What if one simple decision sets your life on an entirely new track?
Brittany Fisher has experienced several life (and career) deciding moments. From relocating to a new country to entering the world of rail operations, these life-changing events have helped her discover that she’s on the right path.
“I’m so grateful for the opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and learn a role I would never have considered for myself. My younger self wanted to be a psychologist; I think she’d be very surprised to learn psychology factors into my career.”
She has been with Metro Trains for just over five years and is currently their Depot Train Driver Manager – a role that keeps her very busy! From Full people management of about 65 train drivers to looking after everything from day-to-day welfare and incidents, performance management, and career development to pay and uniforms – and more – Brittany’s role is filled with variety and a chance to give back to those around her.
We spoke with her about her advice for ‘riding the rails’ of career opportunity, taking chances, stepping into leadership, and how to be the conductor of your journey.
Here are her top four takeaways:
1. Find ways to build momentum.
Brittany began her career in agency recruitment in New Zealand, working with big brands such as Coca-Cola, Mobil Oil, and Cadbury. In her early twenties, she relocated to Melbourne, Australia, and joined a construction recruitment company.
Coincidentally, Metro Trains Melbourne was a key client:
“This eventually led me to gain a role with Metro Trains as a Talent Acquisition Specialist, recruiting for Operations, Rolling Stock, and Infrastructure. Two years later, I was encouraged to apply for my current position as Depot Train Driver Manager. I was over the moon when I received the call to say I was successful! It was a real ‘pinch-me’ moment to be a woman of 29, managing such a large team. It solidified that Metro values people who work hard and are open to learning.”
Three years into the role, she manages a significant team of drivers:
“I look after everything, from day-to-day welfare to performance management, career development, pay, and presentation standards. I also manage Occupational Health & Safety (OHS) and incident management for our Melbourne Train Stabling Yard, our Train Driver Trauma Recovery Strategy, and Peer Support Programs.”
These last two responsibilities, in particular, highlight her passion for supporting and helping others.
2. Create a safe, supportive network.
Brittany is a strong advocate for mental health, a sentiment instilled from her family history and personal experience in the area.
So, when the time came to establish Metro Train’s Peer Support Program and Trauma Recovery Guidebook, she knew she had to be part of these projects.
“At the time, only eight train drivers had Mental Health First Aid training. However, there was still ambiguity about what happens to drivers after they experience a traumatic event while driving a train. So, we focused on developing the program to include a Train Driver Trauma Recovery Guidebook and a formalised Peer Supporter training program. Now, we have 60 peer supporters in Train Services with Mental Health First Aid and Peer Support training, with a trauma focus. These individuals are an absolutely invaluable resource for our teams – because nobody understands the role of a driver, like a driver.”
If you think that sounds like a big project – you’d be right – but as Brittany shares, it’s one that’s been incredibly valuable to all involved. And the hard work has definitely been worth it:
“It was an absolutely massive piece of work, but it paid off. It’s been recognized both nationally and internationally and shared widely with industry partners as the gold standard of support. Additionally, this work helped my personal development as I presented it to large audiences to influence key stakeholders within the company and wider industry.”
She is proud to have designed and implemented Baby Loss Awareness training in partnership with a driver team member who is also a bereaved parent.
“This topic is still very taboo in society. However, I became aware it was a real gap in our understanding (particularly for management) when, as a new leader, my team member experienced such a tragic loss. We developed the training and rolled it out to the entire Train Services team, with plans to roll it out across the business in the new year.”
Her younger self, who wanted to be a psychologist, would surely be proud:
“My team inspires and motivates me every day. Managing people can be a tough and, sometimes, thankless task. But when you receive a message or gift from someone so grateful to you for helping them through the most difficult time, it makes it all worthwhile. As a manager, I firmly believe you’re responsible for your team’s mental health and safety. It’s so important to be an empathetic, vulnerable, and available leader for them.”
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3. Find ways to overcome roadblocks.
Brittany understands that working in male-dominated environments can be challenging. For instance, she’s had to justify herself and her decisions more often than others.
“I once had the disheartening experience of being told I was too ‘emotional’ and ‘difficult’ about a particular problem – whereas my male counterpart’s similar behavior was justified and laughed off as being ‘passionate.’”
But now, these experiences are few and far between:
“Metro Trains is a leader in addressing these types of bias, which I’m proud of. For other women considering a role in a male-dominated industry or environment, I encourage you to go for it! From my experience, I love the challenges my role brings and enjoy working towards a more equitable workplace for all women.”
It helps that the company has a strong leadership team that is open to feedback and listening.
“We’ve run campaigns around the idea of ‘above’ or ‘below the line’ behavior and how important it is for people to be upstanders. If there are any inappropriate comments due to gender, I feel comfortable speaking up. It’s important to me as a leader, of both men and women, to display the right behaviors and be confident to highlight what’s unacceptable.”
4. Avoid running out of steam.
Being thrust into high-level responsibilities at a young age, Brittany admits that achieving work-life balance is a work in progress, particularly since she manages a 24/7 workforce.
“I’m transparent with my team about my hours and only check my phone intermittently outside these times for important calls only. My team knows they can reach me if there’s an emergency. I never want to be completely unavailable for my team if someone experiences something major at work – it’s simply an occupational hazard.”
As she’s learned from other successful professionals, setting boundaries between urgent (such as incidents) and non-urgent (such as emails) outside work hours is essential.
“When I was younger, I was frequently susceptible to burnout if I didn’t maintain these boundaries. The thing is, when you’re burnt out, you can’t be effective in your work. So, I work to live, not live to work. I ‘fill my cup’ by surrounding myself with great people, spending time with friends and family, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, creating a positive home life, and soaking up the culture in Melbourne.”
Take the track less travelled
For others hoping to achieve similar career success, Brittany encourages learning from others.
She shares there’s always the opportunity to find a new path forward for yourself, and the more we stay open to exploring these ideas, the more we can find the right fit for us in our careers:
“You never know where these conversations can lead you. For instance, if it weren’t for someone encouraging me to apply for my management role – I wouldn’t be where I am today. Very rarely will you end up exactly where you may have thought, and usually, that’s a good thing! Don’t limit yourself. Take opportunities as they come; you may be surprised where they take you.”
