Railway job V 'Normal' job

[amateur]

Surely the posters/contributors on this forum shall be bias and not representative of the public at large.

I'm sure there are plenty of librarians, doctors, nurses, anthropologists, researchers, actors, sales rep, physiotherapists, software engineers..you name it who wouldn't dream of leaving their job for the rail industry.


Each to their own I say. Plenty of spongers out there who could apply for a job at their local station, but the rail industry isn't their cup of tea. So would rather consider something else which tickles their fancy..,or carry on claiming

As with any job familiarity breeds contempt

 

[GB]

Our lot are quite reasonable and flexible when it comes to work. Providing you have done what you need to you can go home regardless of how many hours are officially left on your work day....there aren't many days where I don't make it home before my official book off time! Of course the reverse is also true if things go belly up...you would be expected to stay on and see the job through as far as is reasonably practical.

Company issued ipads can be used during down times too which is always handy.

Can't imagine many companies outside the railway would be quite like that.

 

[red2005]

Surely the posters/contributors on this forum shall be bias and not representative of the public at large.

I'm sure there are plenty of librarians, doctors, nurses, anthropologists, researchers, actors, sales rep, physiotherapists, software engineers..you name it who wouldn't dream of leaving their job for the rail industry.


Each to their own I say. Plenty of spongers out there who could apply for a job at their local station, but the rail industry isn't their cup of tea. So would rather consider something else which tickles their fancy..,or carry on claiming

As with any job familiarity breeds contempt

Na don't buy that! (bias)

if there is one thing I could tell you about railway staff is that they are very honest and if they think any part of the job is garbage they'd tell you and certainly wouldn't let a small thing like "bias" come in to it!

no one can speak for the whole public we can only speak as we find and what the majority of us have found from what we have experienced from weighing up the good and bad is that we would be stupid to go elsewhere!

what the Railway is..is very unique in terms of the conditions etc and It's employees (even the ones that moan from time to time) know how lucky we are!

personally I think a lot of the "public at large" have spoken quite loudly when over 100 of them (minimum) apply for lots of the jobs advertised! speaks volumes to me!

yes there are plenty of people who wouldn't leave their jobs for the railway! but what you will find is most of the people who have posted on here have been out there in the real world and have experienced "normal jobs" and that is what their opinion is based on! so I truly believe bias has absolutely nothing to do with this thread!

"spongers"?...........really?........that's a terrible example to choose when most "spongers" as you call them wouldn't work if they were offered a 35 hour 2k a week job let alone the railway!

 

[Minilad]

Having done proper jobs and railway jobs I have to say railway wins. But as a railway geek I guess that would always be the case. But I can honestly say I love my job and wouldn't want to go back to anything I have done before

 

[muz379]

Surely the posters/contributors on this forum shall be bias and not representative of the public at large.

I'm sure there are plenty of librarians, doctors, nurses, anthropologists, researchers, actors, sales rep, physiotherapists, software engineers..you name it who wouldn't dream of leaving their job for the rail industry.


Each to their own I say. Plenty of spongers out there who could apply for a job at their local station, but the rail industry isn't their cup of tea. So would rather consider something else which tickles their fancy..,or carry on claiming

As with any job familiarity breeds contempt

I would agree if everyone here had only ever known the railway , but as I said I had a management job in retail before this and the railway is far better in my opinion . I am also a graduate and jobs in the field I graduated in also wouldn't compare to working on the railway .

I know of a few former police officers who I work with on the railway , I know of one guard at my depot who was a nurse in a former employment . I know of a fair few people who have worked in retail like me .

I know there are other industries out there where people will no doubt enjoy their jobs as well and there is nothing wrong with that its not for everyone . But one of the things I enjoy about the railway is there is no requirement for formal qualifications of any kind so its a great mix of people from all different backgrounds .

 

[amateur]

Having done proper jobs and railway jobs I have to say railway wins. But as a railway geek I guess that would always be the case. But I can honestly say I love my job and wouldn't want to go back to anything I have done before

My point exactly ...the majority of posters on this forum are going to be railways geeks (as you put it)..so you are going to have a bias response. THe OP has to ask people on other forums eg lawyers/bankers/dentists/priests/techies or even on mumsnet whether you want to give up your day job to work on the rails ....99% would say no.

 

[richie26188]

My point exactly ...the majority of posters on this forum are going to be railways geeks (as you put it)..so you are going to have a bias response. THe OP has to ask people on other forums eg lawyers/bankers/dentists/priests/techies or even on mumsnet whether you want to give up your day job to work on the rails ....99% would say no.

You're wrong there

I came from a 9-5 job in the financial sector a few months ago as a conductor and couldn't be happier. Sure the hours are at times a little more anti social but my shift pattern all in all isn't too bad, I can easily balance my family life around it. The long weekends every few weeks in my eyes more than make up for the loss of a few Saturdays. (Sundays are optional in my depot and paid as overtime).

Wage wise there isn't a great difference between what I was on in my old job and what i'm on now but the job itself is far less stressful, I wish i'd have made the move years ago. Almost everyone i've spoken to who have made the switch from an 'off the street' job onto the railway say the same. TOCs take a kicking on here but alot of it is unjust, those who grumble the most tend to be the older generation who know nothing other than railway work.

The professions you've listed there like Dentists and Lawyers are high end well paid jobs which for economic reasons would cloud judgement.

 

[amateur]

You're wrong there.

TOCs take a kicking on here but alot of it is unjust, those who grumble the most tend to be the older generation who know nothing other than railway work.

The professions you've listed there like Dentists and Lawyers are high end well paid jobs which for economic reasons would cloud judgement.

Well you're in the 1% then. And had you become a conductor at 18 perhaps you would be grumbling now too and considering a career change or doing something freelance. Familiarity breeds contempt.

Cloud judgement - well of course if you make the jump from retail to rail (again only a small (bias) sample) youre gonna love it. Pay is over double. You need to gauge the opinion of those from ALL walks of life ....not just those who earn less/similar than on the rails. And not just those who post on this forum. Which is again a bias sample.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And you're also forgetting the people like you who quit finance and went for a career change into writing and are completely happy in their new position. Not " everyone" wants a career change to the rails .... Perhaps just "everyone" who posts on this forum (and some of your colleagues)

 

[Bluebri]

You're very wrong

My point exactly ...the majority of posters on this forum are going to be railways geeks (as you put it)..so you are going to have a bias response. THe OP has to ask people on other forums eg lawyers/bankers/dentists/priests/techies or even on mumsnet whether you want to give up your day job to work on the rails ....99% would say no.

You're very wrong. Having been in active discussion with a large number of people on this forum as well as another railway forum, about obtaining work on the railway, the overwhelming majority have had employment elsewhere prior to joining the railway. Not sure if many were geeks, as you put it, either. I am 41 and have been in work since I was 16 having done many different roles with a wide variety of employers. I only started applying to the railways last year having never considered it before and am lucky enough to be starting a career on the railway in November. I will happily post on here from time to time to let you know whether I enjoy it and how it compares to my other jobs. You are entitled to your opinion of course, but sweeping generalisations don't exactly back up what you are saying. My other point is that it would serve no purpose for the op to go on 'other'forums to ask doctors, lawyers, bankers etc about where they think their jobs are better than jobs on the railway. For starters, the majority of those jobs are vocations and secondly, the vast majority of goods will have done nothing else sport from their job they do now. That would hardly give an objective opinion and would be inherently more biased than an opinion from someone who had had any other employment and now works on the railway, geek or not.

 

[Greenback]

This topic isn't about whether people are happier on the railway or not. It was started as a comparison of the OP's jobs in terms of how much free time they have or had in each.

Of course, as this is a railway forum, I'd expect there to be a higher rate of job satisfaction expressed for rail work in comparison to other roles. I'd be surprised if it were otherwise, given there are quite a few employees on here, and a significant amount of others who either have worked in the industry or want to.

 

[Albatross]

I worked in local government before coming on the railway and it was considerably better in every aspect except pay, which to be fair is the reason I go to work so I'm not unhappy with the move.

I came and went as I pleased in my last job, flexi time, to the point where if I'd had enough in any given day I'd just go home.

32 days a year leave and very little restriction on when I could take them and if there's one thing that drives me mad on the railway it's trying to get a day off without putting in for it 6 months in advance.

Half the day I'd wander around talking to mates and drinking tea.

All that said I'd imagine since the recession and local government cuts that things have probably changed vastly.

 

[Flamingo]

The thing I like most about the railway is that (in my role, anyway) you get paid from when you book on until you book off.

Having worked in a profession before this where working over time was the norm, and overtime was like the Loch Ness monster (everybody had heard of it, but nobody had ever seen it), this was refreshing!

Regarding my colleagues and what they did before the railway, there are a good few ex HMF, several nurses, paramedics, shop managers, chef's, hotel managers, pub managers, civil servants, factory workers, miners. While we all get good days and bad days, the only people I have known leave as guards are for another job within the railway (or retire).

 

[notadriver]

Are there any of you who do a railway job and still do a 'normal' job as a sideline too ? I drive coaches (my previous job) not sure if it's a normal job but I'm looking for something that doesn't involve driving so much as a hobby job if I'm honest. Sometimes the bus/coach driving feels too similar to the main job.

 

[muz379]

Cloud judgement - well of course if you make the jump from retail to rail (again only a small (bias) sample) youre gonna love it. Pay is over double. You need to gauge the opinion of those from ALL walks of life ....not just those who earn less/similar than on the rails. And not just those who post on this forum. Which is again a bias sample.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
And you're also forgetting the people like you who quit finance and went for a career change into writing and are completely happy in their new position. Not " everyone" wants a career change to the rails .... Perhaps just "everyone" who posts on this forum (and some of your colleagues)

I jumped from retail to the rail industry , but if I had stayed in the retail industry purely from an economical point of view I would have been better off in the long term . At the time I left I was earning a few grand a year less than I am now , but if I had stayed there for 2 years I would have earnt about the same . And if I stayed even longer assuming I was promoted in line with everyone else at the company my earning would have far exceeded what I earn now .

I also graduated with a Law degree , so had I followed the traditional path from that I could have far exceeded earnings working on the railway . However not everything is about money . There are some things that I can put a very real value on like the how UN-stressful my job is now , and the rest days that I get .


Gauging opinion from speaking to people from all walks of life at my depot , that means ex coppers , teachers , nurses , truck drivers , firemen ,retail workers , tradesmen a few ex driving instructors and many others . I dont know of anyone that I work with who has left another industry and regrets making the move .

I do know of people outside of the industry who would not want to make the move because of the shifts , or because at the moment they have a job where they dont deal with the public and they wouldnt want to deal with the public . and that is fair enough for them .

 

[red2005]

My point exactly ...the majority of posters on this forum are going to be railways geeks (as you put it)..so you are going to have a bias response. THe OP has to ask people on other forums eg lawyers/bankers/dentists/priests/techies or even on mumsnet whether you want to give up your day job to work on the rails ....99% would say no.

well that is absolute rubbish for a start!.....if you want to talk about percentages I think you'll find that a very small percentage of railway employees on here are actually " railway geeks"

yes they may have an interest in the job but not all posters on here are stood at the end of a platform taking numbers off trains every weekend!.....I had a long standing interest in joining the railway as it was common knowledge that it was a very secure career with excellent prospects once you are in!......I have stayed here as there are more topics about the industry than just "spotting"

there are topics on here that have information regarding issues that may affect the safe running of the network, things to make the job easier, job opportunities and union issues! I don't think making sweeping generalisations like that strengthens you're "point" that bias is the reason most people on here say it is a better industry than a lot of others!

personally I have worked in 2-3 different sectors now and a lot of the other roles I have carried out (which were very popular roles) as a whole package in terms of job satisfaction, hours, holidays, wages etc do not come close!

I can only imagine that you certainly do not work on the railway!

 

[amateur]

I didn't mean railway geeks literally. just people who have an interest in the rail industry. Otherwise you wouldn't apply for such a job in the first place. Some people won't be able to tolerate the working hours/shift patterns, having to work outdoors in all weather conditions (where applicable), having to stay late due to unforeseen circumstances, so those kind of people would leave the 'cos they can't tolerate the working conditions/environment.

 

[Greenback]

I didn't mean railway geeks literally. just people who have an interest in the rail industry. Otherwise you wouldn't apply for such a job in the first place. Some people won't be able to tolerate the working hours/shift patterns, having to work outdoors in all weather conditions (where applicable), having to stay late due to unforeseen circumstances, so those kind of people would leave the 'cos they can't tolerate the working conditions/environment.

Not everyone who applies for a railway job has an interest in the railway. For many people it is just a job, they are not enthusiasts by any stretch of the imagination.

There area lot of people who will apply for any job going, regardless of whether they have an interest in or passion for that industry. Some do go on to develop an interest once they join, of course.

 

[red2005]

I didn't mean railway geeks literally. just people who have an interest in the rail industry. Otherwise you wouldn't apply for such a job in the first place. Some people won't be able to tolerate the working hours/shift patterns, having to work outdoors in all weather conditions (where applicable), having to stay late due to unforeseen circumstances, so those kind of people would leave the 'cos they can't tolerate the working conditions/environment.

Na wrong again mate!.......that's just like saying everyone that goes to Uni plans a career in the subject in which they choose to study!....when in reality we know that isn't the case and a lot of the people do it just to get certain letters written after their name!

before I joined the railway I had no real interest in it apart from the solid career that it is for Mr average who doesn't have A-levels coming out of his ears!.....and since I have been here I can safely say that most people are here for the same thing!.....in most industries people who aren't fussed about the work or the hours or any other aspect of the job will move on pretty sharpish!.......you tell one of the few people currently working on the railway who genuinely dislike the job why they haven't left yet and I bet they'd tell you " hey I'm not happy but I'm certainly not stupid"

yes you have the people who would probably come in and do the job for free but each to their own everybody has to have an interest don't they!.....what you forget is that there are so many roles within the railway and it isn't all about drivers and guards and unsociable hours!.....there are lots of roles within the industry where the hours are very sociable and there is a really strong line of promotion and progress!

you mentioned all of those other industries earlier which I admit probably do make very good career choices! but what I will say is one of the directors at my place started off sweeping platforms and emptying bins at stations which on the railway in terms of hours and salary and general conditions is still a very good job indeed.....but I ask you.....in how many other industries regardless of how hard you work could you find such a line of promotion where the limits are genuinely endless??

the proof is in the pudding chap.......most people leave the other industries to come to the railway!.....how many people go the other way?

 

[amateur]

The point I'm simply trying to make is that there are many people who go from normal job A to normal job B, and are quite happy in normal job B, happy with hours, don't have to take their work home with them etc. (but we'll never hear their opinions because they would never venture onto this forum).

 

[Greenback]

The point I'm simply trying to make is that there are many people who go from normal job A to normal job B, and are quite happy in normal job B, happy with hours, don't have to take their work home with them etc. (but we'll never hear their opinions because they would never venture onto this forum).

But this discussion isn't about who is happy in their job or not, it's a comparison of one person's experiences in the retail and rail sectors.

I'm sure there are people who are just as happy in retail or wherever. That's not the point here and in any case, it isn't a scientific survey investigating whether the percentage of people satisfied with their railway jobs is higher, lower or the same as those in other careers.

 

[red2005]

Exactly.......we can only talk about what we have experienced otherwise it'd just be hearsay or incorrect info!

like greenback said this is just a comparison conversation and from what I've read so far people are far happier with working for the railway! nothing to do with bias....just experience

 

[Bodiddly]

The point I'm simply trying to make is that there are many people who go from normal job A to normal job B, and are quite happy in normal job B, happy with hours, don't have to take their work home with them etc. (but we'll never hear their opinions because they would never venture onto this forum).

I can see the point of view you are trying to come across with, not everyone wants to suddenly leave their job to take on a railway position. But I do think you are missing the point of the original post I made. My post was about how work can and does, take over your day to day life. I was working horribly long hours to get my job done because I was struggling with my workload. It certainly isn't all Rosie working on the railway but the T&C's are clear and there is support from colleagues to make sure you aren't grossly overworked. I come to work and IMO, work very hard for my wages. Last time out I did in fact finish with the railway industry because I was feeling very under motivated in the role I had taken. I have absolutely no regrets in leaving that job because I was stagnating. I also feel very lucky to have returned to the railway after 5 years out.
I also see your point of this being biased, it is a railway forum after all! What I have no doubt about though is if I was to pitch the railway as a new career to someone in a stressful job, I would at least have them interested in a career on the railway.

 

[notadriver]

Well if we are comparing - how about this statistic :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-workers-train-driver-pilots-soldier-on.html

Train drivers are amongst the least likely people to take sick day. That surely says something about job satisfaction.

Also more here :

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/sickness-absence-in-the-labour-market/november-2008/sickness-absence-from-work-in-the-uk.pdf

 

[Clip]

Lets remember not everyone who works on the rail way has set booking on/off times

And whilst I could say that at times it can be really **** no matter what your day has been like tomorrow will be vastly different. And that appliesz to all jobs.

 

[BantamMenace]

Any project managers here that can comment on the holiday flexibility with Network Rail. I hope to gain a place on their graduate scheme next year and my better half is a teacher so we can't take a holiday at any time but school holidays. I expect most of my 'projects' will be delivered during school holidays though with it being quieter on the railway.

 

[muz379]

Lets remember not everyone who works on the rail way has set booking on/off times

Even for those of us that do have set booking on/off times things can go completely wrong and then that booking off time could pass with you miles from home on a broken down train with a load of angry passengers

 

[red2005]

Even for those of us that do have set booking on/off times things can go completely wrong and then that booking off time could pass with you miles from home on a broken down train with a load of angry passengers

and it is times like that which is the reason we get paid what we do!

 

[Minilad]

Well if we are comparing - how about this statistic :

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...s-workers-train-driver-pilots-soldier-on.html

Train drivers are amongst the least likely people to take sick day. That surely says something about job satisfaction.

Also more here :

http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/...2008/sickness-absence-from-work-in-the-uk.pdf

Despite what many commuters think I reckon a lot of that is down to the fact that train crew actually try very hard to keep trains running. And don't like to think they are letting people down. OK there will always be a few "bad apples" but in the main I think that is at the forefront of most train crews mind.
This is particularly obvious in times of really bad winter weather when often its only trains that keep running and the train crew go to great lengths to get in to work. Unlike many others that just have a snow day

 

[455driver]

I used to work with a bloke that marked his future 'sick' days in his diary!

These were carefully chosen so he didnt break any of the companies policies on sickness.

 

[Minilad]

I used to work with a bloke that marked his future 'sick' days in his diary!

These were carefully chosen so he didnt break any of the companies policies on sickness.

Floating sick days I believe they are called in certain circles!!