bus driver

intern

customer service representative

operator

coordinator

Chicago Transit Authority

The description for this job was very lacking when I applied, so I wrote about it in some detail. 

In this particular role, most of your time will be spent examining and measuring fasteners of all different kinds (nuts, bolts, screws, washers, lock washers, locknuts, etc.), as well as lots of custom fasteners, components, and assemblies that are made exclusively for the CTA. This includes dimensions, hardnesses, finish/plating, material, etc. 

If you have a mechanical engineering background, you are probably well suited for this job. You need to be able to understand basic engineering drawings and concepts, be willing to learn about the variety of subsystems that are a part of the buses and rail cars, and ideally have an interest in how the parts that we inspect are actually used in the field. 

I am not a mechanical engineering major, and knew only a little bit about fasteners before starting this job. In the time I worked there, I learned a ton about them, as well as about the variety of subsystems on the buses and railcars. However, there is no engineering design work in the job, it is purely an inspection role. That being said, this job is repetitive in nature and very task oriented. If you don't mind this kind of desk work, this is a laid back, straightforward job with fair pay for the work.

The two other pros of this job, the people and the job security, go hand in hand. The people in this department have been here forever (one for 35 years). In certain areas of the CTA, things tend to stay the same...forever. This is one of the side effects of the incredible job security that working for the authority offers, as people tend to stay for decades at a time. It's also a result of the limited budget that some departments have to work with. The office I worked in was practically a museum with all of the old (30+ years) parts, tools, and machines lying around. 

The department I worked for was very small (5 including me) so you get to know everyone pretty quickly. If you are exceptionally talented at something, it will not take long for someone higher up to notice and suggest moving you to a different department. If you're a regular person trying their best to the do the job well, then the opportunities in this department are limited. At best, over time, you might be promoted to coordinator or manager of the department. But beyond that, you'd have to go outside this department.

TL;DR: Good internship that can lead to a full-time job if you want low stress, job security with fair pay and good benefits in the long run (pension). If you don't mind repetitive task based work, want to stay in the Chicago area, and are fine with a simple job, I would recommend staying. Alternatively, this job is an excellent foot in the door at the CTA to move to a different department. Also this job is intended to be a year-long internship.

:) I'm in consumer rail operations, WHICH IS COOL! this requires constant customer interaction ie. providing information, directions, making special announcements and sometimes assisting ADA passengers on and off the train; making sure we all travel safely from one terminal to the other without incidents/accidents.  

What I've learned:  GO TO WORK for you and your family "ONLY".  You MAY make some friends and 'SEVERAL ENEMIES' with co-workers and management.  But remember you don't come to work to make friends, lol!

Be NICE to your clerks at the bus or rail terminals; YOUR LIFE is in their hands if you're "on the board" aka daily assignment worker.  It's much better when you're "Frozen" or can pick your job assignment/location while you're "Unfrozen" after you've chosen your to "Freeze" (or Lock) your classification, ie. Operator, Switchman, Towerman, Clerk or Customer Assistant.

The hardest part of the job is adjusting to the up and down WORK SCHEDULE AND LOCATIONS until you can "pick".  You could be scheduled to return back to work between 8-10 from your last shift, but "SOME" accomodations can be made if there's manpower errors.  Be mindful that cta is a 24 hour/7 day operating company, even when some train/bus lines shut down & re-open at a specific times.

But overall we have fun, some days you do "hard work" and somedays you do "easy work".  You learn a lot, it can be family environment (depending on location), we bond together in times of trouble.  Union Environment & there's lot of fairs/workshops. 
 
This job could be "Your Retirement Plan" depending on your career choice...BEST OF LUCK TO ALL!!!

The company is union ran and seniority based. About 90% of people were handed their jobs nepotism and politics.   A lot of people are related to each other some kind of way.  Work is stressful and its been made even harder by micromanagement. 
 Not everyone is meant to manage they lack common sense, communication, leadership and compassion.  Families and marriages suffer and dissolve due to lack of better scheduling of employees by management. If you live south you could be forced to work northwest. You can get off at 5am and have to report back at 1pm because it 8hours between if you and your spouse live south you actually have less than eight hours to rest and head out to work.

 The training is quick and your set up to fail.  The hardest reality is that the employee morale is decreasing rapidly which is resulting in more accidents and people getting sick. There is a lot of unsafe working conditions that need resolve but the company is reactive so they do something after and incident has happened.
There are some who love working with the public like myself and we have some wonderful passengers but are looking elsewhere due to lack of opportunity and ignorance.

The best companies have happy employees.  If no one operates buses or trains there is no need for CTA upper or lower level. Transportation can be great under the right leadership its currently in the worst hands.

People think employees make a lot of money but politics, union and just because fees are taken out of the checks in reality about 1/3 of the money is what is taken home not including taxes.

Even-though it’s stated that it’s room for growth that isn’t necessarily the case. It’s definitely a process and not a speedy one. The wages are very low considering the cost of living in Chicago, at times your work environment can be unsafe and stressful. You have to be mindful that when working with the public you will come in contact with people from all walks of life. And Because of that you’ll  have people who are Happy to see you and then you will have those that Dislike you because you work for CTA and they assume your making the big bucks and because of that alone you become a Instant target. 

I will say this if I could’ve possibly became Full-Time sooner which In return would have provided me with a better salary I might still be there and I’m saying might because of interactions I’ve had with customer that could have led to bodily harm and when it comes to Safety and peace of mind you can’t put a price Tag on that. I’ve learned that Every job isn’t for Everyone so choose wisely. I did meet a lot of wonderful people while working for CTA and also had some pretty good moments. I obtained some great experience and became more  knowledgeable in regards to Public Transportation  so all in all it was cool . 

I’m Thankful for the opportunity even though. I left sooner than I ever imagined.  But always do what’s best for you. Remember you can replace your job but if you have a mental break down, or stroke, etc you may not come back from that.

• Report to work on time and perform scheduled duty as directed. All duties ex: towerman, motorman, switchman, customer assistant and flagman are done with the customer in mind. Assigned duties may change as needed and directed per management or supervision depending on employee qualifications.
• I became qualified to perform the duties of a towerman, motorman, customer assistant and flagman. When performing any of these duties, different protocals needed to be abided by depending on the duty but, all required communication with the Rail Control Center, mostly in the event of a Safety or Delay related issue.
• Management is under a lot of pressure as well.
• Co-workers develope a family like bond. It is essential to have a teamwork mindset with co-workers to handle situations in a timely and effective manor while abiding by protocals or direction given by those in charge.
• The hardest part of the job is like anything else in life, trying not to become complacent.
• The most enjoyable part of the job is the ability to take part in the operation of our city's train portion of the public transportation system. Many personalities from the chicagoland area as well as tourists from all over the world visiting our city was fun and interesting!

I Started as a Customer Service Assistant (CSA) at CTA in 2013. I worked in that position for 2 years. I got hired in the Control Center in 2015. I was a Communication Coordinator for 8 years. If you are a CSA the best way to get in Control is thru the Communications Coordinator Position in the Control Center. If you are a new CSA try to become a Flagperson or Janitor. It takes forever to become full time from the CSA position to the CSR position.  Now i am a RCSR/Security Controller. It is a demanding position. The phones ring nonstop. You have to keep your cool at all times. The people who call me are current CSA's. You have to remember that they are outside dealing with the public face to face. You have got to do everything you can to help them. Be it get a Janitor for debris. Or get the Fire Department for a sick customer. Or call the Police for an unruly customer. Or send in carpenters, painters, electricians, locksmiths, etc for station defects.. Making sure the defective elevators and escalators are reported and notified for repair. 

One of the most important aspects of being a RCSR/Security Controller is effectively communicating with the CSA's and assuring them that they are being heard and are being taken care of with their safety being the #1 priority.

It's a stressful but it is a great and rewarding job. You also must get along with the other Controllers. Everyone must be on the same page so that everthing is moving along smoothly and safely. 

Typical work days are during rush hour traffic. Then they give you a 3, 4, or 5 hour unpaid break and then have you come back to work. In total be prepared to spend about 11 to 13 hours of you day dedicated to work and only being paid for 8 or 9 hours of work. Your first year you do not get any sick time or PTO. Management is unhelpful with most questions you have and avoid most topics involving operations. Work culture is everybody is out for themselves. CTA is not on your side if a problem or issue arises and the union seems to be on the side of CTA more then the employee.  Long work schedules are causing driver fatigue however CTA keeps adding longer schedules even though they tell you they are concerned about driver fatigue. Hardest part of the job is personal time management as you do not have much time outside of work other then sleeping, eating, and going to work. Work is scheduled sometimes as early as 8 hours after your prior shift so you may not even have enough time for sleep. Health benefits are expensive, Union dues are more then most others, and you pay about 15% of your paycheck to pension. The positives are the pay before all the deductions, being home daily. And if you enjoy it, working with the general public. Overall, I feel it is not a long term career but rather, a job to hold you over until you find a better one.      

it’s a great job if you mind your business and keep your business to yourself, if you just do your job, even if what they asks you to do on the routes don’t make sense as far as reroutes are concern. Just do what they ask and you will be fine. As far as managers are concerned they are trying to keep there jobs as well as we are, so don’t expect to much leniency when you screw up, even if they were cool with you. But the good one’s will try to help you as much as possible. I remember when I started in this company years ago we were like one with the company as far as managers, supervisors and co workers. If there was 3 feet of snow we were there to get those buses down the street and pick the people up. But sense then the morale has change and that was not good because no one cares anymore. They do there job and go home ,no more hanging after work for 3 to 4 hours after you got off and laugh about the day you just had with managers, supervisors and your co workers. That’s when The CTA was strong and as one until we were divided and it’s been like this every since. The hardest part of my job was the change from unity. The best part of my day was when it was a job well done, and your company appreciated you.And the unwinding with co workers that became your extended family. But other than that it’s still a good job. 

Worked for Cta for 5 yrs as a bus operator, loved my job so much with Cta, enjoyed my coworkers and all staff, sometimes the passengers can get to you, but best way to over come them is kill them with kindness once in a while it will not work but there is always one bad apple that falls from the tree. You must love to deal with people and have a great control of your mind and feelings. Never take anything personal. Always know your place and carry yourself as a professional. Be kind and polite and helpful and I promise you you will love to work as a bus operator and you will enjoy the perks of the job, specially now there are very little jobs out there that will give you a full retirement pension with medical, dental, vision covered and for your Immediate family members. When I see people write bad things about being a bus operator for Cta it’s because clearly that job is not for them! Being a bus operator is not for everyone, but I tell you one thing if you learn that it’s for you the job itself will give you a great life if you take advantage of what Cta has to offer, you can build a future for your family. Along with great full pay at $33+ an hour and work as much over time as you can. You will be able to provide for your family and when you get old Cta pays you back by giving you a lifetime pension for the years you serve them. I mean seriously. The American dream is still alive.

CTA offers great pay but in a real world the stress is not worth it. I am a bus operator and not being able to have a 5 minute grace period when reporting to work is ridiculous. You cannot account for traffic or real life events. Even when I leave home 1 hour or 1 1/2 hours early I still may clock in 2 minutes late and not be allowed to work. It's very stressful working with the customers and having them call and complain on you and you have no recourse. You are always at fault if a customer complains. In this case the customer is always right. I had an ex girlfriend that I was quarreling with and she called to say she was on my route and complained even thoughshe never graced my bus because she complained I got written up. It was unfair and I recieved dicispline. I was sick with the flu and pnemonia and had to be hospitalized and recieved a sick book entry. If you are part time you have no paid vacation, if you are on a show your entire day is messed up and the 2-4 hour swings are the worse. You pay union dues for union representatives who don't care to represent you in the best possible way and they barely call you back when you need them. Please don't allow CTA to be your end all, use them as your leverage. It's a job but not somewhere you want to remain if you are seeking good health and prosperity.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Bus driver 7 salaries reported	$26.94 per hour
Intern 3 salaries reported	$20.33 per hour
Customer service representative 5 salaries reported	$17.26 per hour
Operator 3 salaries reported	$26.00 per hour
Coordinator 3 salaries reported	$68,569 per year

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