Advice for trainee train driver interview

[Jimbo66]

Hi all,

Last year I applied to become a trainee mainline driver for a TOC that operates in the east of England. I was successful with my application and online situational judgement tests and was later invited to complete the psychometric tests with them. I successfully completed stage 1 of these tests which consisted of the group bourdon test, and the fault finding test just to name a few. The TOC in question sets its own enhanced benchmark required to pass, rather than just the national benchmark.

Following on from this, I was then invited to complete the stage 2 tests, but due to a technical problem at the test centre, this didn't happen. Instead I took another situational judgement test followed by my interview which I believe comes after the stage 2 tests, providing you pass them of course.

I was asked to to talk about 6 topic areas which mainly go over past experience in certain areas. One topic area that I struggled with was dealing with an emergency situation. This is because I haven't experienced an emergency situation in my life ever, so I struggled to think of anything to talk about. Interview nerves were already kicking in by this point which didn't help! The interviewer offered to give me a scenario and then ask me what I would do. To cut a long story short, I struggled with this area as it's never been something I've had to deal with, I was only 20 years old at the time of this interview too, and sadly I was unsuccessful and my application went no further. The feedback I received stated that it was this topic area which caused me to fail, the other 5 I had nailed. I was gutted.

I have now re-applied and the stage 2 assessments and interviews that follow are looming. I am looking for some advice on how to describe this topic again. What is it that the TOC wants to hear? I personally feel that the answers I gave them last time were sensible and that I displayed a calm approach whilst keeping safety as the top priority, but this obviously wasn't enough. Maybe there are train drivers or rail industry staff that could give an example of an emergency situation they've had to deal with.

Any help and advice would be very much appreciated. Am I right in saying this is my second and final attempt?

 

[Cyclist]

think outside of your job experiences. Have you had family emergencies? Taken people to hospital? Stuff like that

 

[Twotwo]

What is your current experience?

 

[Twotwo]

Best tip is to think what is the question asking?

Emergency question - are you calm under pressure? Are you able to think clearly? Do you have the ability to think ahead? Are you able to keep yourself safe? Are you able to do as you are trained to do? Remember your safety is important, if you are not safe how can you keep anyone else safe. So you don’t want to give an example of doing something where you potentially could have been hurt by playing a hero for example. Also don’t talk about what others did, they want to know what you did!

 

[Choochoo0001]

I think you’re getting too caught up on the question.

What exactly quantifies an ‘emergency’? Isn’t that down to interpretation?
It doesn’t necessarily have to mean a life or death situation.

Simply falling over, to you and me may not be an emergency, but to someone with mobility problems - it obviously would be. It’s all down to interpretation.

As someone already pointed out, think more about a situation where you encountered some issue and had to make a decision under pressure.
Did you remain calm? Did you act ensuring that you always considered safety’s FIRST? Did you stick to following rules and procedures? Did you ensure you gave clear, concise communication when required? Etc etc etc. Those are what the interviewer wants to see being demonstrated - the setting is merely a backdrop for you to show that you have the skills they want to see.

There are lots of ‘mundane’ situations that could be quantified as an emergency situation if you sold it right.

Car broken down on the motorway? Could be an emergency situation.
Had to help a lost child reunite with their parents?
Could be an emergency situation.
Ever had a friend or family relative with an allergic reaction? (Or other medical issue)
Could be an emergency situation.

Even a fire drill at your place of work. You hear an alarm, don’t know that it’s just a drill - so in that moment, it’s an emergency situation.

There are lots of scenarios that could be an emergency situation. The main thing is making sure your answer can demonstrate as many of those proficiencies as possible!

 

[Stigy]

Try to think of ‘emergency’ as broadly as possible. It doesn’t have to literally be a life or death emergency you dealt with. Any unexpected circumstances will do (family emergency, car breakdown etc).

 

[Jimbo66]

What is your current experience?

Best tip is to think what is the question asking?

Emergency question - are you calm under pressure? Are you able to think clearly? Do you have the ability to think ahead? Are you able to keep yourself safe? Are you able to do as you are trained to do? Remember your safety is important, if you are not safe how can you keep anyone else safe. So you don’t want to give an example of doing something where you potentially could have been hurt by playing a hero for example. Also don’t talk about what others did, they want to know what you did!

Hi Twotwo

So my current experience doesn't go very far. For the last 3 years, I've been working as a delivery driver for a well known online supermarket.

Can't say I've ever had to deal with an emergency, but I have witnessed and stopped at the scene of an accident before. I didn't mention this in my initial post as I wanted to keep it short and not bore people to death whilst reading. I did use this example in my interview and went on to explain how I used my vehicle (being large and bright coloured) as a shield to protect the scene from oncoming road users, how I assessed the casualties and how I spoke to the emergency services both over the phone and on the scene. When it came to assessing the casualties, there was a young boy involved. I mentioned about how the young boy was at the top of my priorities due to his age and the fact that he could potentially be at more risk compared to someone a lot older. And when it came to communicating with the emergency services, I explained how I was clear and concise with my responses and that I wasn't panicking and making it hard for them to understand. I also gave them clear location information so they could find us easily and followed all of their advice.

Sadly, this didn't impress the interviewer enough. Is there anything there that I could improve on?

 

[Jimbo66]

I think you’re getting too caught up on the question.

What exactly quantifies an ‘emergency’? Isn’t that down to interpretation?
It doesn’t necessarily have to mean a life or death situation.

Simply falling over, to you and me may not be an emergency, but to someone with mobility problems - it obviously would be. It’s all down to interpretation.

As someone already pointed out, think more about a situation where you encountered some issue and had to make a decision under pressure.
Did you remain calm? Did you act ensuring that you always considered safety’s FIRST? Did you stick to following rules and procedures? Did you ensure you gave clear, concise communication when required? Etc etc etc. Those are what the interviewer wants to see being demonstrated - the setting is merely a backdrop for you to show that you have the skills they want to see.

There are lots of ‘mundane’ situations that could be quantified as an emergency situation if you sold it right.

Car broken down on the motorway? Could be an emergency situation.
Had to help a lost child reunite with their parents?
Could be an emergency situation.
Ever had a friend or family relative with an allergic reaction? (Or other medical issue)
Could be an emergency situation.

Even a fire drill at your place of work. You hear an alarm, don’t know that it’s just a drill - so in that moment, it’s an emergency situation.

There are lots of scenarios that could be an emergency situation. The main thing is making sure your answer can demonstrate as many of those proficiencies as possible!

Try to think of ‘emergency’ as broadly as possible. It doesn’t have to literally be a life or death emergency you dealt with. Any unexpected circumstances will do (family emergency, car breakdown etc).

Hi Stigy & Choochoo0001,

Thanks for your replies. Please see my reply above to Twotwo. I did use an example that both of you suggested in my interview which I've described in the reply above. Again, are there any improvements that you think could be made?

 

[Twotwo]

Hi Twotwo

So my current experience doesn't go very far. For the last 3 years, I've been working as a delivery driver for a well known online supermarket.

Can't say I've ever had to deal with an emergency, but I have witnessed and stopped at the scene of an accident before. I didn't mention this in my initial post as I wanted to keep it short and not bore people to death whilst reading. I did use this example in my interview and went on to explain how I used my vehicle (being large and bright coloured) as a shield to protect the scene from oncoming road users, how I assessed the casualties and how I spoke to the emergency services both over the phone and on the scene. When it came to assessing the casualties, there was a young boy involved. I mentioned about how the young boy was at the top of my priorities due to his age and the fact that he could potentially be at more risk compared to someone a lot older. And when it came to communicating with the emergency services, I explained how I was clear and concise with my responses and that I wasn't panicking and making it hard for them to understand. I also gave them clear location information so they could find us easily and followed all of their advice.

Sadly, this didn't impress the interviewer enough. Is there anything there that I could improve on?

Erm Im not too sure what you mean about using your car as a shield to stop oncoming traffic. Did they ask you to explain what you meant? Coz i feel like this could be putting yourself at risk potentially....

 

[Jimbo66]

Erm Im not too sure what you mean about using your car as a shield to stop oncoming traffic. Did they ask you to explain what you meant? Coz i feel like this could be putting yourself at risk potentially....

So it was a single carriageway road and the accident had caused fairly substantial damage to both vehicles, one of which was unable to drive and stuck in the middle of the road with debris everywhere. I positioned my vehicle almost horizontally across both lanes to stop cars from driving through the scene and potentially hitting people or compromising evidence, the same way a police car would to close a road. My thinking behind it is to keep everyone safe. It really wouldn't have been ideal to just let other cars drive through with people wondering around and debris everywhere.

 

[Twotwo]

By doing that was u driving onto oncoming traffic? I think it's a good reply but maybe they could see it as if you are putting you safety as risk by doing it?


Also one of the question they ask you if you sow an accident what would you do? My response is that I would do only what I am trained to do and what I feel confident in doing so this is to do call the emergency services and reassure the passengers.

 

[Jimbo66]

By doing that was u driving onto oncoming traffic? I think it's a good reply but maybe they could see it as if you are putting you safety as risk by doing it?


Also one of the question they ask you if you sow an accident what would you do? My response is that I would do only what I am trained to do and what I feel confident in doing so this is to do call the emergency services and reassure the passengers.

At that exact moment in time, there was no oncoming vehicles. But I see where you're coming from in terms of there being a potential risk of that happening.

You make a very good point about only going as far as your trained to. I mentioned in my initial post that the interviewer went on to give me a scenario. I can't remember exactly what the scenario was now, but it was along the lines of coming across a passenger that had stopped breathing and how I would deal with this. I went on to say that I would begin to give CPR. I was then questioned on how I would do that and this is where I struggled to answer. I'm not first aid trained, nor do I know how to perform CPR correctly. I then went on to say I would call the emergency services and follow their instructions on how to perform CPR. I guess by this point, I've already shown that I would go beyond what I am trained to do and comfortable with.

 

[Stigy]

So it was a single carriageway road and the accident had caused fairly substantial damage to both vehicles, one of which was unable to drive and stuck in the middle of the road with debris everywhere. I positioned my vehicle almost horizontally across both lanes to stop cars from driving through the scene and potentially hitting people or compromising evidence, the same way a police car would to close a road. My thinking behind it is to keep everyone safe. It really wouldn't have been ideal to just let other cars drive through with people wondering around and debris everywhere.

Twotwo makes some good points;

Your example is ideal in terms of what an emergency situation is. By definition, it really can’t be much better! However, the interviewers clearly didn’t score you very high based on what you said. I’d say positioning the vehicle where you did was sensible, adopting a common sense approach to keeping everybody safe. But if it effectively closed the whole road this could be an issue (I may have reversed 50 yards or so up the road and put the hazards on as a preference, depending on how busy the road was).

You then went on to say about assessing casualties etc. Really good example if you’re trained to do so. The first priority is always to summon help, so any casualty assessments should take place of safe to do so, and during or after calling 999. For example it’s no good stopping a traumatic bleed with both hands or giving CPR is an ambulance isn’t coming as you’ll find yourself tied up saving lives and forgetting about the basics. I know that sounds dramatic, and I’m sure your scenario in reality wasn’t that ‘life or death’, but all this will be going through the interviewers’ mind when carrying out the interview.

 

[Jimbo66]

Twotwo makes some good points;

Your example is ideal in terms of what an emergency situation is. By definition, it really can’t be much better! However, the interviewers clearly didn’t score you very high based on what you said. I’d say positioning the vehicle where you did was sensible, adopting a common sense approach to keeping everybody safe. But if it effectively closed the whole road this could be an issue (I may have reversed 50 yards or so up the road and put the hazards on as a preference, depending on how busy the road was).

You then went on to say about assessing casualties etc. Really good example if you’re trained to do so. The first priority is always to summon help, so any casualty assessments should take place of safe to do so, and during or after calling 999. For example it’s no good stopping a traumatic bleed with both hands or giving CPR is an ambulance isn’t coming as you’ll find yourself tied up saving lives and forgetting about the basics. I know that sounds dramatic, and I’m sure your scenario in reality wasn’t that ‘life or death’, but all this will be going through the interviewers’ mind when carrying out the interview.

Hi Stigy,

You make some good points too.

I will use this example again as it's probably the closest thing to an emergency I've experienced, and it's no good making something up. However, there are areas that yourself and others have identified that could have been done differently and are more likely to demonstrate that I have the correct approach for the job. With all of this in mind then, would it be a good idea to effectively tweak my example? Or shall I ask for a scenario and adopt the approach that yourself and others have suggested?

 

[Twotwo]

You can tweak your answer lol i don’t think anybody is 100% honest.

First priority is YOUR SAFETY.
Maybe you could say you did a risk assesment and made sure it was safe for u to warn oncoming traffic. Maybe suggest you did it in a position where you was safe on the side. I like Stigy idea about doing it 50m away.

Calling for help woukd be your first priority because the emergency services are trained for this. I also mentioned (when they probed me about if there was an accident what would u do etc) that my safety would be priority so I'll do a risk assesment and make sure its safe for me to be there but I would call the ambulance and help the injured or those who are in shock in a way that I'm trained to - which is jus reassuring and calming them down.

 

[Twotwo]

I think you should explore other examples and really think about what it is they asking you. You don't need to lie but you can tweak it to fit your narrative lol

 

[MostlyHarmless]

Hi Stigy,

You make some good points too.

I will use this example again as it's probably the closest thing to an emergency I've experienced, and it's no good making something up. However, there are areas that yourself and others have identified that could have been done differently and are more likely to demonstrate that I have the correct approach for the job. With all of this in mind then, would it be a good idea to effectively tweak my example? Or shall I ask for a scenario and adopt the approach that yourself and others have suggested?

I think your scenario is a good one - coming across an RTC can be quite daunting even for professionals. Have a think about how you felt and maybe what you would have done differenly and by all means adapt it to show your best attributes. Don't get bogged down by the sematics of the incident - its more about how you dealt with the pressure of the situation, your thought processes and the fact that you did something rather than film it on your mobile phone!

 

[Jimbo66]

Hello again,

So I have been preparing for the interview ever since posting this topic. I have drafted my responses and have taken on board all of the advice given. Below is what I've come up with and I've used the STAR technique. It's a true scenario, but of course there are elements that I've tweaked with the advice given. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to pass my final attempt at this!

S- Whilst out on my delivery route one evening, I was first at the scene of a RTC between two vehicles. I stopped to offer assistance and call for help.

T- The task was to first of all, position my vehicle in a place state where it could be seen and then make oncoming traffic aware of the situation to avoid further collisions. I would then inform the emergency services and check that all involved were okay.

A- The action I took was parking my vehicle to the side of the road and putting my hazard lights on to warn to other drivers to approach with care. I also put on my tail lights for extra visibility. I was wearing a hi-vis jacket at the time so I would have been visible to others, although it was daylight. I remained calm and crossed the road to stand on the path and immediately dialed 999 and asked for the ambulance service and the police. I spoke calmly and clearly to give them the location details such as road name and nearest landmark so they could send help. Whilst doing this, I signaled to cars approaching to slow down using hand signals.

As I have no training in treating casualties, I followed the phone operators instructions over the phone which involved ensuring the patients were breathing. Thankfully, all injuries were minor and there was no need for me to perform any medical procedures. I suggested that all involved stand on the path and wait for help to arrive. I then comforted the occupants and reassured them that help was on the way.

R- The result of my actions meant that I got emergency services to the scene so that they could treat the patients and clear up the scene of the collision. Speaking clearly to the emergency services meant that help arrived quickly. By calling for help straight away, I was able to give the correct level of care as I do not have the correct training for these type of incidents. Should I have had to give more extensive care, then I would have had a professionally trained individual on the other end of the phone guiding me through this to ensure it is performed correctly.

 

[MostlyHarmless]

Hello again,

So I have been preparing for the interview ever since posting this topic. I have drafted my responses and have taken on board all of the advice given. Below is what I've come up with and I've used the STAR technique. It's a true scenario, but of course there are elements that I've tweaked with the advice given. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to pass my final attempt at this!

S- Whilst out on my delivery route one evening, I was first at the scene of a RTC between two vehicles. I stopped to offer assistance and call for help.

T- The task was to first of all, position my vehicle in a place state where it could be seen and then make oncoming traffic aware of the situation to avoid further collisions. I would then inform the emergency services and check that all involved were okay.

A- The action I took was parking my vehicle to the side of the road and putting my hazard lights on to warn to other drivers to approach with care. I also put on my tail lights for extra visibility. I was wearing a hi-vis jacket at the time so I would have been visible to others, although it was daylight. I remained calm and crossed the road to stand on the path and immediately dialed 999 and asked for the ambulance service and the police. I spoke calmly and clearly to give them the location details such as road name and nearest landmark so they could send help. Whilst doing this, I signaled to cars approaching to slow down using hand signals.

As I have no training in treating casualties, I followed the phone operators instructions over the phone which involved ensuring the patients were breathing. Thankfully, all injuries were minor and there was no need for me to perform any medical procedures. I suggested that all involved stand on the path and wait for help to arrive. I then comforted the occupants and reassured them that help was on the way.

R- The result of my actions meant that I got emergency services to the scene so that they could treat the patients and clear up the scene of the collision. Speaking clearly to the emergency services meant that help arrived quickly. By calling for help straight away, I was able to give the correct level of care as I do not have the correct training for these type of incidents. Should I have had to give more extensive care, then I would have had a professionally trained individual on the other end of the phone guiding me through this to ensure it is performed correctly.

This seems fine - you'll need to be prepared to answer questions about how you felt at the time and maybe anything you might have done differently. The point you raise about not being medically trained and taking advice over the phone for example - did you wish at that point that you'd done some first aid training perhaps?

 

[Choochoo0001]

Hello again,

So I have been preparing for the interview ever since posting this topic. I have drafted my responses and have taken on board all of the advice given. Below is what I've come up with and I've used the STAR technique. It's a true scenario, but of course there are elements that I've tweaked with the advice given. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to pass my final attempt at this!

S- Whilst out on my delivery route one evening, I was first at the scene of a RTC between two vehicles. I stopped to offer assistance and call for help.

T- The task was to first of all, position my vehicle in a place state where it could be seen and then make oncoming traffic aware of the situation to avoid further collisions. I would then inform the emergency services and check that all involved were okay.

A- The action I took was parking my vehicle to the side of the road and putting my hazard lights on to warn to other drivers to approach with care. I also put on my tail lights for extra visibility. I was wearing a hi-vis jacket at the time so I would have been visible to others, although it was daylight. I remained calm and crossed the road to stand on the path and immediately dialed 999 and asked for the ambulance service and the police. I spoke calmly and clearly to give them the location details such as road name and nearest landmark so they could send help. Whilst doing this, I signaled to cars approaching to slow down using hand signals.

As I have no training in treating casualties, I followed the phone operators instructions over the phone which involved ensuring the patients were breathing. Thankfully, all injuries were minor and there was no need for me to perform any medical procedures. I suggested that all involved stand on the path and wait for help to arrive. I then comforted the occupants and reassured them that help was on the way.

R- The result of my actions meant that I got emergency services to the scene so that they could treat the patients and clear up the scene of the collision. Speaking clearly to the emergency services meant that help arrived quickly. By calling for help straight away, I was able to give the correct level of care as I do not have the correct training for these type of incidents. Should I have had to give more extensive care, then I would have had a professionally trained individual on the other end of the phone guiding me through this to ensure it is performed correctly.

Heya bud. This seems like a good example to use and it’s structured well, I’d change a few things personally, but that’s just my opinion and you don’t have to take it on board.

Firstly, I’d have your Task section as simply; “I stopped to check that everybody was okay and to contact the emergency services”

Secondly, when you talk about positioning your vehicle, that’s an action, so I would have that as the first part of my actions.
Saying something like; “the road was still open and traffic was still running past the scene of the accident. I parked my vehicle in a safe place away from the accident, in order to try and reduce the risk of causing any further accidents. I placed my hazard lights on my vehicle to warn any oncoming traffic....” and then run in to your explanation.

Although you say you were already wearing your hi vis jacket - Perhaps you could say that you specifically put on your hi vis jacket before going roadside, as although it was daylight you wanted to make sure you personally remained safe and give any oncoming traffic every opportunity to see you clearly. (Just another way of showing that you considered your own personal safety).

Otherwise, I think that’s a pretty solid example!

 

[Jimbo66]

Heya bud. This seems like a good example to use and it’s structured well, I’d change a few things personally, but that’s just my opinion and you don’t have to take it on board.

Firstly, I’d have your Task section as simply; “I stopped to check that everybody was okay and to contact the emergency services”

Secondly, when you talk about positioning your vehicle, that’s an action, so I would have that as the first part of my actions.
Saying something like; “the road was still open and traffic was still running past the scene of the accident. I parked my vehicle in a safe place away from the accident, in order to try and reduce the risk of causing any further accidents. I placed my hazard lights on my vehicle to warn any oncoming traffic....” and then run in to your explanation.

Although you say you were already wearing your hi vis jacket - Perhaps you could say that you specifically put on your hi vis jacket before going roadside, as although it was daylight you wanted to make sure you personally remained safe and give any oncoming traffic every opportunity to see you clearly. (Just another way of showing that you considered your own personal safety).

Otherwise, I think that’s a pretty solid example!

Thank you for your feedback and sorry I’ve not responded! I didn’t see this response until just now.

I’ll definitely take on board your feedback. Fingers crossed I pull through it this time, I’d really like this job!

 

[Jimbo66]

This seems fine - you'll need to be prepared to answer questions about how you felt at the time and maybe anything you might have done differently. The point you raise about not being medically trained and taking advice over the phone for example - did you wish at that point that you'd done some first aid training perhaps?

That is a good response to that question. Do you think the fact that I’m not first aid trained would go against me though? I know that first aid training isn’t mentioned as part of the essential criteria, but would the TOC rather employ someone that is first aid trained as opposed to someone who isn’t?

 

[Lou Carpenter]

My advice would be to go and get this experience first hand. These tests are designed to filter out unsuitable candidates, so if you failed in that test then you are unsuitable at that time. Being a train driver is a demanding job and experience of working under pressure in emergency situations is vital. Considering you only have two shots at this test, I would get equivalent experience first

 

[PaulBusDriver]

Hello again,

So I have been preparing for the interview ever since posting this topic. I have drafted my responses and have taken on board all of the advice given. Below is what I've come up with and I've used the STAR technique. It's a true scenario, but of course there are elements that I've tweaked with the advice given. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to pass my final attempt at this!

S- Whilst out on my delivery route one evening, I was first at the scene of a RTC between two vehicles. I stopped to offer assistance and call for help.

T- The task was to first of all, position my vehicle in a place state where it could be seen and then make oncoming traffic aware of the situation to avoid further collisions. I would then inform the emergency services and check that all involved were okay.

A- The action I took was parking my vehicle to the side of the road and putting my hazard lights on to warn to other drivers to approach with care. I also put on my tail lights for extra visibility. I was wearing a hi-vis jacket at the time so I would have been visible to others, although it was daylight. I remained calm and crossed the road to stand on the path and immediately dialed 999 and asked for the ambulance service and the police. I spoke calmly and clearly to give them the location details such as road name and nearest landmark so they could send help. Whilst doing this, I signaled to cars approaching to slow down using hand signals.

As I have no training in treating casualties, I followed the phone operators instructions over the phone which involved ensuring the patients were breathing. Thankfully, all injuries were minor and there was no need for me to perform any medical procedures. I suggested that all involved stand on the path and wait for help to arrive. I then comforted the occupants and reassured them that help was on the way.

R- The result of my actions meant that I got emergency services to the scene so that they could treat the patients and clear up the scene of the collision. Speaking clearly to the emergency services meant that help arrived quickly. By calling for help straight away, I was able to give the correct level of care as I do not have the correct training for these type of incidents. Should I have had to give more extensive care, then I would have had a professionally trained individual on the other end of the phone guiding me through this to ensure it is performed correctly.

I don't want to be too critical, but one thing you've written suggests a bit of assumption. You've said you have no medical training, but then you say that all injuries were minor and nobody needed intervention because all injuries were minor. You couldn't judge that based on your own statement that you have no medical training? Perhaps you could explain what leads you to come to the conclusion, perhaps you have had initial response training and you know that the vital signs are airway, circulation and bleeding for example? If you tell them contradictory information they will pick up on it

 

[Twotwo]

That is a good response to that question. Do you think the fact that I’m not first aid trained would go against me though? I know that first aid training isn’t mentioned as part of the essential criteria, but would the TOC rather employ someone that is first aid trained as opposed to someone who isn’t?

No. You should just do what you are trained to do. For my scenario I mentioned how a police officer got assaulted in front of the station . First thing I did was instinct and that was to get myself to a position of safety so I stepped back a few metres and went behind the barriers. Then I called the emergency service because I didn't want to assume anyone has. Its better for everyone to call rather then everyone assume someone else has. My next priority was to try to stop people (at this point there was a bit of a struggle between the officers and the suspect and they were inside the station now) from exiting the station.

They even asked me what would you have done if any passengers didn't listen and carried on walking towards the fight. I said I would try my upmost to warn them but I also need to make sure I am safe and I could potentionally be unsafe if I was to follow them and stop them but I would make the officers aware.

I didn't do anything heroic. I just ensured I was safe, tried to make sure everyone else was and lastly I did what I was trained to do.

 

[ComUtoR]

It's a true scenario, but of course there are elements that I've tweaked with the advice given. Any comments and feedback would be greatly appreciated. I'd really like to pass my final attempt at this!

How prepared are you for followup questions or anything that takes you on a tangent elsewhere ? How emotive will you be when you recite the answer ? What is your backup plan ? Are you prepared for the answer to be dismissed out of hand ? Are you prepared to be challenged on your actions and any mistakes you made ?

Interviews are not just about the answer given. Be prepared to go further and deeper. Be mentally prepared for anything.

 

[Jimbo66]

My advice would be to go and get this experience first hand. These tests are designed to filter out unsuitable candidates, so if you failed in that test then you are unsuitable at that time. Being a train driver is a demanding job and experience of working under pressure in emergency situations is vital. Considering you only have two shots at this test, I would get equivalent experience first

I see where you’re coming from with regards to how important it is to have this experience etc. Are you saying that the scenario I’m talking about isn’t enough? This occurred not long after my unsuccessful attempt and I can’t see why it wouldn’t be a good example to use.

 

[Jimbo66]

I don't want to be too critical, but one thing you've written suggests a bit of assumption. You've said you have no medical training, but then you say that all injuries were minor and nobody needed intervention because all injuries were minor. You couldn't judge that based on your own statement that you have no medical training? Perhaps you could explain what leads you to come to the conclusion, perhaps you have had initial response training and you know that the vital signs are airway, circulation and bleeding for example? If you tell them contradictory information they will pick up on it

I see where you’re coming from with this. I’ve never had any sort of medical training, however I know the basics in intial response. Things like; checking airways, keeping pressure on serious bleeds; keeping neck and back straight and still to avoid further injury or worse. At the time all of this was going through my mind and I did ask the injured parties whether they had pain anywhere whilst conveying all this information back to the phone operator.

The point I’m trying to make is that after speaking to the operator on the phone and having followed their instructions, there was no need for my intervention at the scene. I think how I’m wording and explaining this scenario is where I’m struggling, and like you say, contradicting myself. Would you agree that’s the case?

 

[Jimbo66]

No. You should just do what you are trained to do. For my scenario I mentioned how a police officer got assaulted in front of the station . First thing I did was instinct and that was to get myself to a position of safety so I stepped back a few metres and went behind the barriers. Then I called the emergency service because I didn't want to assume anyone has. Its better for everyone to call rather then everyone assume someone else has. My next priority was to try to stop people (at this point there was a bit of a struggle between the officers and the suspect and they were inside the station now) from exiting the station.

They even asked me what would you have done if any passengers didn't listen and carried on walking towards the fight. I said I would try my upmost to warn them but I also need to make sure I am safe and I could potentionally be unsafe if I was to follow them and stop them but I would make the officers aware.

I didn't do anything heroic. I just ensured I was safe, tried to make sure everyone else was and lastly I did what I was trained to do.

You make some great points there.

 

[Lou Carpenter]

I see where you’re coming from with regards to how important it is to have this experience etc. Are you saying that the scenario I’m talking about isn’t enough? This occurred not long after my unsuccessful attempt and I can’t see why it wouldn’t be a good example to use.

The fact that your asking how to answer the question shows it isn’t enough. When you have the relevant experience the answer will come easy, It’s really that simple. The whole recruitment process is designed to weed out candidates that are unsuitable or unready. If you’re the latter then get the experience