Qualified drivers changing company, have you done it?

[Owen T]

Hello just a quick question for anyone who has moved companies in recent years, Im wondering what the process is like from application all the way through really, as with most things on the railway it's difficult to work out the 'norms'...

• Was the job advertised or did you just ring up your chosen company and ask?

• Was the notice period adhered to?
(six months is a long time for a company to wait)

• Was there just a DMI? or some other process?

• Did you go straight onto full pay or have hoops to jump through for increments, such as route learning?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nuttytoffee]

I moved to Chiltern. I had sent a CV in via email and paper copy and rang them every couple of months to remind them I was interested. They rang me out of courtesy to tell me the job was to be advertised that day and I was welcome to apply as I had shown a keen interest.
They mentioned a deal may be possible to sort out an early release but in the end I served my full 3 months notice.
There was an interview with 2 driver managers. No rules or other tests, just a semi formal chat about myself, what I could offer, my safety record and why I wanted to work for them.
I went straight to full pay.
I also had an interview for Virgin around that time where their process was firstly role play with others in front of 12 managers and employees. Next 30 rules questions on a computer. Lastly the interview. They also gave me a look at the shift pattern and diagrams! After that they tell you the pay structure which was incremental and takes around 2 years to get to full pay.
All I can say is I am pleased with my choice.

 

[driver9000]

I sent in an application as normal for an advertised vacancy and filled in the ATOC transfer of safety critical information form (B1 I think it is). The interview was a fairly ordinary job interview with 5 or 6 simple rules questions thrown in for good measure. I also sat the SCAAT test purely because the company had that in the process for recruiting qualified Drivers. I served 4 of the 6 months of my notice through mutual agreement with my managers and I started on full salary from day 1 for my traction and road learning including learning routes I already sign as it turns out the route card doesn't transfer. This might have changed with the introduction of the EU licence.