Thameslink - Trainee Train Driver - Cricklewood (06/12/24)

[PeteBre]

For me it was about an hour and a half. It all comes down to how broad your examples are and how deep they dive. Expect minimum of 1hr.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 11 Mar 2025 ==

DMIs next few weeks apparently

Congratulations, both yourself & Signalmaster.

Regarding your MMI, which I’m panicking about, did you gamble on the questions being asked (from the questions published on here) and did you memorise your answers, with practice?

Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Kay_M]

Quick question. If the dates that are presented to you is not feasible for you to attend the assessment would GTR accommodate you for another date?

 

[Class2ldn]

Theres no guarantee unfortunately

 

[Das85]

Quick question. If the dates that are presented to you is not feasible for you to attend the assessment would GTR accommodate you for another date?

I was in a similar situation after already booking a date and time for my DMI when work commitments changed. I emailed the HR team who quickly responded with additional dates.

With the initial assessment center tests I believe you would just be placed back on the list for future assesment dates.

 

[Kay_M]

Theres not guarantee unfortunately

I see

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 14 Mar 2025 ==

I was in a similar situation after already booking a date and time for my DMI when work commitments changed. I emailed the HR team who quickly responded with additional dates.

With the initial assessment center tests I believe you would just be placed back on the list for future assesment dates.

Thank you very much for this

 

[publik]

Anyone heard back? I mean applicants for Cricklewood from December 2024

 

[signal89]

Congratulations, both yourself & Signalmaster.

Regarding your MMI, which I’m panicking about, did you gamble on the questions being asked (from the questions published on here) and did you memorise your answers, with practice?

Any advice would be appreciated

Thank you.

I definitely didn’t gamble. You need to be well prepared. I thought about and put together about 14 topics that I was comfortable talking about in the STAR model. Then when the 6 questions come up you should be able to pick from what you’ve prepared. The MMI is very fluid and you cannot give a robotic memorised answer. My advice is to bullet point and know those so you have good talking points. Your topics also need to be deep and broad enough to talk about in detail as you get asked a lot of probing questions which you can’t just make up answers to!

Good luck

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Mar 2025 ==

Anyone heard back? I mean applicants for Cricklewood from December 2024

Heard back from which point? There are many of us here who applied for Cricklewood in Dec ‘24 who have been attending assessment days.

 

[signalmaster]

Thank you.

I definitely didn’t gamble. You need to be well prepared. I thought about and put together about 14 topics that I was comfortable talking about in the STAR model. Then when the 6 questions come up you should be able to pick from what you’ve prepared. The MMI is very fluid and you cannot give a robotic memorised answer. My advice is to bullet point and know those so you have good talking points. Your topics also need to be deep and broad enough to talk about in detail as you get asked a lot of probing questions which you can’t just make up answers to!

Good luck

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 16 Mar 2025 ==


Heard back from which point? There are many of us here who applied for Cricklewood in Dec ‘24 who have been attending assessment days.

I agree, the assessor would likely to ask how you felt at the time. However, don’t worry—the staff are very helpful and may ask you to adjust your example if they feel it doesn’t fully meet their expectations. Definitely BE PREPARED.

 

[signal89]

Anyone got a DMI yet for cricklewood?

 

[signalmaster]

no not yet i was asked about any annual leave booked in the next 6 months and the hogan questionnaire. Did you get the same?

 

[signal89]

no not yet i was asked about any annual leave booked in the next 6 months and the hogan questionnaire. Did you get the same?

Yes. Think we’re in the same boat just waiting now.

 

[kieran88]

Booked for stage 1 April 2nd. Just got the email.

 

[signalmaster]

I just booked DMI for Monday anyone else with me?

 

[signal89]

I got offered Monday as well but unfortunately it was just too short a notice to move other commitments. They do appear to be on a go fast. People on these forums have had to wait months between stages but this process seems to be moving fairly swiftly!

 

[signalmaster]

Yeah it was a short notice, I had to move around a lot of things to make it work. But it's the last process after this it's medical and referencing which is easy. So many people waited ages I think we are lucky to have it move that fast.

 

[Katamatic]

Yes I have my DMI on Monday 24th, but I passed all my assessments including the MMI with Southeastern so only have to do the DMI. I’m nervous as this is the most important interview of my life but fingers crossed I’ll be ok on the day and give some strong responses on the day.

 

[Mr 700]

Good luck all, im in my training course at the moment. When i applied last year (may 2024) it stated successful candidates would be going into a pool. However at the DMI i was told that they need drivers now, so no talent pool. So fingers crossed.

 

[taz01]

Hey, is anyone still awaiting to be booked in for a stage 2 and MMI ?

 

[A2Jon]

Hey, is anyone still awaiting to be booked in for a stage 2 and MMI ?

Yes I'm Still waiting for stage 2, I got an email last week from HR asking me to book my assessment and then another to say don't book it as it was for Stage 1 which I have already passed, However she said I will be invited soon for stage 2 and should expect a date in mid April so that's some positive news.

 

[taz01]

Yes I'm Still waiting for stage 2, I got an email last week from HR asking me to book my assessment and then another to say don't book it as it was for Stage 1 which I have already passed, However she said I will be invited soon for stage 2 and should expect a date in mid April so that's some positive news.

Thanks mate, yeah similar thing with me I had passed stage 1 with another railway company earlier this year. Was told at the beginning of March that I’d be on a waitlist for April for stage 2. Haven't heard anything since or had any replies.

 

[Katamatic]

Good luck all, im in my training course at the moment. When i applied last year (may 2024) it stated successful candidates would be going into a pool. However at the DMI i was told that they need drivers now, so no talent pool. So fingers crossed.

I passed my DMI on Monday and was told drivers were needed at the Cricklewood depot which was the depot I applied for so talent pool required either.

 

[signalmaster]

How do you know you passed did they send you an email confirmation

 

[Katamatic]

Yes I received a call from Paula on the day but I missed the call then received an email on Tuesday

 

[signal89]

What was the DMI like? What should I expect? Any competency based/scenario led questioning or is it more of a ‘traditional interview’?

 

[Katamatic]

It’s more of a traditional based interview, asked questions like why do you want to leave your current job/why do you want to be a train driver. Tell us what you know about GTR/Thameslink. Tell us about a time when you had to suddenly change your plans (work related) and how did you adapt. The MMI was more complex. Also the questions may be different for each individual based on how you answered the Hogan questionnaire.

 

[signal89]

It’s more of a traditional based interview, asked questions like why do you want to leave your current job/why do you want to be a train driver. Tell us what you know about GTR/Thameslink. Tell us about a time when you had to suddenly change your plans (work related) and how did you adapt. The MMI was more complex. Also the questions may be different for each individual based on how you answered the Hogan questionnaire.

Cheers! That’s really helpful. I couldn’t do Monday sadly, but hopefully won’t be long before I get another date!

 

[Katamatic]

Cheers! That’s really helpful. I couldn’t do Monday sadly, but hopefully won’t be long before I get another date!

No problem, I hope you get a date soon as there’s courses starting on the 28th April & 19th May

 

[signal89]

That’s good to know. I have to give 4 weeks notice for work so extremely tight indeed. Fingers crossed to see you in the future on one of those

 

[signalmaster]

I have 4 weeks notice aswell. I'm going to try and make it depends on how fast they are. I'm still waiting on a response for the DMI

 

[Katamatic]

That’s good to know. I have to give 4 weeks notice for work so extremely tight indeed. Fingers crossed to see you in the future on one of those

Yeah i also had to give 4 weeks notice but i ended up giving 3 weeks notice, fingers crossed