How many times before you got a job on the railway?

[mccabej04]

Hi guys I've been on this forum before, but reregistered because lost my details.

Any I was just wondering how long it took everyone to get a job on the railway? Asking this because I've been applying for Merseyrail over the last few years, you may have seen some of my posts (jon1). Each application I seem to get an interview had roughy 5 or 6 now with no joy. Each time they ring saying I am in the top percentage of candidates and will get back to me. Then go for more interviews then same again :/ Is this normal or not?

Thankyou for your replies in advance.

Jon

 

[Beveridges]

Must have been about 10 attempts at various rail jobs before I got on. I can remember applying for Driving jobs with Northern, DRS, Scotrail and applied for a Shunting role with GBRf and got turned down for the lot before the Interview or Psycho tests. I can't even remember what else I applied for but I was trying for about 6 months. I then applied for a Despatchers role with Northern and finally got it. A lot of that was luck.

 

[High Dyke]

Over the years i applied for many jobs, or put in letters asking about vacancies - most to no avail. First interview i had was nearly 30 years ago - for a painters job; it was a way in... Didn't get anywhere until about 1992 when i put in for a signalling job. Me and a work colleague both got an interview and he got the job; he did the training course and lasted about 6 months in the job before returning to bus driving with me - usual story of doom and gloom when he got passed out: "Don't know why you're coming here mate...they're closing the box next year or so..." Needless to say a new box was built at the location in 2005 and it is still signalling trains.

Didn't bother again until there was an advert in the local paper in 1999. Applied, got the job and started in 2000 on the railway...been on ever since.

 

[evoluzione]

First time applicant, Applied in October, DTM Interview November, Assessments in December, Strarted In January now two months into my driver training

 

[LCC106]

Applied for trainee driver in 2001, passed SCAAT, passed Glop with 100%, failed mechanical by 1 point. Applied October 2011, passed all tests and started training January 2012.

 

[TheEdge]

First application. Applied in July, started in October, hope to pass out tomorrow.

 

[AlexS]

Probably about 6-8 attempts. The one I eventually got just felt 'right' to me and I sailed through everything, there was only 1 position available as well.

 

[185]

Hi guys I've been on this forum before, but reregistered because lost my details.

Any I was just wondering how long it took everyone to get a job on the railway? Asking this because I've been applying for Merseyrail over the last few years, you may have seen some of my posts (jon1). Each application I seem to get an interview had roughy 5 or 6 now with no joy......

Jon

My story of Merseyrail..... Brought up on the Wirral, I applied

- About 4/5 times to Merseyrail in 1994-5 and all applications were turned down.
- Also made two applications to Merseytravel, for part time jobs in a travel centre, they interviewed me but did not get back to me.

So in 1996 I thought, stuff them. I applied once to GNER at Leeds, and once to GMPTE, Manchester.

- By September 1996, GNER had offered me a job as a Steward (CSA) working on perhaps the best train operating company in the UK at the time.
- The following year, GMPTE offered me a job as a rail planning officer overseeing quality standards, producing timetable posters & literature, projects... quite substantial reponsibility.

Five years later, whilst working as a conductor and I considered moving home to Merseyside. Even as a qualified guard, Twice Merseyrail failed to respond to my polite letters asking for a transfer.

My view of Merseyrail and Merseytravel? They grossly undervalue local applicants.

 

[Beveridges]

It looks like we have all got on the railway relatively easy (including myself), everyone here only needing to apply 10 times or less - to get our first job in the railway, and not just applying for "any job".

Of cause, once you are in the railway, it is then much easier to move into the job you really want. Getting on the railway in any role from the outside is by far the hardest part.

I heard of people who are strugging to get any "reasonable" payed job - sending hundreds of CV's out the door every month - yet still not getting on anywhere!

The IT Industry is another one that is hard to get into. I knew someone who had a First Class Honary Degree in Computer Programming and gave up after 300 applications and only getting 2 Interviews (Failures at that).

 

[mccabej04]

Thanks for the replies guys, not the only one then just have to keep going and hopefully

 

[GNER 373]

I've applied 6 times to be a Driver over a two year period and hit lucky, I start my training 8th April.

My job in the railway now was a first application that I was lucky enough to get. It was kind of a 'foot in the door' application but I've loved it for the last 16 months.

 

[TDK]

Applied off my own back with a CV and application form on a Monday, offered to an assessment on the Friday, passed it, DMI the following Friday and a medical the Monday for a start the following Monday after that as a trainee driver. This was a while back though.

 

[GB]

Thanks to a bit of nepotism about 10 years ago I applied once for my first railway job and started 4 weeks later.

Applied for GBRf a couple of years later and got as far as medical but it then all fell though (nothing to do with the medical). Applied for GBRF again (same location) another couple of years later and this is where I currently am to this day.

 

[ash39]

I've applied for about 5-6 different positions in the last year or so with Northern, TPE and East Coast. Got past a few initial applications but failed on online DSI tests. Other just plain rejection.

I'm young, and live in a good location for rail jobs (York), so I'll keep going. If it takes 50 times so be it!

 

[trentside]

I applied for 3-4 positions without success prior to getting my current job. My current employer were the only ones to acknowledge my application - and I left the assessments and interview feeling positive. I got a call a couple of hours later to advise me the job was mine. I'd just started to get down-heartened, expecting to be long term unemployed - so the timing was good for me.

Good luck to all those still trying, I hope success isn't too far away

 

[Nuttytoffee]

Hopefully first time entrant. Apllied August, had my medical 2 days ago. Should start April 8th.

 

[plastictaffy]

I've wanted to be on the railways since I could wipe my own backside. Applied to all TOC's just after I left school (1998, just after privatization) and got about 4 replies, telling me to come back when I was old enough.

To get the job I'm currently in (Trainee Senior Conductor with London Midland) took me 4 attempts to them alone. Never failed the assessment, just not got through the interview.
Also applied in the past for Virgin, EWS, (as it was) ATW, (twice) London Underground, Scotrail - even though I live in the Midlands. Also I've applied to First Great Western once, (after getting made redundant from the bus side of the company, and being virtually guaranteed a job, allegedly) and even applied for a Train Manager's job with SNCF!!!!!!
It's been a hell of a journey to get to where I am today, blood, sweat, tears , the lot.
I didn't even tell the Domestic Authority when I applied for this job, as I thought I wouldn't even get called to assessment. However I had to tell her when my conditional offer came through!!!

Nuttytoffee - who you starting with?? We have another intake with LM on that day - the day I start learning the ticket machines at New Street.

 

[RatMan]

I didn't even tell the Domestic Authority

..that's a good one Taffy, I'm gonna have to use that!

 

[JCLeeds]

The IT Industry is another one that is hard to get into. I knew someone who had a First Class Honary Degree in Computer Programming and gave up after 300 applications and only getting 2 Interviews (Failures at that).

Wow things must have changed since the late 90's / early 2000's, I found it very easy (though it cost a bit of investment). I had a 2:2 Arts Degree (totally non IT related) and had spent 4 years travelling or doing unskilled work; took a programming crash course that I paid for myself, was about £2k IIRC, and 3 months supporting myself with no income, that fed straight to an interview and got the job, first I applied for. So did most of my coursemates. After 1 years experience I could job-hop when I wanted according to what I fancied, plus jobs were very 'blaggable' at interview stage.

 

[Nym]

<smugMode>
Well, I applied for several companies schemes relating to the ATOC (Ex.BR) APEDS Scheme for Engineers, as well as some non-APEDS positions and prospective applications. Needless to say, not many of them felt the need to be polite enough to even reply to me, but two decided to interview me, I didn't even want to work for the first one after the interview stage, I think this came through in that I lost all intrest in doing well at the assessment. However, I got the other one that I'd applied for first...
</smugMode>

 

[Beveridges]

Wow things must have changed since the late 90's / early 2000's, I found it very easy (though it cost a bit of investment). I had a 2:2 Arts Degree (totally non IT related) and had spent 4 years travelling or doing unskilled work; took a programming crash course that I paid for myself, was about £2k IIRC, and 3 months supporting myself with no income, that fed straight to an interview and got the job, first I applied for. So did most of my coursemates. After 1 years experience I could job-hop when I wanted according to what I fancied, plus jobs were very 'blaggable' at interview stage.

If you can do so well in the IT Industry how come you want to join Northern? Surely you can get more money in IT if you can bag so many of such jobs so easily?

 

[LCC106]

It's not necessarily the money that matters. Consultants, for example, can charge anything from £250 to over £1000 per day. Money's nice but it's not the be all and end all. People have different motivations that are personal to them. Be a boring world if we were all in it for the same reason...

 

[Beveridges]

It's not necessarily the money that matters. Consultants, for example, can charge anything from £250 to over £1000 per day

Surely if you can take £1000 per day (so say £5000 per week, £260k per year) it makes sense to stay doing that, even if you find the job boring, as it means you will very quickly have enough money to not have to work again and be able to afford anything you want.

 

[332 > 444]

First try with ONE in '05 then '07 tried Heathrow Express and joined in '08

Tried again with then NXEA same time i applied for HEx, got to assessment stage but didn't attend due to sickness but by that time i finally got contacted for a medical at HEx....

 

[Monty]

I was offered employment after my second attempt, I had applied for a guard with SWT days after turning eighteen. I made it all the way to the interview stage too, but it was my first truely formal and professional interview and I think it showed, I was very nervous and I felt perhaps the managers conducting the interview thought I just had precious little life experience. So I went away, worked in a pub for two years and came back and tried again for a job as an RPI. I was fortunate enough to be offered the Job, did that for five years and finally became a guard early last year and haven't looked back since.

Never under estimate the usefulness of a degree from the university of life, that's all I can say.

 

[W230]

Applied several times to a variety of TOCs for trainee driver jobs all over the country but always got sifted. When I finally got short listed (by two TOCs at once) I went through the assessments/interviews and got offered a job by both. Typical.

For me getting past the paper sift was the most difficult bit!