The Montreal transit corporation received more than 1,500 applications in just a few days after launching a hiring blitz for bus drivers. It needs 500 new drivers, who'll earn a starting salary of $53,000 a year.
"There's a lot of competition in the market, so that's why we're doing a really big campaign to attract those candidates," explains STM staffing manager Anne Marie Lombardi.
She says prior to 2018, the STM never needed to advertise for drivers - it would simply put a hiring notice on its website and the applications would pour in. She says things changed with the manpower shortage in Quebec.
Lombardi insists these's aren't just well paying bus driving jobs - they come with opportunities for advancement.
"It's really a career. You start as a driver. If you love it, you can stay 25 years as a driver. But if you want to move, you want to increase your knowledge, you want to have new challenges, it's possible," she says.
Candidates must have a high school diploma and one year's experience in customer service.
"In the exam, in the interview, there's a lot of questions related to the customer service," Lombardi notes.
Candidates must also pass a medical exam and a criminal background check.
Lombardi says being licensed for buses isn't a pre-requisite because that can happen after the STM offers the job.