contemplating a career like yours?

If you want to think about bus driving, you have got to love driving, have great customer-service skills and be able to deal with difficult passengers and be patient. Without those things you wouldn't last.