CIRO Member ‘highlighted transferable skills’ after upgrading membership

CIRO Member, Barbara Smith, made the decision to upgrade her membership after moving from working in light rail to a mainline focused organisation. After speaking with her manager, who had previously upgraded their membership with CIRO, she realised that she also wanted to validate her industry knowledge and experience by becoming a Member.

Barbara upgraded her membership to not only enhance her career in the rail industry but to uncover a series of transferable skills, including management and relationship building, which has recently led to an exciting new promotion, allowing her to take on more responsibility and further demonstrate her expertise. This has encouraged Barbara to believe in herself and feel proud of her career success.

Determined to demonstrate her industry knowledge and expertise, Barabara’s decision to upgrade her CIRO membership was inspired by her career progression.

Meeting the relevant professional criteria, Barbara made the decision to upgrade and dedicated her time to completing the Professional Operations Development (POD) sections.

For this, Barbara collated as much evidence as possible of her time and experience within the rail industry. Her evidence demonstrated her ability to make informed decisions about railway operations. As a Member, Barbara now has the confidence to approach others in the rail industry without the concern of not being taken seriously.

She said: “Becoming a Member doesn’t just benefit you professionally but also personally. Before my recent career success, I struggled with imposter syndrome and often doubted my abilities. My membership progression has highlighted transferrable skills and really helped me to believe that I do deserve my new job and that I’ve worked hard to get to where I’m at now!”

During the early stages of her journey, Barbara reached out to her manager, who had previously worked their way to becoming a CIRO Member and received some helpful advice which made the submission progress much easier.

Encouraging the success and progression of other rail professionals, Barbara commented: “If I could give aspiring rail professionals any advice, it would be to reach out and just have the confidence to speak to others.

“Through other people’s success, you can learn the best ways to overcome any obstacles or challenges. Not only that but asking other members for help will give you a better understanding of what to include in each POD section. You’ll also learn how their experience and progression helped them personally as well as professionally.”

Barbara’s confidence and willingness to speak to others in the rail industry has significantly improved. She added: “The upgrade has changed my entire perspective on every decision I make for not just my career but my personal life.

“I often find myself trying new things and taking more risks where previously I would have been too nervous or embarrassed to try! Now I just think ‘why not’?”

Open the door to endless opportunities and be a part of our commitment to inspire and shape the future generation of rail.

To strengthen your professional recognition by upgrading your membership, our online portal allows straightforward submission of your Professional Operations Development sections. Supporting evidence of knowledge and experience gained from your career can also be put forward, as you don’t need formal qualifications.

There are four membership levels; Affiliate, Associate, Member and Fellow. These are designed as career milestones and to distinguish you as a rail leader. It’s also possible to apply for any level as there’s a membership to suit you at any stage of your career.

For any further information or advice on upgrading your membership, get in touch with our team at membership@railwayoperators.co.uk