Applied for the Southern Trainee driver job, got assessment in a weeks time!

[theageofthetra]

Well I wasn't expecting to get that so quick, I will have to admit I am a bit scared! I have been reading through all the excellent advice on here and just would appreciate a few pointers With Southern what I am unclear on is whether I do all the Group Bourdon, reaction tests etc on that initial day? Given the short notice I am keen to prioritise what I need to practice.

Thanks for any advice and good luck to anyone else who has applied.

 

[Degsi00]

Well I wasn't expecting to get that so quick, I will have to admit I am a bit scared! I have been reading through all the excellent advice on here and just would appreciate a few pointers With Southern what I am unclear on is whether I do all the Group Bourdon, reaction tests etc on that initial day? Given the short notice I am keen to prioritise what I need to practice.

Thanks for any advice and good luck to anyone else who has applied.

When I had mine, we done everything the same day bar the CBI. We wrote our responses to the CBI questions but the actual interviews were done on a different day. We were told we'd do the MD interview, and on passing that, then we'd be invited back to complete the CBI. Which as it turned out, was better as it allowed more time to prep better responses since you had a better idea of what the questions were around.

It could have been however, that there wasn't enough time to do the interview as 5 of us had made it to the end and at this time it was already 15:30.

 

[Vicpaul]

That is the general layout del, you should in theory do the CBI first and then the MD.

Southern seem to do it MD then CBI, no idea why

 

[Degsi00]

When I thought about it Vic, I considered it may be to prevent (should you fail the MD) you from being able to use their time and effort to test you, simply for you to use your pass as a means to escalate an application with a different TOC???

 

[evoice]

Last year I failed my CBI with another TOC but passed all the assessment. I got an invite as well for southern to do CBI and Managers one. I am little bit feeling over the moon but tensed as I am so close and its my last try and I want to do it this time round.
Any help on CBI would be much appreciated.
Thanx in advance

 

[theageofthetra]

Good luck with your interview, what date is yours? How did you find the GBT and reaction tests when you did them?

 

[Degsi00]

Take stock of the characteristics and qualities Southern look for in their drivers as per the job ad and job spec and tailor your responses to possible questions around these attributes.

Demonstrate decisiveness, a desire to be responsible, safety conscious, friendly & approachable & sensitive to the needs of others - these are all positives.

Good luck.

 

[Iwillbeadriver]

Massive congratulations with the assessment invite!! I've just checked my application and it's still saying active application!!

Out of interest, when did you apply and did they email you? I didn't get my application in until the evening of the closing date so fear I may be at the bottom of the pile and won't hear anything!!

 

[theageofthetra]

Hi I applied on Tuesday and heard at about 5 tonight. Good luck with yours.

 

[evoice]

Good luck with your interview, what date is yours? How did you find the GBT and reaction tests when you did them?

It was paper based GBT which was easier than the computer ones. But I used to practise in the computer. I practised my reaction test from the program i downloaded from this forum. Made some coloured keys in a paper and kept something as a pedal. And it all went alright on the actual day. Good luck.

 

[theageofthetra]

Thanks for that. Do you have the link to the reactions programme that you mentioned? I have looked through the main sticky but can't seem to find it. Good Luck.

 

[evoice]

Thanks for that. Do you have the link to the reactions programme that you mentioned? I have looked through the main sticky but can't seem to find it. Good Luck.

Found it


http://www.krismason.org/files/reactiontest.zip

 

[dglondon]

Firstly, good luck to all those who get invited through to the assessments !. I personally applied for a trainee train driver role with Southern at the end of last year. I got through the computer sift and initial screening and was invited to the assessment. I passed everything at the assessment but there wasn't time for the CBI. I was told on the day I would hear back from them with a date for the DM Interview within 2 weeks, and would then have the CBI after this if I passed.

When I didn't hear back from Southern after a couple of months I applied for a trainee train driver role with another TOC. I was again invited to and passed the assessment, but then failed on one part of the CBI.

At the same time, I had a 3rd application ongoing with another TOC. With this TOC I again passed the initial application phase and my status was changed to awaiting invite to assessment.

I re-applied to Southern for this latest advertised role on Monday. The application questions were exactly the same as they were when I last applied. My answers therefore were the same, and my whole application was the same as previously. However, I have just received an email notification from Southern saying that unfortunately my application has been unsuccessful as my application did not reach the required standard.

This experience does make me feel that the application process is somewhat random. My first three applications passed the initial application phase at the first attempt, yet my 4th application with a TOC that I had already passed with was rejected as not being of a high enough standard, even though the application itself was exactly the same as last time. But it is what it is, so I guess I will just have to wait until the next opportunity and hope that I'm luckier in the selection process next time around.

One thing that does seem a bit harsh is that the rejection email from Southern states that I am unable to re-apply for a similar role with them for 6 months. I thought that this only applied if you failed at the assessment or interview stage, and not at the initial sift stage.

Is this true with most other TOC's ? (ie. that everytime you get a knock back at the first hurdle you are not allowed to re-apply for a similar role for 6 months).

 

[theageofthetra]

Hi have downloaded it but it doesn't make any sense. There are just two files, a pdf with a keyboard overlay and a file which seems to be a programme. There are no instructions or any indication of what keys the colours are for. Any ideas? Cheers

 

[evoice]

Hi have downloaded it but it doesn't make any sense. There are just two files, a pdf with a keyboard overlay and a file which seems to be a programme. There are no instructions or any indication of what keys the colours are for. Any ideas? Cheers

Hi, the program is the practise for the reaction test which you have to open it and the PDF consist of the colour buttons + high and low buttons. Just print that PDF file or draw a similar one in a page. Apart from those in the actual test, you also have a pedal (right and left which appears on the screen) and a headphone (through which you will hear low and high frequency sound).

Note: this practise has a faster speed than the actual test.

 

[theageofthetra]

Thanks for that but I still don't see how this works. Which keys on your keyboard do you stick the colours onto?

 

[evoice]

Thanks for that but I still don't see how this works. Which keys on your keyboard do you stick the colours onto?

Keep your keyboard aside. You do not need to stick anything on your keyboard. Draw the colour buttons on a keyboard size paper. You have to imagine that the paper with the colours is your keyboard.

 

[387star]

Firstly, good luck to all those who get invited through to the assessments !. I personally applied for a trainee train driver role with Southern at the end of last year. I got through the computer sift and initial screening and was invited to the assessment. I passed everything at the assessment but there wasn't time for the CBI. I was told on the day I would hear back from them with a date for the DM Interview within 2 weeks, and would then have the CBI after this if I passed.

When I didn't hear back from Southern after a couple of months I applied for a trainee train driver role with another TOC. I was again invited to and passed the assessment, but then failed on one part of the CBI.

At the same time, I had a 3rd application ongoing with another TOC. With this TOC I again passed the initial application phase and my status was changed to awaiting invite to assessment.

I re-applied to Southern for this latest advertised role on Monday. The application questions were exactly the same as they were when I last applied. My answers therefore were the same, and my whole application was the same as previously. However, I have just received an email notification from Southern saying that unfortunately my application has been unsuccessful as my application did not reach the required standard.

This experience does make me feel that the application process is somewhat random. My first three applications passed the initial application phase at the first attempt, yet my 4th application with a TOC that I had already passed with was rejected as not being of a high enough standard, even though the application itself was exactly the same as last time. But it is what it is, so I guess I will just have to wait until the next opportunity and hope that I'm luckier in the selection process next time around.

One thing that does seem a bit harsh is that the rejection email from Southern states that I am unable to re-apply for a similar role with them for 6 months. I thought that this only applied if you failed at the assessment or interview stage, and not at the initial sift stage.

Is this true with most other TOC's ? (ie. that everytime you get a knock back at the first hurdle you are not allowed to re-apply for a similar role for 6 months).

Same happened to me mate. Identical application sent in to one which had passed the sift before and it was after 6 months had passed... but not good enough. Weird forces are at work

 

[Vicpaul]

Heard this a few times and the only "probable" cause would be a higher calibre of candidates this time round.