Recent content by Shrimper

Depends which depot you end up at at Northern - on the west side you go to the first 'qualified' increment 12 months after starting even if you are still a trainee with an instructor. Not 100% on the situation on the east side though I know they don't have increments so it may be that you stick...

Some interviews are taking place this week.

Assuming things haven't changed in the past 2 years since I did my interview, there will be 6 competency based questions which are graded out of 6. A 'perfect' answer gets 6 points and there is a benchmark score to pass the interview and move on to the next stage - this may also get used later...

Depends on your team - if Sunday's are out if the working week and you support a team that often gets shown on TV on a Sunday you can see plenty. Our depot also sees regular swaps between the reds and blues as they aren't normally allowed to play home games on the same fixture weekend. Big perk...

At my TOC we have drivers, guards, platform staff and I'm sure many other roles of both sexes who have full sleeve tattoos. All perfectly acceptable. Tattoos are mainstream now, and as long as the detail within it isn't in any way rude I don't think most employers have issue with them now...

Historically, you entered the grade on the lowest link and worked your way up to the top one - in the days of steam the low links would be shunting, local trip freights etc progressing up to passenger and express passenger in the higher links. More recently, where work content at a company...

They aren't looking for you to be perfect - they are looking to see how you respond to briefings/instruction, whether you take things in and your attitude. They aren't going to throw the complex signalling or route learning scenarios at you but will be looking to see how you react. For example...

No idea TBH - it seems recruitment is slower at the moment, probably as a result of the electrification delays and subsequent timetable pushbacks so it's probably a case of sitting tight and waiting for the call unfortunately! HR were always pretty good when I occasionally called to chase things...

Same as you - Northern, Manchester stations.

Not too long - passed assessment in May IIRC, medical early July to start in August though this was at peak recruitment - not sure if the pace/courses are quite as quick now.

I suspect it means you're waiting until a medical date is booked in with a confirmed course start date; that's what my application showed at the same stage (and amusingly, still does - I've worked for them for 18 months now!).

I think it's down to whether the organisations are members of ATOC/RDG as they are now. Some preserved railways are members and have reciprocal rights for their staff as well. Metrolink are not part of the scheme so don't offer any Priv discounts; nor do their staff receive any.

Advice I was given by my dad for these situations: It's easy to dress down, but very difficult to dress up. IE - if you have a full suit on it's easy to make it more casual by removing a tie or jacket. Turn up in jeans and realise you need to be smarter and it's not going to be possible to do...

Still a driver depot unless it's been abolished since October - but it is a small depot (only 7 M-F jobs prior to the October TT changes).

Nor me, I much prefer holidaying in May/June before the schools push prices up and the weather tends to be better in the UK if not going abroad. But even then, it only takes one day to be fully booked and its game over if you want two weeks away. As a result it was never an issue for me, but...