Merseyrail job advice.

[Sedativehighs]

Hi. I've been interested in working in the rail industry for a while now and I recently asked a guard what would be the best way for me to apply for a job with Merseyrail. He instructed me to go to the website and there should be a list of regularly updated jobs there. I checked it out and the careers page just tells you to send them a cv/covering letter. Does anybody know if any individual posts are advertised anywhere externally now or should I just send my cv?

Additionally could anybody give me some advice on a good entry level job to apply for or some tips and advice on what I should include in a covering letter and any advice on what I might possibly be asked in an interview?

Thanks in advance.

Al

 

[Alan508]

Hi Al to be honest I think that you would be better off sending in a CV and a Cover letter to Rail house. Merseyrail do from time to time advertise in the local newspaper's .. The daily post or Liverpool echo.

 

[185]

Generally they recruit guards externally about once or twice a year. The advert appears on the top left of the careers page under Current Vacancies. As far as I know, they always advertise all external jobs on there.

Assessment day at Rail House is very busy, but relaxed - usually the three exams (maths, rules and the concentration test) are in the morning, and if you make it through those, then a group exercise and two interviews (one customer service, one dealing with unexpected situations) in the afternoon.

If no guards jobs come up, going initially for a booking office or barrier job is advisable, the pays not too bad and it's a fairly easier way into the guards job, as you will then certainly have experience to answer the guard interview questions.

Good luck, and keep checking the top left of the page on
http://www.merseyrail.org/careers.html

 

[Sedativehighs]

Thanks a lot for the replies.

I wasn't really planning on going for a guards job right now to be honest, I was thinking more about cleaning staff or something more easily attainable but yeah I'll keep my eye on the website, thanks again both of you.

 

[ChrisTheRef]

Your best option is just a CV and covering letter. That's how I got mine.

Vacancies do appear online, but if your CV ticks the right boxes, you won't miss out

 

[First class]

I strongly suspect that jobs may not be as forthcoming as previously over the next year or so.

Rather large internal (promotion/sideway) movements took place last month. I think about 15 new station staff actually come on to the stations tomorrow morning. About 20 guards have also joined with a second school starting later in the year.

The only cleaning staff are On Board Cleaners which work 10 hr day shifts all week, but most are part time but lots of overtime. These are fairly well staffed at the moment. The other jobs are Carriage Cleaners which do the heavy (nightly) cleaning internal/external work usually at Kirkdale TCD (no PTS) or Birkenhead TMD (pts trained). Both are currently managed by the same person, but the position is vacant and at the moment interviews are taking place to find a manager. Once a manager is appointed then it is likely positions may become available.

Individual positions are advertised when jobs are available. Your CV will just be kept on file if they like it and entered into the sift when the positions are available.

You may be better looking to Northern Rail though as I suspect Merseyrail could see some very major changes over the next few years.

 

[Sedativehighs]

Thanks for the replies fellas. It's extremely informative for me.

 

[Monster49]

What kind of changes do you forsee happening within Mersyrail? I heard something about Oyster cards being introduced which Im thinking would probably lead to job losses etc? Perhaps not the best time to start working for them I guess!

 

[First class]

What kind of changes do you forsee happening within Mersyrail? I heard something about Oyster cards being introduced which Im thinking would probably lead to job losses etc? Perhaps not the best time to start working for them I guess!

ITSO Cards are already present in their thousands on Merseyrail, the readers have been installed at all barriered stations, just unused

A couple of reasons why retail (station) staff won't go anywhere until at least 2028:

1) Sub surface fire regulations
2) The Franchise Agreement, (all stations within PTE area to be staffed)
3) General risk assessment/safety concerns
4) MtoGo (deliveries, stocking, paperwork etc)
5) Revenue Protection
6) Customer Assistance (disabled too...)

etc etc.

I imagine it would be the operations/traincrew side to be seeing the major changes over the next couple of months-years. New trains in 2017 are pretty much going to HAVE to come by then at the latest, (latest mumblings involve China building sort of "flat pack" stuff and shipping over).

Vertical Integration recently got abandoned too, so probably some "project managers" will be moved elsewhere.

Stations will be fairly safe for the foreseeable future, however, the job is the hardest and the lowest paid (compared to traincrew/revenue protection).

 

[Monster49]

Great thanks for the info!
So it seems that station staff is prob the safest option.
I was actually hoping to apply for the guards side of things as I would quite like to drive the trains.
do you know if these new 'flat pack' trains will have guards on them? I would hate o get 2 years down the line and find myself outta work :cry: