Starting with northern in feb (Trainee conductor victoria )

[muz379]

First off id like to introduce myself , ive lurked here a fair bit in the past with applying for the role of trainee driver with northern in 2011 and now applying for and successfully being appointed as a trainee conductor .

Applied for this job back in October last year finally after a very long drawn out recruitment process I have got 3 shifts remaining at my current place of work and have been given a start date of the 3rd of February by northern . Will be based at Victoria with training in Bolton . Wondering if anyone else here is gonna be at that training course as well .
got my medical next Thursday and got till April to arrange references but im rearing to go now really looking for a challenge been a bit bored in my current job the past few months

Just wondering what to expect from training really how much classroom and how much out and about , when Will I get my uniform and all that jazz so if anyone who is currently a conductor with northern could chip in id be grateful .

Also to anyone else with a current open app with northern you really need to be patient , Their recruitment was slow as hell at the start and then really picked up pace towards the end . this is my experience from this app and a previous driver application in 2011 .

 

[hidden]

First off id like to introduce myself , ive lurked here a fair bit in the past with applying for the role of trainee driver with northern in 2011 and now applying for and successfully being appointed as a trainee conductor .

Applied for this job back in October last year finally after a very long drawn out recruitment process I have got 3 shifts remaining at my current place of work and have been given a start date of the 3rd of February by northern . Will be based at Victoria with training in Bolton . Wondering if anyone else here is gonna be at that training course as well .
got my medical next Thursday and got till April to arrange references but im rearing to go now really looking for a challenge been a bit bored in my current job the past few months

Just wondering what to expect from training really how much classroom and how much out and about , when Will I get my uniform and all that jazz so if anyone who is currently a conductor with northern could chip in id be grateful .

Also to anyone else with a current open app with northern you really need to be patient , Their recruitment was slow as hell at the start and then really picked up pace towards the end . this is my experience from this app and a previous driver application in 2011 .

Congrats!

This is reassuring, I applied for Wigan in October for trainee conductor, passed sif, online test, interview and assessments and I am now on hold as the job has been withdrawn. Fingers crossed something comes up soon, all the best for you

 

[Andrew32]

Well done mate

Just had my second interview for Skipton after been on hold for three months then in pool for five, praying I get on the next leeds course whenever that is.

 

[muz379]

cheers guys and Good luck , it really takes patience especially when its for a job you really want but its worth the wait in the end .
Even after being told Id passed me assessments before x mas and being given me offer I was starting to get nervous thinking something had gone wrong , then out of the blue I was at work one day and had a voice mail left on me phone to ring them back .

 

[Andrew32]

Hoping Skipton comes up soon, offered to work at Leeds in my interview to increase my chances.

When did they call you?

 

[muz379]

got the call last week 15th or 16th cant remember exactly which one was a mad busy week at work . But last time Id heard from them was like around the 20th January so it was approaching a month . then got my welcome pack with my contract etc on the 20th Jan .

also if you've offered to work Leeds in your interview id give HR a call / email to let them know if you haven't already because my experience is that the people who do the interviews dont always fully communicate everything with HR my uniform order forms where lost somewhere along the way after I handed them in at my interview as was requested .

 

[Andrew32]

HR know I asked to be considered for Leeds aswell.

The woman dealing with me at HR is lovely, she just asked me to be patient but couldn't guarantee a post coming up in my sixth month interview score period because Skipton is a small depot.

 

[muz379]

yeah the people at HR ive dealt with have been lovely , the time it takes them to do things is no doubt down to the number of applications and locations they are trying to manage . but ive no problems with the HR people themselves .

 

[Wolf]

Yeh I phoned up HR wanting to find out more info when I was put on hold at Leeds and woman I spoke to was really pleasant and helpful! I was asking about being considered for other depots other than leeds for and if that was possible since Id applied to leeds and she said yes but that my best chance was to stick with leeds, just keeping my fingers crossed like everyone else in same position right now!

 

[Andrew32]

Yes, stick with Leeds 142092, a few people have told me theres a course in March, don't know the date.

Before my interview a few weeks ago I emailed some called Laura from HR asking to be considered for Leeds and she told me that I had to tell the conductor manager who was interviewing me and not her as my interview notes were going to the operations manager.

When she told me I'd passed my interview on the 13th January she asked if I'd mentioned Leeds and I said yes, so hopefully she made a note of it as Leeds looks like the best bet this side of the hill, I was the only person interviewed for Skipton post but it took place in Leeds and both the conductor managers were from Leeds so who knows.

 

[Wolf]

yes well from what i've read on here the hopes for leeds inparticular are high! What she also did say which was quite reasuring is that putting it into context when you get to this stage they do want to employ you because they have invested time and money in you as well as you in them and anyone they didnt like would have, in northern's case had the knock back at the second stage of the process - i.e the DM interview.

 

[Andrew32]

Yes she said something similar to me and two be fair, they did give me a second interview when they could have said my score had run out so goodbye.

 

[MCR]

Wondering if anyone else here is gonna be at that training course as well .

Ill be on the same course


I was originally told i was starting in March...but things have changed.

 

[muz379]

Ill be on the same course


I was originally told i was starting in March...but things have changed.

Congrats mate look forward to seeing you there .

When is your medical / have you had it yet ?

 

[MCR]

Its on Wednesday

 

[muz379]

ahh good luck mines on Thursday , and see you a week on Monday for a corporate induction

 

[muz379]

Well im all ready now , just 1 more day of being lazy left . Got myself some new shoes yday and a few shirts seeing as I wear boots and get a uniform for my current job and I need something to wear thats smart till my uniform arrives . Also got my staff id and travel card today so im all ready to go on monday morning

 

[EssexGonzo]

Congratulations and good luck on your first day! I hope you love your new job.

 

[Andrew32]

All the best buddy, hopefully I'll be doing the same in the near future.

 

[muz379]

cheers mate im sure you will ,

just awaiting my drug test results now and I can relax that ive actually got the job

joining the ranks of the train commuter to get to my training as well , never regularly commuted by train before what with my previous job being close to home

 

[Withnailandi]

Good luck to you all. Just ask the guard if its ok to board if not using Northern.

 

[MrsSundayMorn]

Good luck to all those starting their first day tomorrow!

 

[sarahj]

Well, i dont know how it works on Northern, but this is how it happened for me on Southern about 7 years ago.

Week one was a welcome to Southern, sat in a class room with other newbies (drivers, cleaners and even some admin staff). Learning about southern, team building excersise's, customer service. We were measured for our uniform, which was collected on the friday. We were also given our staff passes, handing in the photo on day 1.
Week two we went to our resepctive training areas.
Part 1 was PTS. Learning, exam.
Then rules. This including basic learning of the traction. Exam at the end.
You will also get a commercial course, either after, or during the next section. This for us was a week in the classroom, and learning how to use the advantix.
Exam/Test at the end. TBH will cover the basics, others you will learn out and about, or by coming here,

You will then go to your depot and go out with a conductor instructor. During this time you will also be learning your routes, and be tested on them as you learn the. Dont fret to much, You will learn the routes in sections.
Then when all routes are done, you will have a train ride with a manager who will sign you off.

Then you will be passed out. You will be sat in the mess room, not yet placed in the roster, and then the PM will come in and say. So and so, can you work this train. And off you go.

You will then last 6-12 months, or 20-40 years.

Me, i joined at Christmas and was passed out by May.