Aspiring train drivers one day course

[387star]

I keep getting emails from the how 2 become people about a one day course explaining all there is to know about the assessment day etc etc including trying the new tests

Is this not a waste of money. This is a huge organisation specialising in how 2become this and that who are clearly cashing in on the train driver desirability factor

That said there books have been useful

Anyone have feedback?

 

[W230]

I keep getting emails from the how 2 become people about a one day course explaining all there is to know about the assessment day etc etc including trying the new tests

Is this not a waste of money. This is a huge organisation specialising in how 2become this and that who are clearly cashing in on the train driver desirability factor?

Put simply, yes. And i'm sure as time passes there will be plenty more companies looking to cash in too in other ways.

 

[Dan-FFDP-1990]

I'm glad I saw this as I was going to ask a very similar question regarding this company.

I don't doubt it would be a helpful insight, but I suppose the knowledge they teach you will only come in to play if you're lucky enough to be selected for further assessment in the application stage - so if you spent money on this 'wonder course' you may not even be selected when they're whittling it down from the thousands of applicants to the few.

I do however keep a very keen eye (at least once a day) on one of their links (shown below) which is updated regularly, showing the different companies and whether they have any vacancies available ... A lot of you may already know of this site but if not, it's a good one to have bookmarked

http://www.traindriver.org/train-operators-depots--jobs.html

 

[BigLee]

I'm glad I saw this as I was going to ask a very similar question regarding this company.

I don't doubt it would be a helpful insight, but I suppose the knowledge they teach you will only come in to play if you're lucky enough to be selected for further assessment in the application stage - so if you spent money on this 'wonder course' you may not even be selected when they're whittling it down from the thousands of applicants to the few.

I do however keep a very keen eye (at least once a day) on one of their links (shown below) which is updated regularly, showing the different companies and whether they have any vacancies available ... A lot of you may already know of this site but if not, it's a good one to have bookmarked

http://www.traindriver.org/train-operators-depots--jobs.html

I get what you are saying here, but part of the 1 day course covers the application process. I had applied previously to trainee roles and failed. Having done the course I realised that not only was my original application poor, it was too much about me, and not enough about how great a train driver I would be for X TOC if that makes sense.
I guess all of the info it gives on the course is available in the books, but to go through it all with like minded people and openly discuss the process with some people who have failed assessments, gives much greater confidence for the next time an opportunity arises.
I did mine in Feb, and for me it was money well spent. I also learnt a lot about interview techniques that I'll use outside of railway applications.

Cheers

Lee

 

[W230]

... I also learnt a lot about interview techniques that I'll use outside of railway applications.

Exactly! It's about applications and interview techniques - any potential application has nothing much to do with railways at all. In fact i'm sure when I applied the only thing railway related was asking me why I wanted the job - and if you can't answer that then you're really stumped!

There's plenty of info out there on good interview techniques that stand the test of all fields of employment.

Maybe i'm a cynic but i'm always sceptical of these sorts of companies that offer to help get you the job. They nearly always have glossy websites with statistics saying things like "94% of people on this course went on to get their dream job in the railway..." blah blah blah and I always think - really? How do they know this? Do they pay a member of their team to constantly check up and contact all the previous people who have been on the course just to keep those statistics nice and high? No, I doubt it.

In my opinion the best way to get the job is go out there and find the information for yourself. Nothing like self motivation and ambition - it'll also show in interview. There is soooo much info out there on what happens and how and best of all it's all free!

 

[Bluebri]

Just reiterate what many have already said here, it is a white elephant, in my opinion. Sounds fantastic, looks great, seems plausible. However, as said above, where do they get their stats from on the success of their course attendees and how up to date are they if they are genuine?

When I started this process for myself, it appealed and I looked into it. What I determined for myself, was that they could not tell me any more than I could find out for myself here. The success of your application is down to the individual as is the interview. You cannot complete a one day 'magic' course and then just sit back and relax. The success of anyone attending these courses is most likely down to their own endeavour, in that they had the desire and liquid funds to attend the course, but I would assume that was all they really got. I will not doubt be corrected by someone who has done one of these 'magic' courses and they will wax lyrical about how much it helped them and the confidence it gave them. My answer to that, is it's horses for courses. If you absolutely feel a one day course will give you the confidence and insight to pursue this career, then go for it. For the majority, I would say, do your homework, put some effort in and save your time and money.

 

[BigLee]

Just reiterate what many have already said here, it is a white elephant, in my opinion. Sounds fantastic, looks great, seems plausible. However, as said above, where do they get their stats from on the success of their course attendees and how up to date are they if they are genuine?

When I started this process for myself, it appealed and I looked into it. What I determined for myself, was that they could not tell me any more than I could find out for myself here. The success of your application is down to the individual as is the interview. You cannot complete a one day 'magic' course and then just sit back and relax. The success of anyone attending these courses is most likely down to their own endeavour, in that they had the desire and liquid funds to attend the course, but I would assume that was all they really got. I will not doubt be corrected by someone who has done one of these 'magic' courses and they will wax lyrical about how much it helped them and the confidence it gave them. My answer to that, is it's horses for courses. If you absolutely feel a one day course will give you the confidence and insight to pursue this career, then go for it. For the majority, I would say, do your homework, put some effort in and save your time and money.

I agree 100%. I wouldn't say anyone who has done the course has any real advantage of someone who hasn't. For me it just sped up the learning process and pointed me in the right direction on where to concentrate my research and practise. My last interview was with the MD of the company whilst playing golf (I hate golf!) so to go through the formality of railway recruitment was quite refreshing.
Like you say, those on the course, already had a good grasp on the industry and the application process. There were a few attending who in fairness, were a little naive to the whole thing, and I don't think would survive an MMI. I think they were the ones that thought the course was 'magic'
See it for what it is. It's like the film version of a good book. Covers all the bases and is quite enjoyable in its own right. But then you read the book afterwards and discover a greater depth of detail and understanding.

Lee

 

[Dan-FFDP-1990]

You were interviewed during a round of golf?! Now there's an interview I would happily take!

 

[danbarnstall]

As Bluebri has mentioned there is more than enough material on here for you to firmly grasp what is required. Trawling through page after page, thread after thread may seem a chore but trust me it is worth it. These are the experiences of 100s of would be candidates - and it's helped me enormously

The recruitment process is long and there will probably be set backs but do not let that deter you. Stay committed, put the graft in and eventually it will pay off

 

[HSTfan!!!]

I did the online course and it did help me with the application and assessments. How good the day course is, I don't know. I can add I am a trainee driver as a result.

 

[Beveridges]

Don't waste your money, they are only going to give the same level of advise that you can get on here for free!!

 

[The Snap]

Had the driver assessment today, never done it before. I read the prep material they sent me in advance, made sure I knew what to expect and practiced the things I wasn't familiar or confident with. I passed.

Cost me £0 and didn't do a one-day course...

 

[387star]

A similar company charges 30 odd to download a practise assessment but there are clearly cheaper versions of these tests

 

[Rooster]

I passed mine also yesterday at Doncaster , we're was yours at ??

 

[navydavy1968]

I did the course in 2009, and although it didn't provide any solid help, it was a good day out, and I did learn a few tweaks for my application. At the same time he came out with some time wasting advice that was not required in the end. In particular he drove the point that we all need to read a company's passenger charter, which you do not need to do at all.
He (the author of the books, who also ran the course) was informed that some of his answers on the mock tests were incorrect, and to this day I still see people complaining on this forum that answers are incorrect, so he's never thought to amend them...very poor.
All in all I think you don't need to do the course. It was a generic course (he probably ran one the very next day for ambulance driver!) that was slightly tweaked towards driving a train.
My advice to anyone on here is glean all the info you can by searching on this forum and other websites. Short of giving you the answers (and even then I've found most of them on here) most members on here will be very helpful in sharing their experiences. BE PATIENT and keep trying. You will get there in the end. Make your shots at the assessments count by forearming yourself with the info you need!

 

[SkinnyDave]

I never done the course but got most of the books and they did help me enormously!!
The application form DVD was a huge help

 

[TheVicLine]

I would have thought that 'read a company's passenger charter' was pretty good advice for your final interview. Why wouldn't you?
I certainly did and I know that both my interviewers made positive comments about this in their interview notes as I read their interview assessment comments when I passed out.

However I don't suppose that anyone would need to enrol on a course to work this out.

 

[theageofthetra]

Totally agree re the charter. Have as much knowledge as you can of the corporate structure & beliefs.