Networking In the Transportation Industry
One of the reasons I love working in transportation is the community. Everyone in the transit industry says it’s such a small world, and in the four years I’ve been involved, I am discovering that to be true. In this industry, people you meet, however briefly, will most likely pop up again years down the line. As a result, I quickly learned that one of the best ways to not only forward your career but to actually enjoy it, is to get involved in industry groups, whether they focus on advocacy, career advancement, or simply socializing (if you haven’t heard of the board game Ticket to Ride, it’s transit-nerd heaven). Starting my position at Nspiregreen (this is only the beginning of my third week) has been making me think a lot about my experience in the industry and how most of my opportunities and friendships were made possible because of all the volunteering and networking I’ve done.
My introduction into the transportation world in DC was when I volunteered for Sustainable DC’s transportation working group. Through those efforts, I met a DDOT employee who I learned a lot from, but whom I didn’t necessarily expect to have a lasting impact on my career. Fast forward two years and I’m applying to be a transit planner for HDR. That very same DDOT employee was the client for the project I was being hired for! Needless to say, that connection helped me get the job.
Later that year, HDR sent me to the WTS-DC holiday party where I met the then-Vice President of the chapter. After spending the night bonding with her and other members at the cheese table (because everyone knows many great moments in life are directly related to cheese), she invited me to join the board as co-chair of their Mentoring Program. Four years later and I am still holding the same board position, and am in awe every year about the amazing mentors and mentees I get to work with. Being on the WTS board and participating in the Mentoring Program have been incredibly gratifying experiences that I recommend to everyone. In fact, after meeting most of the Nspiregreen employees years ago while working with them on a DDOT project, I was able to stay in touch by convincing them to join the Mentoring Program. Three of the five other staff members (and a former employee) here have participated in the program as either mentors or mentees and I will be working on convincing the other two to participate once applications open up again next year.
The final factor in helping me decide to write my first blog post about networking in the industry is my first project with Nspiregreen—helping with public outreach for Vision Zero in Alexandria. Normally when you begin a new job, it takes a little while to adjust to the people you’re working with and feel like you are a part of the team, but I happily discovered that I would be spending my outreach time working with people that I met at YPT (Young Professionals in Transportation) events towards the beginning of my career. Despite not talking to them for years, that shared experience was enough to feel like I had been working on this project with them for as long as any of my Nspiregreen colleagues.
I am very excited to join the Nspiregreen team because these women are known for their ability to network and engage the community, whether within the industry or out in public. I have so much to learn from them and hope to step up my game even more. And because of their vast network and involvement in all types of projects around the area, I can’t wait for the opportunity to work with even more incredible people all throughout the industry.
Stacy Weisfeld is a community and transportation planner whose career has been driven by her passion for environmental sustainability. She is adept at engaging the public, bringing together unlikely allies, and finding innovative solutions to unexpected problems. She serves as a board member for Women’s Transportation Seminar, is certified with ISI Envision Sustainability, and is a graduate of American Public Transportation Association’s national Emerging Leaders Program.
