Northern Trainee Conductor Assessment Day Sheffield

[darrenjpitman]

I recently attended Northern Rail Trainee Conductor Assessment Day on Tuesday 25th October and it went pretty well due to my preparation. Just a few days later, I have received an email saying I have met the required standard which is excellent news! However, they are unable to progress my application any further at this stage due to there being no more spaces on training courses They say they are going to keep my application on file for a maximum of 9 months and if a conductor vacancy in Sheffield arises they will contact me again. I guess this is good news Well, I have no problem with waiting of course as I am patient for the right opportunity and that's all good However, I can't help feeling nervous about all of this now as it was a dream to get as far as I did and to perform so well in the assessment day to then get told I had met the standard, but that now if 9 months passes and no vacancy arises, I must apply again. This approach is all new to me as I never came across anything like this before. I guess this is common place these days? I am interested in hearing other peoples' experiences so my question is:

a) How likely is it that a vacancy/course opportunity will arise within the next 9 months because I really want this job!
b) Anything else I can do about this situation such as to contact HR or am I best to sit tight and be patient and await that magical email or phone call to hopefully start?

 

[rhys37429]

are you willing to go to other depots or are you holding out for sheffield?
i ask this as this is how i gained employment on the railway.

 

[darrenjpitman]

Prefer Sheffield as this is where I live, but I can travel as I drive and own a car. Just a bit confused by the outcome of the assessment day as I didn't expect to hear back so quickly and on one hand I am delighted at meeting the standard, but what does it all mean going forward re: keeping my application for up to 9 months? I guess I am in some kind of reserve holding pool? Just awaiting course dates perhaps? Plus I have been reading about others who had to complete a SCAAT test and Group Bourdon test at their assessment days.... but at our assessment day, there was 4 of us and we didn't do these tests. Instead, we had to discuss our recent experiences of travelling with Northern Rail and all about what can be improved going forward. We all presented 1 idea each after a group discussion. Then there was an interview with example based questions and as I say on Thursday, just 2 days after this assessment day, I have received this email. I feel excited but uncertain all at the same time. That said, I have no issues in waiting a few months or so as this is the job I really want and yes Sheffield would be ideal though I am prepared to travel. I have a full time job at the moment so that is OK, though I am keen to start on the railways ASAP! I mean the email does say that if I apply for another vacancy, I have to submit another application to have the best chance of success. I guess I can keep looking for other conductor roles etc in the mean time. Just want to have some indication of what typically happens after receiving the email I received? Wonder how many wait 9 months and then application expires? Or is that rare?

 

[Bafferty]

I heard from a current Northern conductor when the advert first went up they ere recruiting straight away for the Doncaster positions and the talent pool for Sheffield vacancy. So you were always going to be in talent pool if accepted. Guy I knew on last intake was in talent pool for about 6 months before he got start date.

 

[darrenjpitman]

Cool! So there is a chance for sure by the sounds of things. Yeah, I tried applying for TPE last year and although passed all my online assessments and the telephone interview, still never got to the asssessment day. Was gutted and these conductor jobs not being advertised so often. I'm so happy to have got this far with NR, but now I really hope a vacancy develops within next 9 months! Is it worth me emailing HR to show how keen I am or shall I just sit tight and wait? I'm thinking an email would do no harm just to keep my name fresh in their mind. What does everyone think?

 

[TeaTrain]

Hello when I went for my conductor role with Arriva Trains Wales I did all the assessments etc and was also told that I had been put in a talent pool. It was just over a year before a position came up and they told me to go for my medical. It really is a waiting game now. It is very normal for tocs to do this. I would however drop an email to HR every couple of months to politely ask if they have any news on upcoming vacancies. I am lucky I did this as they posted for Holyhead Depot again and completely forgot about me!

Well done in getting to this stage and with a station like Sheffield I wouldn't be surprised if a position comes up earlier than that. It looks quite large as a depot. Good Luck!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Thanks TeaTrain and well done for making it yourself! How is it going at Arriva Trains Wales? I'm curious, how have you found being a conductor? Has it met your expectation? I believe Arriva are the company who operate NR? Strange because with NR, it appears they keep you in the pool for up to 9 months, but for you it was just over a year As you say, I am so happy to have done as well as I did particularly as this was only my 2nd interview/assessment for a job in the last 15 years! I felt I looked the part and came across well and prepared well for it so that's all I could of done at the end of the day. I realise that tocs seem to work this way and that's fair enough. Fingers crossed that a vacancy arises within the next 9 months..... I think I will drop HR an email to show I'm keen and see if there are any clues as to when a course may start etc. Like you say I wont bug them too often, perhaps just once every few months. Guess I just have to try and stay patient and calm and remain positive

 

[Spikeylado]

Hi,
I waited about 9 months for my course to start i was in a talent pool. My guess is they would have to wait for the next course to finish before they run another one. it is very frustrating i hope it works out for you as the wait is definitely worth it! It doesnt do any harm to contact HR once a month and find out where you are on their list, thats what i did with Arriva they were very helpful.
Good luck.

 

[TeaTrain]

Hey Darren. I actually left ATW to move to Manchester for personal reasons and no longer work as a conductor. Truth is when I applied I had no idea about working on the railway. I had never thought about it and decided to just whack in an application.

This is my personal opinion on being a conductor and I am sure it changes from depot to depot and toc to toc person to person. I didn't enjoy the job that much. The money is good of course but it wasn't enough to keep me there. Where I was there was no police or BTP that would be able to reach you within the hour on late shifts ( I only worked late shifts). This meant dealing with problems on your own whether it be medical or a fight on the train etc. Along the N .Wales coast a lot of the pax do not care for others or the fact they need a ticket. Shotton station is ridiculous for suicides and the list is pretty endless. Its not bad if its occasional but when you continuously see problems everyday at night it just becomes very negative.

I know many guards who love the job and have done it their whole life. But it wasn't for me. I would prefer to be a driver or work on the stations. I have passed all the driver tests and now waiting for a position to crop up for training in Man Pic. I may not miss that job but I miss the railway, colleagues, atmosphere and friendships I have made along the way. The sooner I get back the better!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Fair enough TeaTrain. I must admit I only considered Conductor in past 5-10 years and only began applying last year again due to personal reasons was not in position to apply years before. I currently work in a contact centre so deal with... shall we say challenging customers (to be politically correct) everyday. It is on the phone and I have found customers to be way more out of line than for example when I use to be a taxi driver working through the night! Obviously being a conductor will have its own degrees of challenges as you have outlined and I cant imagine it until I do it so hopefully I will enjoy it. Having worked in schools as a Supply teacher for many years, worked as a taxi driver for many years, and currently working in customer services on the phone for many years, all that experience will prove invaluable as a train conductor! Thanks for the insight

 

[TeaTrain]

Ah you will be fine. Most people love the job and it just IS a good job. It just wasn't for me. I also come from a background of teaching and security. It was normal to deal with some difficult people. But I guess I felt it was not what I wanted to do each and every night. Still in hope for that drivers position though!

Good luck with it and keep us updated on how it goes for you!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Thanks TeaTrain and best of fortune for yourself! I will be rooting for you to land a driver position!! Hopefully, 1 day our paths will cross

 

[darrenjpitman]

Hi,
I waited about 9 months for my course to start i was in a talent pool. My guess is they would have to wait for the next course to finish before they run another one. it is very frustrating i hope it works out for you as the wait is definitely worth it! It doesnt do any harm to contact HR once a month and find out where you are on their list, thats what i did with Arriva they were very helpful.
Good luck.

Thanks for the encouragement Spikeylado. Good to know that it worked out for you in the end! Out of interest, how are you finding the job? Which toc are you a part of and which station do you work from?

 

[Grae]

Hi and good evening
I had an assessment on 10/10 and was successful and put on hold ,
I had the call today and medical booked for November and a course date ( all being well ) of 4/12 , so it’s been very quick , I hope you hear soon

 

[darrenjpitman]

Hi and good evening
I had an assessment on 10/10 and was successful and put on hold ,
I had the call today and medical booked for November and a course date ( all being well ) of 4/12 , so it’s been very quick , I hope you hear soon

Oh wow! You had your assessment 2 weeks before me. Congrats on making the course! I'm sure the medical is just a formality. That is amazing, well done! Also gives me hope that being on hold is not so bad after all. Obviously, I was delighted to make the assessment and I felt I did very well that day, but I never had such experiences of being on hold before, so it's new territory for me and I didn't know what to make of it. Although I am working full time in another job, I'm obviously waiting with anticipation for the call to hopefully go for my medical and start training. I really feel ready to go! Your news gives great hope! Was it also for NR at Sheffield?

 

[Grae]

It wasnt for Sheffield no , it was carlisle , I hope you get some good news soon , I’ve had a couple of Medicals before and there pretty straight forward so not to worried about it

 

[darrenjpitman]

It wasnt for Sheffield no , it was carlisle , I hope you get some good news soon , I’ve had a couple of Medicals before and there pretty straight forward so not to worried about it

Very best of luck Sir!

 

[Spikeylado]

Hi,
In answer to your question i`m working for Arriva they have been great to work for so far i have no complaints! It will be interesting to see who gets the next franchise! The job itself looks amazing although im only just starting route learning so early days! However i have not met any conductors who dont like the job! Im ex prison service and retained fire service so i have dealt with most things tbf!
Hope you hear soon!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Hi,
In answer to your question i`m working for Arriva they have been great to work for so far i have no complaints! It will be interesting to see who gets the next franchise! The job itself looks amazing although im only just starting route learning so early days! However i have not met any conductors who dont like the job! Im ex prison service and retained fire service so i have dealt with most things tbf!
Hope you hear soon!

Nice one matey! And best of luck with it all. I take it you are currently on a course as we speak! So when I contact HR, is it OK to actually ask whereabouts on list I am? Is that not a bit cheeky? I basically contacted them recently and explained how I was really happy to pass the assessment and be on hold and just to clarify if there was a course in next few months I could be on. Their response was friendly and fairly general stating that I am on hold in a pool as such, and as soon as a course needs filling they will then turn to the pool. At that stage they will contact me. To me it feels like HR are keeping their cards close to their chest, but then who knows what the situation is? For all I know there may be 50 in a pool and only 10 conductors required over the next few months? Hopefully with it being for Sheffield and as such a fair size station, my chances will be greater.... I am trying to remain positive and hang on to all hope available

 

[Spikeylado]

Hi,
In my experience HR have always been approachable, they won't mind you ringing once a month and yes they do usually go off a list so it would be worth asking? I understand how frustrating it is waiting but when you get the call it's great! I'm on week 10 of my course and it's been amazing so far. I'm starting route learning next week and won't finish until Jan!
Good luck hope you get the call soon!

 

[jindivik]

i passed my interview/assessment back in January this year for Piccadilly, finally started in July, the waiting part sucks but give HR a nod once a month to keep your name around and you'll get on soon hopefully

 

[darrenjpitman]

Hi,
In my experience HR have always been approachable, they won't mind you ringing once a month and yes they do usually go off a list so it would be worth asking? I understand how frustrating it is waiting but when you get the call it's great! I'm on week 10 of my course and it's been amazing so far. I'm starting route learning next week and won't finish until Jan!
Good luck hope you get the call soon!

Thanks matey and best of luck going forward

 

[darrenjpitman]

i passed my interview/assessment back in January this year for Piccadilly, finally started in July, the waiting part sucks but give HR a nod once a month to keep your name around and you'll get on soon hopefully

nice one! I will certainly be doing that and thanks for the encouragement Btw well done on starting at Piccadilly! How are you finding it?

 

[jindivik]

nice one! I will certainly be doing that and thanks for the encouragement Btw well done on starting at Piccadilly! How are you finding it?

So far I love It! I had platform experience before this so fortunately knew what I was getting into, only reason I say that is because the training is quite intense, I really enjoyed training school though!! You get to make great friends with your training group. I'e been "passed out" for about 3 weeks now so am just over half way through route learning, so far this has been the worst part but even then it's not as bad as people say. The railway is a great environment to work in, pretty much everyone I've met have been really friendly and helpful! I hope your wait is on the shorter end of the 9 months and you get a start date soon

 

[darrenjpitman]

So far I love It! I had platform experience before this so fortunately knew what I was getting into, only reason I say that is because the training is quite intense, I really enjoyed training school though!! You get to make great friends with your training group. I'e been "passed out" for about 3 weeks now so am just over half way through route learning, so far this has been the worst part but even then it's not as bad as people say. The railway is a great environment to work in, pretty much everyone I've met have been really friendly and helpful! I hope your wait is on the shorter end of the 9 months and you get a start date soon

Thanks mate and best of luck in your new post!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Thought I'd update everyone as I have some wonderful news. Earlier today on Wednesday 17th January I got that magical call from HR to offer me a place on a course starting March 26th pending a medical! I can't tell you how happy I feel today and in fact I can't go to sleep such is my excitement. I can't wait to get started now, though I do need to pass the medical which I hope will be a formality After what has been a difficult 2017, this is the best possible start to 2018 I could of imagined. Just want to thank everybody who gave me advice and words of wisdom back in October and November. It really encouraged me and kept my chin up. Any further information anyone can give would be most welcome re: what to expect on training and also what I can do to prepare for it in the mean time. Thanks again

 

[Spikeylado]

Congratulations! It's great when you get that call!
As regards the training, there is very little you can do to prepare because it is so specialised and specific to the actual role! It's very intense and hard work but at the same time massively enjoyable.
Enjoy every minute of it I did!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Congratulations! It's great when you get that call!
As regards the training, there is very little you can do to prepare because it is so specialised and specific to the actual role! It's very intense and hard work but at the same time massively enjoyable.
Enjoy every minute of it I did!

Thanks matey. I am absolutely over the moon and cant wait to get stuck in now. Still got a few months of waiting, but what a great start to the year! Just out of interest how much time did you spend prepping at home? I am guessing there is an awful lot to cover and much revision is needed at home! Have you now started the role and where are you based?

 

[Spikeylado]

Hi,
I started in Sept 4th I've done all my exams and routes etc I'm just with my minder and will go live after next week.im based at Crewe with Arriva Trains Wales (great to work for)
You really can't prep for anything tbh as it's so specialised, but be prepared to have your head blown away with information and exams. My course was residential so away all week treated like a king!
It really is fantastic and a brilliant job you have made the right choice!

 

[darrenjpitman]

Hi,
I started in Sept 4th I've done all my exams and routes etc I'm just with my minder and will go live after next week.im based at Crewe with Arriva Trains Wales (great to work for)
You really can't prep for anything tbh as it's so specialised, but be prepared to have your head blown away with information and exams. My course was residential so away all week treated like a king!
It really is fantastic and a brilliant job you have made the right choice!

Fantastic stuff! Sounds amazing and good luck at Crewe and who knows, maybe we will bump into each other one day