• Our new ticketing site is now live! Using either this or the original site (both powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!

Northern Rail- Wigan and man

Status
Not open for further replies.

302PS

Member
Joined
1 Mar 2012
Messages
629
We are basically mushrooms,
Kept In the dark and fed full of ****


Check your mail people
 
Last edited:
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R

RailUK Forums

JH1

New Member
Joined
13 Mar 2014
Messages
1
Hi everyone.
Been following this forum for a while but feel I need to make a comment about the whole recruitment process.

Like most of you, I applied back in Jan and was rushed through the assessment process. Well I felt it was rushed with only a couple of days notice to attend on one occasion.
It appeared that training courses must be iminent so fair enough.

I struggled to arrange time of work but pulled in some favours, spent time and money attending the assessments and finally passed so all good.
Got the email saying we will be in touch shortly and then nothing, nothing at all!

To now be told that I will be 'considered' for a training role if one should become available is just not good enough I'm afraid. What the heck is going on with this company?

I have cancelled a holiday and turned down a promotion that would have meant moving away from Manchester because I believed there were actually jobs available.
It really is not an honest or decent way to treat people. I read on this and other forums about people getting only a couple of weeks notice to start on a course. Or even some people leaving their current job to start on a course and then being asked to attend a medical (after they've started!!) - what is that all about? Again, just not a decent way to treat people.

Well that's it for me. No more. If this is how they treat people wanting to join their company I can only imagine how they treat their employees.
I'm going to grovel to my boss and hopefully get that promotion if it's still on the table and then I'm heading south. Thanks for the assessments Northern, I now have 5 years to try my luck with another TOC.
And you know what, I'm not even going to tell Northern. I might even attend the medical if I get an invite. Would come in handy when I apply to another TOC. What goes round comes around eh?

So good luck to all of you here if you decide to stick with the process. You seem like a good bunch and deserve to get what you have been chasing for so long. You certainly deserve to be treated a little better than you have been so far.
So chin up and press on.

J
 

Lee.P

Member
Joined
22 Feb 2014
Messages
10
Have just failed my test today, feeling absolutely gutted. Prepared everything as much as I could but I failed on the memory test, 18 questions from a section of information which I had 5 minutes to read from. I didn't do much prep for this section as practice paper seemed straight forward. Can anybody suggest any help as to overcome this test? I haven't been able to find any old examples to use. Feeling gutted, any help would be appreciated.
 

Red18

Member
Joined
30 Apr 2013
Messages
297
Have just failed my test today, feeling absolutely gutted. Prepared everything as much as I could but I failed on the memory test, 18 questions from a section of information which I had 5 minutes to read from. I didn't do much prep for this section as practice paper seemed straight forward. Can anybody suggest any help as to overcome this test? I haven't been able to find any old examples to use. Feeling gutted, any help would be appreciated.

Sorry to hear that Lee, that's tough news.
I assume you're talking about the TRP1 (GLOP) test?

It's a straight forward memory test and I suppose everyone has a different way of remembering facts. I tend to use images. Here's what I did.

If your test was the same as mine then you should have had opportunity to make notes from the given text before the test.
For my notes I basically edited the text removing anything that wasn't a fact.
So if it said ' The On switch was located in the Brown Box' I just wrote a bullet point..
  • On Switch - Brown Box
I then create an image in my head of a big On switch in a Brown Box. Remembering an image is far far easier than rememebering the actual words.
After a quick read through I was left with a simple list of bullet points to learn and for each bullet point I created an image in my head. I just read my list over and over until it was time for the test.

The text was only a fairly short paragraph and you can almost guess what the questions are going to be. I think there was a question about every fact in the text.

Hopefully if you sit the test again you may find the text is exactly the same and you'll probably find it easier the second time round.
So don't give up

Not sure what this has to with Northern though.
 
Last edited:

gholi06

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2013
Messages
75
I got the email too! I suppose they didn't actually have to even send that so please to have had that. We will have to be patient really. All good things are worth waiting for.

Agree with you Red18 I used bullet points and try to visualise the information. It worked for me as well.

Sorry to hear about not passing TRP1 Lee.P Don't worry or give up though.

I also think it might help to improve memory as well. Try reading a section of something (anything really newspaper article) then have someone ask you questions about it. Try using the technique Red18 suggested and setting yourself only 5min to read the article. You know the rough length of the Glop text so try to choose something about the same length. I suppose if it is something you are not interested in it would also add a dimension of difficulty because if you can remember something that could possibly put you sleep then I'm sure then you will be fine next time!
 

Red18

Member
Joined
30 Apr 2013
Messages
297
Hi everyone.
Been following this forum for a while but feel I need to make a comment about the ..........

Hi JH,
I understand your frustration but don't think you should walk away having come this far. Seems strange to me not to wait a little longer.
We know the jobs will come and HR are hyper busy at the moment, so just be patient.
 

gholi06

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2013
Messages
75
I understand your frustrations JH. Buy like red said I think you should given more time. I can imagine the logistics of placing so many people into training courses will be tough so they will need some time. I wouldn't of course want to tell you what to do as that is your decision and if you have other opportunities elsewhere that's fine. But I'm guessing you applied for this job like all the rest of us with the ambition to become a trai driver and to give up after coming so far, you wouldn't want to look back and regret anything. So I would say think carefully.

Otherwise whatever you decide good luck with it! Hope it all works out.
 

Red18

Member
Joined
30 Apr 2013
Messages
297
I Got the call today guys.
Course starting in April.
A little bit short notice but what the heck, just got to do it.

:D
 

Red18

Member
Joined
30 Apr 2013
Messages
297
Thanks guys.
Maybe some more call on Monday, fingers crossed.
I suppose if you told them you have a shorter notice period then they might not contact you until nearer that time.
 

gholi06

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2013
Messages
75
Congrats mate. That great news! I bet you are chuffed to bits. So when is your medical?
 

jimmy key

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2014
Messages
33
Location
right here
Well looks like I had better start to empty my lockers, things are starting to move for me to, The request has gone in to release me from my depot driver role for the april course. See you at bolton, fingers crossed and good luck to those guys still waiting.
 

gholi06

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2013
Messages
75
Congratulations Jimmy. Did you get a call today? When did you apply was it before Christmas? Just trying to work out if anyone from our wave of applicants are going to get a call. Good luck with it.
 

302PS

Member
Joined
1 Mar 2012
Messages
629
We don't know how many on this one, may still ring people Monday.

What will be will be I'm done stressing
 

jimmy key

Member
Joined
22 Jan 2014
Messages
33
Location
right here
Congratulations Jimmy. Did you get a call today? When did you apply was it before Christmas? Just trying to work out if anyone from our wave of applicants are going to get a call. Good luck with it.

No mate, I got approached by my depot DTM who told me that he, along with my depot Manger and operations team leaders had been asked to release me for the april course to which they all agreed. this was on friday so im expecting the joining details to possibly land mon/tue. Fortunately for me I had just had a medical Wednesday for me to continue my depot driver/instructor role, so was pleased to be told that it will also cover me for the mainline position to.
 

gholi06

Member
Joined
4 Aug 2013
Messages
75
Oh right i see. So yours by the sounds of it is a done deal. Are you looking forward to the change from depot to mainline?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Top