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London Midland Platform Assistant/Dispatch

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GMCK

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Good afternoon.

I am fortunate enough to have been invited for an interview for the above position after successfully passing the assessments earlier today- has anybody got any experience in this role or could anyone share some advice for the day?

I'm expecting the usual scenario type questions...

Thanks in advance,

GMCK.
 
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BMoore

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Hey there, I've recently got the same job but for NR so I imagine it would be the same.

My interview was mainly competency based 'can you give me an example' etc. The focus is on safety, teamwork, customer service so try to remember some times you have had to work as a team to achieve a common goal, when you have devievered excellent customer service.

There are several threads on how to answer competency based questions and using the STAR method, this link should be useful

https://www.vawizard.org/wiz-pdf/STAR_Method_Interviews.pdf

As I said safety is the main priority, especially when dispatching trains, I remember one of the questions I had being about rules and would you break the rules, obviously the answer is you wouldnt break the rules.

Good Luck
 

hsharma25

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Hi
I too got an invite to attend an interview after todays assesment. One thing that puzzled me a bit was the talent pool part. Did she say that the top scoring individuals would be selected for interview and the rest placed into a talent pool for future vacancies!? Does that then mean that there are a few vacancies tonbe filled currently and the rest of the candidates that passed would be held on file for the future.

Wonder if thats what you made of what she explained?
 
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GMCK

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BMoore,

Fantastic response, thank you! I’m in aviation at the moment so there’s some fairly good commonalities between the two roles that will hopefully come in useful!

Any pro’s/con’s about the job at all?

Cheers!
 

GMCK

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Worcestershire
Hi
I too got an invite to attend an interview after todays assesment. One thing that puzzled me a bit was the talent pool part. Did she say that the top scoring individuals would be selected for interview and the rest placed into a talent pool for future vacancies!? Does that then mean that there are a few vacancies tonbe filled currently and the rest of the candidates that passed would be held on file for the future.

Wonder if thats what you made of what she explained?

Hsharma25,

I think it was you I was talking to on New St after we'd left 102?

If so, congrats! I think they will probably select the best scoring candidates from yesterday to put through to an interview, and if everybody got good scores they would prioritise the highest scoring people first, and then work their way through the list.

It'll be interesting to see how many spaces are available in the pool and when they expect to recruit. Of course when we do our interviews, it'll no longer be London Midland either!!
 

hsharma25

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Yes we did speak whilst leaving 102 and you made your may towards New st.

I guess they will clear things up at the interview but from what i make of it some vacancies are to be filled immediately and the rest of the candidates that reached the benchmark score will be placed into talent pool.

Best of luck for the 13th Dec, gonna start doing some prep next week...need to research about the new company thats taking over as the franchise would hve changed hands by the time of interviews.
 

BMoore

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I guess the pros are the travel perks I think as LM employees you will have unlimited travel on LM and if you want to buy a season ticket you get a 75% discount (well at least I do at NR) but tbf as long as you have a chat with the guards and don't piss em off you can normally hitch a ride, don't just jump on and expect thou

The only cons really is shift work, at new street we have to do nights but I knew that when I signed up so not a con per say

Being frank, this is the easiest money I've ever earnt, as long as you have common sense you will be fine
 

GMCK

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Yes we did speak whilst leaving 102 and you made your may towards New st.

I guess they will clear things up at the interview but from what i make of it some vacancies are to be filled immediately and the rest of the candidates that reached the benchmark score will be placed into talent pool.

Best of luck for the 13th Dec, gonna start doing some prep next week...need to research about the new company thats taking over as the franchise would hve changed hands by the time of interviews.

Me too, I will probably try and focus more on WMT really over LM as I guess by then London Midland will not be relevant as such, just the fact we've learnt some info!

Let's hope we both make it through! :)
 

Thedispatcher

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The dispatch job has quite high turnover as people tend to stay for only as long as they need to before becoming a driver or guard. I do the job at the moment and it has its ups and downs. You are quite exposed and at the sharp end when it goes wrong however it’s a great challenge and a brilliant start in the rail industry.

The talent pools are there to build up a list of candidates because the jobs will come up.

Which station are you applying for?
 

hsharma25

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Worcester but not sure if its a talent pool or they are looking to fill some vacancies immediately and keep rest of the candidates in a talent pool. I have an interview in a few weeks so will find out more then i guess
 

Thedispatcher

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My understanding is that it’s a talent pool however I believe a couple of people are due to leave before long.
 

hsharma25

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The lady from HR at our assessments mentioned that successful candiates will be placed into a talent pool but the highest scoring individuals would have interview on 13th dec. thats what makes me think some jobs need filling presently rest will be in talent pool. I was lucky enough to get through to interview.
The staff you believe are due to leave soon are they based in Worcester?
 

Thedispatcher

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I don’t know for sure so please don’t quote me on anything. All I saw was the online advert which only said talent pool.
 

hsharma25

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I understand fully, to assume anything other than what the advert said would be foolish.
I’m just gonna prepare for the interview properly and see what happens after that.

Any tips on the kind if questions that are asked? I’m guessing it competency based with focus on safety, following rules and teamwork.
 

Thedispatcher

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Yes, it’s much the standard railway competency based interview, but it has been a while since I did it .
 

hsharma25

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Fair enough
Can’t imagine they will look to focus on things other than safety, rules, teamwork and customer service skills.

Thanks
 

RLC85

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Good afternoon.

I am fortunate enough to have been invited for an interview for the above position after successfully passing the assessments earlier today- has anybody got any experience in this role or could anyone share some advice for the day?

I'm expecting the usual scenario type questions...

Thanks in advance,

GMCK.
Hi I also have a interview for the 13th December. I was at the assessment on Friday at 1200.
 

amateur

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What to people find appealing in this particular job?
It's not particularly glamorous. You have to work shifts, outdoors in all weather conditions, and put up with passengers bemoaning about delays.

So what attracts people in wanting to become a dispatcher?
 

Thedispatcher

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What to people find appealing in this particular job?
It's not particularly glamorous. You have to work shifts, outdoors in all weather conditions, and put up with passengers bemoaning about delays.

So what attracts people in wanting to become a dispatcher?

The answer is money, and the fact that eventually I’ll move on to something that isn’t a Dispatcher.
 

tsr

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Some people do the platform staff / dispatcher job for longer than they anticipated. Generally these tend to be fairly hardy souls who do not feel the need to complain about snow / rain / wind / puke / luggage every five minutes (although the odd moan is only to be expected on the railway...). They are also the people who get on well enough with most of the public, don't want to lock themselves away in a driver's cab, and manage to somehow make ends meet sufficiently. I've worked with more people who've given it up for a better income than those who have abandoned it simply because they didn't like it very much.

I've known some cracking station staff who've been dispatching trains for decades, equally I have also known people to barely make it half way through the first day of training. Each to their own, really!
 

RLC85

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Can’t be any worse than serving in the army. Done this job before several years ago and live the rail industry
 

amateur

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I've known some cracking station staff who've been dispatching trains for decades, equally I have also known people to barely make it half way through the first day of training. Each to their own, really!

You need to be thick skinned to put up with vomit urine etc.

Why do people throw the towel in even before completing half a days' training?
 

tsr

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You need to be thick skinned to put up with vomit urine etc.

Why do people throw the towel in even before completing half a days' training?

Back when I did station staff roles (a while ago now), the duty station manager doing the first bit of the training was a very personable but also very tough railwayman, who had lived through the usual calamities which befall the metals of the London area. From the word "go", he started telling tales about suspect packages, fatalities (with the clear message "if this upsets you, we will not judge you for going home now..."), disruptive passengers and suchlike. Yet despite all the "deep end" stories, the person who went home the soonest was the person who couldn't stay awake long enough to fill in the paperwork. Some people just aren't cut out for taking a safety-critical role seriously, or any job which involves a decent level of concentration and commitment. I have no doubt some of the early dropouts also find it hard to get work anywhere else, to be fair.

As for the vomit, urine and so on - my take is that you come to expect it, though you can never quite get used to some of the disgusting stuff you see. If I am feeling a bit mean, I can get most of my friends and family to cringe within one or two sentences when telling tales about the job (other tales notwithstanding). :lol:
 

Bromley boy

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Some people do the platform staff / dispatcher job for longer than they anticipated. Generally these tend to be fairly hardy souls who do not feel the need to complain about snow / rain / wind / puke / luggage every five minutes (although the odd moan is only to be expected on the railway...). They are also the people who get on well enough with most of the public, don't want to lock themselves away in a driver's cab, and manage to somehow make ends meet sufficiently. I've worked with more people who've given it up for a better income than those who have abandoned it simply because they didn't like it very much.

I've known some cracking station staff who've been dispatching trains for decades, equally I have also known people to barely make it half way through the first day of training. Each to their own, really!

Yes absolutely. You hear far more moaning from drivers, in my experience, usually for the silliest of reasons.

The dispatch staff at my location are cracking and range from new entrants to people who are semi retired, with diverse previous careers, doing it to pass the time. Interestingly, in my experience, there are more rail enthusiasts amongst the dispatcher population than there are amongst the driver population (although most enthusiast-drivers wouldn't ever admit to liking trains in the mess room!).

The people skills/putting up with endless questions/moans is a key part of the dispatchers' job. I have no idea how they put up with what they do. I'm far too impatient and enjoy my ability to walk away/slam my cab door/shut my window on people who are too distracting (or who are obviously behaving as pr*cks<().

It's not a job I would want, or be able, to do myself so I take my hat off to them for doing it!
 
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Economist

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The dispatch staff do a very important job, I must admit I don't know how they have the patience to deal with some of the travelling public though...

Regarding the leavers, I've never really worked out myself why people would give up after such a short period of time. A couple on my driving course have apparently left of their own accord, one went for another career, the other I saw with their phone a lot...

Unfortunately, there are often a minority who don't make it through training due to ability and it is that group I really feel for.
 

Bromley boy

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Never really worked out myself why people would give up after such a short period of time. A couple on my driving course have apparently left of their own accord, one went for another career, the other I saw with their phone a lot...

Your statement is possibly more relevant to trainee drivers?

Generally I would agree, there’s a big gap between the living some people believe the world owes them, and the reality.

The rules course was like being back at school, £30k+ for 0900-1500 (but you had to pass the exams!). You’ll still get some special snowflakes who can’t cope.

Most people who moan on the railway, particularly old school drivers, don’t realise what it takes to earn an equivalent or better salary outside the industry.
 

amateur

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Is there high staff turnover amongst despatch staff? At my local station I regularly see new faces. So I wonder whether people get fed up very quickly, and jack it in.

I think it's the vomit puke urine that I'd find toughest to handle. Then the weather (cold/rain) and nights/shifts. And then the people bemoaning.

With people complaining you just regurgitate the regular stock answers with regards to delays and cancellations.
 

pitdiver

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A number of years ago I managed to get a job with silver link as a Booking Clerk. After ten years with a LUL most of them in the Booking office I had little problems with the training. However on my first day of station training I had to do a late turn at a silver link stn. The booking clerk who was resident there was not very good at training but he obviously thought I could cope as he buggered off early and left me up a creek without a paddle. Remember this was my first time in an actual National Rail B/O.
Well I thought if this how the training is completed I'm not going to bother.
It took Silver link about 18months to contact me and invite me to an absence interview. I never attended.
 

amateur

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I'm not exactly sure what the above post has got to do with working as a dispatcher
 
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