Southeastern - Reapplying in future

[bouzitor]

I recently lost my job at southeastern as general purpose relief platform staff during probation after just 6 months of starting. Due to a couple of latenesses and a few mistakes. Tried to appeal but nothing came out of it. I’m kicking myself everyday for wasting such an opportunity because the pay was so good and the job was so simple (dispatch trains and do basic customer service) given the difficulty to land a job in London nowadays even as a Tesco customer service. Does anyone if I apply again in like a year time, they would consider giving my application a chance if I come clean with the circumstances of my termination at the interview stage? If you got one of these railway jobs, trust me hold onto to it and do be like me.

 

[traintee]

I would guess they would already be familiar with you at the next interview already, wouldn't they?

 

[Horizon22]

Do you mean reapplying for Southeastern again in future?

I would unfortunately find it very unlikely they would be interested in hiring someone that they removed after failing probation - whatever the specific issues were, they were- in their opinion - not resolved satisfactorily enough to keep you employed at Southeastern. There is enough of a pool of people to take from for such customer service roles for future vacancies. Also when you say "coming clean", the HR and hiring team would already know all the details, either factually via the process you went through, or through word of mouth so I don't think that would have any weight. Sorry to be brutal, but just trying to be open and realistic about your chances.

At least you appear to have taken stock and no doubt this will be a (steep) learning experience for your future employment.

 

[Rab Smith]

I recently lost my job at southeastern as general purpose relief platform staff during probation after just 6 months of starting. Due to a couple of latenesses and a few mistakes. Tried to appeal but nothing came out of it. I’m kicking myself everyday for wasting such an opportunity because the pay was so good and the job was so simple (dispatch trains and do basic customer service) given the difficulty to land a job in London nowadays even as a Tesco customer service. Does anyone if I apply again in like a year time, they would consider giving my application a chance if I come clean with the circumstances of my termination at the interview stage? If you got one of these railway jobs, trust me hold onto to it and do be like me.

It's very difficult to get back into the rail industry if you have left before, for any reason.

Trying to get back into a Company you were let go from though would be nigh on impossible. I would think that if they were to do background checks, your name would definitely pop up and negatively impact on your application.

Saying that, you aren't barred from the railway due to failing a D&A or an instant dismissal so you would be free to apply to other companies.

 

[bouzitor]

Do you mean reapplying for Southeastern again in future?

I would unfortunately find it very unlikely they would be interested in hiring someone that they removed after failing probation - whatever the specific issues were, they were- in their opinion - not resolved satisfactorily enough to keep you employed at Southeastern. There is enough of a pool of people to take from for such customer service roles for future vacancies. Also when you say "coming clean", the HR and hiring team would already know all the details, either factually via the process you went through, or through word of mouth so I don't think that would have any weight. Sorry to be brutal, but just trying to be open and realistic about your chances.

At least you appear to have taken stock and no doubt this will be a (steep) learning experience for your future employment.

I appreciate your open insight. Yeah I was asking for future roles in like a year or two time, obviously I’ve heard stories of people going back to the same company after the first time didn’t workout, then be successful after. You’re absolutely that the talent pool for such roles is actually immense.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 10 Jan 2026 ==

I would guess they would already be familiar with you at the next interview already, wouldn't they?

Yeah probably, but it wouldn’t always be the same interviewing people at face to face interview stage. But yh I do think a quick background search on their database would flag me up

 

[NSEWonderer]

Better off applying with other train companies.

 

[RJ]

It's very difficult to get back into the rail industry if you have left before, for any reason. Trying to get back into a Company you were let go from though would be nigh on impossible. I would think that if they were to do background checks, your name would definitely pop up and negatively impact on your application.
Saying that, you aren't barred from the railway due to failing a D&A or an instant dismissal so you would be free to apply to other companies.

I know of quite a few people who were dismissed who have gone on to work for other TOCs, but these people were all based in or near London where there are a lot of options to choose from, might be a bit more tricky to achieve this if deep in Kent. It's also not known how much they disclosed during the recruitment process - nowadays with zero hours contracts being in fashion it's easy to plug gaps in CVs and not declare employment that went badly.

The old timers will always advise new starters to behave themselves during the probation period (after which it takes a "special" kind of talent to actually get sacked), and on the railways they tend to give you quite a lot of rope before actually getting rid. I've only been around for a small 16 years but in that time seen people come and go during probation, often being unwilling to shake bad habits with poor attendance, or wanting the job/location/shifts changed to suit them and screaming about getting the union to sort management out. Once it becomes clear they have their own ideas about how to approach the world of work, one can only stand back and watch the fallout.

Might be best to find another line of work if this ever happens.

 

[Ellwill]

Knowing Southeastern reapplying will be more difficult than it's worth for a station based role. Since they seem to outsource gateline completely to agency these days it appears they just don't bother sifting through their talent pool for new staff; I've been waiting in it more than a year now...