Another Failed Interview !

[mikeymiller]

Well had interview with Scotrail last Thurs, but just found out not successful yet again. Totally ****ed off now, I've studied the routes, trains, and the company inside out - I have 12 years experience as a driver with London Underground with an exceptional record - Professional attitude, excellent safety and customer service awareness.

Got all that off my chest, don't feel any better though. I've asked for feedback, so be interesting what they say this time !

 

[185]

Many more places to apply to become a mainline driver. Try one that isn't FirstGroup - get qualified there, and by the time you're passed out, the Scotrail franchise should be run by someone else hopefully.

What did they fail you on?

 

[Beveridges]

Did you feel you did really well in the Interview?
Sounds the same as mine with DRS. Did really well and still failed. Their reason was "There just happened to be more much higher calibre applicants" and "They gave better examples"

 

[jobo7]

Thats ****e mate, was hoping at least one of us got through! gutted aswell! didint think it went that bad in the interview. Do you know the rules for applying again? do you need to wait 6 mths and resit all the assessments again?

E-mailed them to get my interview feedback aswell. sadness quickly changing to frustration! Thought my experience in Railway engineering and my railway maintenance apprenticeship would have maybe helped me but obviously not according to the knockback we both recieved!

 

[mikeymiller]

Yeah thought it went really well. Answered all the questions really well, making sure I mentioned safety n customer service as much as poss - Also showed them a bundle of letters and awards from London Underground for exceptional work - going above n beyond my call of duty etc... so dont understand this decision at all - shocked :cry:

 

[Beveridges]

Did you feel it went well bringing awards in for excellent work? I've got a couple myself and was wondering if I should bring them in to my next interview.

 

[notadriver]

Judging from the latest batch of recruits that I've seen, I wonder if they prefer really young recruits with possibly very little railway background? Also I reckon being female is an advantage although yes I know they aren't allowed to discriminate in that way.

 

[rmt-driver]

I think most companies now want new blood, not experienced old hand railwaymen. So they can brainwash them, mould them how they want, make them anti-union, and importantly give them **** contracts and get away with it!

 

[387star]

You do know you can make up examples to some extent :P most do. Or highly exaggerate at least

 

[mikeymiller]

Obviously didn't do it for me bringing my awards n letters of commendation in lol
Loved working on the railway and put a lot into it but guess thats it now, not sure I can be bothered anymore after 2 failed interviews !
With all my experience I already have excellent examples of dealing with different situations but they obviously not interested in the experience. Think ur right about them wanting youngsters with no railway background to mold them how they want. Silly really coz Im not set in my ways and havnt got the attitude thinking I know it all and was ready to give the 100% commitment needed to fulfill the roll, made all that clear in the interview too :/

Oh well done now, back to the job search...

 

[Beveridges]

It would be interesting to see what feedback they give (if any?)
It seems hard to get any decent feedback for interviews from TOC's, normally just a quick sentence followed by "try again next time" or sometime like that
Give up after 2 Interviews? I have not given up after 22 failed attempts, including 3 failed interviews, 2 failed telephone interviews, 6 withdrawn at the early stages, 8 failed application forms, 2 failed assessments (non-psychometric) & one occasion when I thought I'd got the job only for it to be cancelled!
I think sometimes it is just be a case of there only being too few vacancies and if there are qualified drivers applying its not going to be easy.

 

[TDK]

Judging from the latest batch of recruits that I've seen, I wonder if they prefer really young recruits with possibly very little railway background? Also I reckon being female is an advantage although yes I know they aren't allowed to discriminate in that way.

Gender is not an advantage - the process is equality
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You do know you can make up examples to some extent :P most do. Or highly exaggerate at least

Not a good idea unless you are a very good liar
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I think most companies now want new blood, not experienced old hand railwaymen. So they can brainwash them, mould them how they want, make them anti-union, and importantly give them **** contracts and get away with it!

Any company should want drivers from this oreder below, number one being the highest advantage!

1. Qualified driver with some traction and/or route knowledge with a clean record

2. Qualified driver with no forwarding knowledge of traction or routes with a clean record

3. The above with minor discrepencies on their record.

4. Persons with railway experience preferably safety critical

5. Any other suitable person for the role.

This list above is due to cost and time training of course, a company will most likely take a qualified driver on before anyone else. As for new blood, it doesn't take long for a new driver to get to grips with what the old hands are doing and after a year or 2 new drivers sometimes are a lot worse to manage than the old hands.

 

[185]

Gender is not an advantage - the process is equality

Not true at Virgin Trains. One of their own managers said that.

 

[Beveridges]

Exaggurating Interview answers seems to happen all the time, so maybe you have to exaggerate to keep up???
Now as for making up an answer completely, I would advise against this

 

[TDK]

Not true at Virgin Trains. One of their own managers said that.

Your evidence on VT's policy on equality please as this is a totally untrue statement, a manager may have said it but it is not their policy, because if it was they would be in deep trouble. So, send me a link to where VT will lean towards a certain gender.

 

[387star]

Sounds like they had already chosen to take on! perhaps sadly railway engineering is of little benefit. Simplifying the job validates any pay cuts

 

[185]

Your evidence on VT's policy on equality please as this is a totally untrue statement, a manager may have said it but it is not their policy, because if it was they would be in deep trouble. So, send me a link to where VT will lean towards a certain gender.

Not rocket science to work out that what TOCs actually do in real life wouldn't be down in print. Proud to say when I was a manager stuck on recruitment days, I would actually ask myself if I though the candidate could actually do the job & do it well, first and foremost, not the amount of lipstick or who they are related to.

Speaking of ATW... should staff from Cardiff really be asking if you speak Welsh at interviews in England?

 

[es373]

Judging from the latest batch of recruits that I've seen, I wonder if they prefer really young recruits with possibly very little railway background? Also I reckon being female is an advantage although yes I know they aren't allowed to discriminate in that way.

Yes! That's exactly what's going on with recruitment inside the industry at the moment.
Younger people with no rail background are far more easier to mould into the required person that the company wants, as bad as it sounds I know but I guess thats just the way it is.


Miller, why is it that you want to go over to mainline? Send me a PM and we'll have a talk

 

[TDK]

Not rocket science to work out that what TOCs actually do in real life wouldn't be down in print. Proud to say when I was a manager stuck on recruitment days, I would actually ask myself if I though the candidate could actually do the job & do it well, first and foremost, not the amount of lipstick or who they are related to.

Speaking of ATW... should staff from Cardiff really be asking if you speak Welsh at interviews in England?

When I recruited there were no names or indication of the sex of a candidate as the names, addresses and personal details were detached from the application forms.

 

[wanabedriver]

You do know you can make up examples to some extent :P most do. Or highly exaggerate at least

hi ML, can you give a few examples of passing the assesment around rules and regulations and working under pressure with rules and regs. I am due for my second and last attempt and am struggling to think of a relevant example. I would really appreciate some help in this. Hope to hear from you

 

[387star]

Sorry I'm not a driver was speaking generally. I would also like to point out I don't make up answers myself wasn't being serious obviously
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Perhaps if someone posts a thread and people add to it with all the questions known to have come up during the structured interview. One thread dedicated to interview sample questions might prevent the same questions being asked though I know there are heaps of threads on the topic spread throughout the forum

 

[schwa]

It's an easier question to answer if you actually have examples from your current or previous jobs. Health and Safety (a regulation) affects all workplaces.. perhaps build an answer around that.

 

[Sadsmileyface]

I think most companies now want new blood, not experienced old hand railwaymen. So they can brainwash them, mould them how they want, make them anti-union, and importantly give them **** contracts and get away with it!

Dont give away all the secret plans! Who in the illuminati have you been talking to?!?
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Proud to say when I was a manager stuck on recruitment days, I would actually ask myself if I though the candidate could actually do the job & do it well, first and foremost, not the amount of lipstick or who they are related to.

Nepotism is a disgusting hangover from the BR days. The amount of people who frankly are not good enough but are in employment thanks to mummy or daddy being a Manager or Director that I'm forced to work with is shocking.

I got into the railway out of school on my own merits, learned, did the job well, did more than someone of my grade was expected to do and turned myself into a valuable asset, and slowly worked my way up. And then got surrounded by people given cushy numbers because of family connections. I know people who would could be bringing valuable skills to the company but cant get in. The industry is terrible for this.