Lucie Sickini says it clearly: “I didn’t choose my job, my job chose me.” Proud of a career that spans more than 30 years with Transat, this experienced avionics technician openly admits that she has loved her job to the end.
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Transat would like to pay tribute to all the women who contribute to the success of the company. In fact, 55% of Transat’s employees are women or identify as women.
Here, on the eve of her well-deserved retirement, is Lucie’s story.
A personality made for avionics
After joining the army at the age of 18, Lucie Sickini was quickly drawn to electricity. Her strong problem-solving skills, combined with her excellent academic results, made her a promising candidate for avionics.
Rigorous, tenacious, motivated by the satisfaction of a job well done and skilled with her hands, Lucie continued her studies at the National Aviation School (ÉNA) before being hired by Nationair in 1987. It wasn’t until 1993 that she made the leap to Transat, where she would remain until her retirement. During her 30-year career, she moved from the ramp to the hangar, validating the airworthiness of each aircraft and ensuring its timely departure. That’s a lot of circuit diagrams!
“All of the trades in the aviation industry have to work hand in hand because we all have the same goal: to get the plane off the ground on time.”
Succeeding as a team
Whether out on the ramp or in the hangar performing A-check maintenance, teamwork was at the heart of her daily life.
Perhaps it’s because of this camaraderie and sincere appreciation for one another that Lucie feels she hasn’t been discriminated against in her career, even though she’s been in a traditionally male-dominated role. Anyone who has met Lucie knows that she doesn’t mince her words. She certainly doesn’t let anyone walk all over her! In fact, she points out that throughout her career, both in the military and in avionics, she has been surrounded by esteemed colleagues and managers who have made a positive contribution to her professional development. Still, she felt like she had to go the extra mile for a long time.
“I was putting myself under a lot of pressure. I worked harder, like I had something to prove, even though my colleagues never made me feel out of place. That stayed with me for a long time.”
Fortunately, the camaraderie of the large “Transat family”, both on and off the job, has allowed them to build strong bonds of friendship and brotherhood. Perhaps the famous Olympiads will ring a bell for some… Lucie, for her part, has fond memories of them.
A passion for the job
Having had the opportunity to work at various airports in Quebec and internationally, she became fully aware of her expertise and the importance of her work in the delicate mechanism that is the take-off of an aircraft. This appreciation would be her own driving force throughout her professional life.
More recently, in anticipation of her retirement, Lucie has turned to training the new talent in her team. Looking back at the age of 62, what is her main advice to those just starting out in their careers? Love your job.
“Love your job or you’ll be miserable. I’ve been privileged to have had such a wonderful career because I’ve been in love with my work until the very end. I watched my parents work hard all their lives, and when I started my own career, I promised myself one thing: to find a job that I loved and that would give me financial independence. I have been fortunate enough to be able to keep my promise.”
