I used to do Despatch for quite a long time until I moved onto Maintenance Depot Driving
What is the interview like I have done the trainee driver assessment with FCC but failed the dots is it at all similar?
The Interview can ask anything from "Describe a time you come up with a new iniative that has changed the way people do their work", to "how would you deal with disabled passengers" to "what safety aspects are there on a Despatchers role".
What do you do on a night shift?
Apart from obviously Despatching the night services, you can be organising the despatch of ECS moves which can keep you busy. Depending on the role or location you could have a radio where control gives you instructions based on alterations in the unit formations that make up certain rafts of ECS.
If the late service is late/cancelled you might have stranded passengers that you have to get home via organising road transport ( Taxis or Busses ) with Control (And you have to prove to Control that it was the railways fault that these passengers were stranded by giving them all the details) and stating how many passengers there are going to each destination.
On Friday and Saturday nights, putting up with Drunks asking you where their train is, and not understanding a thing you tell them repeatedly.
Also, passengers (Drunk or otherwise) asking at about midnight when the next train to location X is, only for you to tell them that it's at about 06:00 in the morning!!
Where abouts in the pecking order are you?
Somewhere in the middle? Certainly not at the bottom but not too high up either.
Below a Station Supervisor, Station Manager (or any other Manager higher than Station Manager), Driver, Fitter, Conductor or Controller. Above a Porter, Cleaner, Cleaner Team Leader, Gateline Assistant / RPI, Trolley Staff, Rail Response Teams, 1st Class Hosts, and any agency staff.
How much grief do you get from the customer?
Occasionally, but not nearly as much as a Conductor I would have thought, and maybe not as much as a Driver might get when things go wrong. On a station you always got backup from the BTP and other station staff if there is too much trouble, while Drivers and Guards seem to have it worse when there is trouble as they are often in the middle of nowhere.
It is enjoyable at times but the shifts can make you feel very tired both at work and at home.
What are the pro and cons?
Pros - Relatively easy job most of the time, your main duty (despatching trains) is not exactly hard work, the work can be satisfying, getting to work outside is good in Summer (if your in an open station), most passengers tend to be OK, every day is different, shift work although bad is more forgiving than the shifts train crew have to work.
Cons - shift work, salary is not great for todays extreme cost of living, sometimes a lot of boredom waiting around with not much happening, can be repetetive, a lot of responsibility if you make one mistake you can cause a lot of delays, working outside in Winter, occasional abuse from passengers normally Drunks and Football fans they are the worst.
Also you sometimes get to work with other despatchers/station supervisors but it depends who you're on with, sometimes it can be a good thing sometimes bad.
Like with most jobs I've done, one day you can have a great day, then the next day a bad one.
What are the career prospects?
Normally very good especially if you want to be a Conductor. You can also go Driving but its harder to achieve, or work at a Maintenance Depot as a Fitters Mate training to be a Fitter. Also known a few to become a Station Supervisor.
.....but can also be manic trying to see two trains out at same time, and utter chaos during disruption, as you will be the centre of attention from customers.