What is your career goal?

[Pretendolino]

What sort of role do you currently have and where do you aspire to be? Do you plan to stay in the railway industry? If so, what are your reasons?

Apologies for the barrage of questions. I'm very new to the railway, so I'm interested to hear people's opinions. Thanks.

 

[Vicpaul]

When working for the underground I always wanted to become a controller. After nearly six years as a driver on the Piccadilly line I left to pursue "real train driving" I'm now a qualified driver with southern with an out look to join FTPE or virgin in the north west if England. Once settled I will then look at my options for progression

 

[Beveridges]

I'm currently a Maintenance Depot Driver. I have often looked into options for progression but the obvious cons always outweigh the pros! So my ambition is to stay where I am, an ambition that is ambitious in itself, seeing how some MDD's have been taken 'off the job' due to incidents.

 

[Pretendolino]

When working for the underground I always wanted to become a controller. After nearly six years as a driver on the Piccadilly line I left to pursue "real train driving" I'm now a qualified driver with southern with an out look to join FTPE or virgin in the north west if England. Once settled I will then look at my options for progression

Any particular reason for wanting to switch away from Southern? I imagine it is probably less stressful driving across the Virgin routes but I could be wrong.

 

[watts14]

When working for the underground I always wanted to become a controller. After nearly six years as a driver on the Piccadilly line I left to pursue "real train driving" I'm now a qualified driver with southern with an out look to join FTPE or virgin in the north west if England. Once settled I will then look at my options for progression

hey paul, how do you become a driver in the underground?? ive looked all over and cant find anything, ive read many different things but non have worked.
thanks ben

 

[fowler9]

I don't actually work on the railways but I would love to give it a go. That said I have absolutely no career aspiration beyond that or working in aviation. I don't care what the job is. I view what I do by way of a job as a means to do other things and absolutely nothing more. Nothing against people who do have career goals of course. I am very jealous of my friend who drives trains for Northern because he has fulfilled his dream.

 

[Sammy h]

Been on the railway for around two and a half years now and I have loved it. Started on board and now work in a ticket office.

The dream is to be a driver and then see how it goes from there. However the control side of things does interest me. Just depends what opportunities arise

 

[JB25]

Any particular reason for wanting to switch away from Southern? I imagine it is probably less stressful driving across the Virgin routes but I could be wrong.

I believe it has more to do with cheaper house prices and the fact his missus is a Northerner.

As for me... Well train driver suits me just fine, I love it. Might consider being a DI one day, but given the fact I get fed up on the second man side route learning, I am not sure I could do it everyday with a trainee. hock:

No plans to move on just yet, but there is a TOC who operate closer to home for me who I might consider in future. At the end of the day this is my career, something I am extremely proud to have achieved and I will probably be rolling up and down the lines until I kick the bucket.

 

[Vicpaul]

Yeah as my good friend has pointed out it's to relocate although virgin would be an eventual choice regardless.

Regarding the underground it's all internal, I believe they still externally recruit women. In all fairness it's not overly far off being completely ATO so I would say get on the mainline

 

[TDK]

qualified driver and counting down until I retire. As soon as I can afford it I am going to enjoy life.

 

[Jones]

Career?

I just want one!

 

[Clip]

Currently a GSm and slowy working me way up that food chain. Not sure if I could handle much longer weeks than currently doing though so may hold off on that for a while.

 

[Mojo]

Regarding the underground it's all internal, I believe they still externally recruit women. In all fairness it's not overly far off being completely ATO so I would say get on the mainline

There haven't been any external recruitment campaigns in a number of years now, although there have been a number of internal campaigns for those on existing London Underground or TfL permanent contracts. Except one later this year though...

 

[Vicpaul]

That's exactly what I said unless you refer to the women quote which is true

 

[TheVicLine]

Get rich, retire.

 

[Simon11]

I currently work in a bid team, after gaining experience working for several TOC's. Would like to get to a Director level, however they have a huge workload and as I get closer, will have to decide if the extra £ is worth the extra hours and responsibilities.

 

[razor89]

Been on the railway just over 2 years, started on the gateline in a very busy station, then around 6 months ago I got promoted to a cosy ticket office in a quieter station. Been great so far but my ambition is to move to traincrew side, with ultimate aim of becoming a driver.

Thinking even further ahead, if I went into management then having experience of many different areas of railway operation would be very useful. I Would hate to be one of those managers that has no understanding of the pressures and issues that affect their staff.

 

[MyFriendMary]

Prosecution department. Non-frontline

 

[Roy74]

for me after years in office work and just approaching my 40th birthday I've joined here to see if at my age I could get into train driving and that would suit me very nicely until retirement. Makes me think that I would have liked to have been in the industry a lot longer and worked my way up through various roles but age now it has to be my goal to get a trainee driver role. whether that possible or not only time will tell but I'm going to have a try. I would have no desire to manage in the industry, just driving up and down until retirement on the face of it appeals as a great life.

Roy.

 

[bystander]

for me after years in office work and just approaching my 40th birthday I've joined here to see if at my age I could get into train driving and that would suit me very nicely until retirement. Makes me think that I would have liked to have been in the industry a lot longer and worked my way up through various roles but age now it has to be my goal to get a trainee driver role. whether that possible or not only time will tell but I'm going to have a try. I would have no desire to manage in the industry, just driving up and down until retirement on the face of it appeals as a great life.

Roy.

That's pretty much me. I joined the industry as a trainee driver five years ago approaching 40, and my ambition is to carry on zipping around the metals for another 15 or so years till full time leisure time . Fabulous life.

 

[Bodiddly]

Career?

I just want one!

Lol! Keep your chin up and keep trying mate. I never thought in a million years I would get back in the railway after leaving for 5 years, but I persevered and it happened.

 

[Suraggu]

I'm currently with East Coast in a Station Support Role. Have been in the railway since I left school at 18 through various railway positions.

My goal is a Train Guard or Train Driver.