Jeannie Alexander
Vice President of Rail Station Management
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago, IL USA
“Utilize tomorrow—and the next day—to take an opportunity to do better than what you did the day before.”
Videos
By Roadtrip NationJeannie Alexander
Milestones
My road in life has been direct.
I grew up thinking that I eventually wanted to become a teacher.
When I got to college, I tried majoring in accounting, but quickly realized I didn’t enjoy it; I switched my major and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English.
During college, I got an internship with the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), which helped me gain full-time employment with CTA after I graduated.
Starting as a project specialist, I worked my way up through positions like rail maintenance training specialist, administration manager for rail operations, and general manager of rail operations.
While working as a general manager, I went back to school to earn a master’s degree in adult education—because it’s still one of my goals to incorporate teaching into my career!
I continued working my way up with the Chicago Transit Authority to my current position now as vice president of rail station management.
Keep following my journey
Education
High School
Graduate
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
DePaul University
Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching
DePaul University
Certification/License
Transit Safety and Security Program
U.S. Department of Transportation
Transit Safety and Security Program
U.S. Department of Transportation
Career
Vice President of Rail Station Management
I oversee station cleanliness, rail systems customer service, and our laborers and groundskeepers.
Career Roadmap
My work combines:
My work combines:
Business
Government
Working with Others
Advice for Getting Started
Here's the first step for college students
I recommend finding an internship. Internships are invaluable for gaining more specific insight into a career or industry. For example, you may know that you want to work in the transportation industry but you don't have a good understanding of what that means. Interning can help you decide if you want to specifically go into rail operations or finance or safety. Internships also help you learn how to work in professional environments in general.
Hurdles
The Noise I Shed
"You don't have the right background or experience for these positions."
Challenges I Overcame
School Stress
