A career as a signaller

[Sinistah]

Anyone know what boxes a relief arundel signaller would cover?

Same for Dorking?

 

[Sinistah]

Sorry to the guys that had unsuccessfuls for arundel and dorking by the way. I too have been in that position way to many times and am still awaiting that day when I get offered a job. It’s really tough but hang in there ladies and gents

 

[Sinistah]

I am intrigued as to what a roughly average day is like as a signaller.
What's your first job when you arrive for your shift? What are your colleagues like? Are there any differences between the nature of your work when you work nights/days?

Tom Quinine, your post gives me hope they if you keep working hard at it, you'll get there in the end. Cheers!

go visit a box bro. I’ve visited 2 so far and gives you an insight into the role

 

[Dannygee]

Anyone know what boxes a relief arundel signaller would cover?

Same for Dorking?

Arundel, Littlehampton, Bognor, Barnham, Chichester.

Dorking, no idea sorry.

 

[Sinistah]

Arundel, Littlehampton, Bognor, Barnham, Chichester.

Dorking, no idea sorry.

Thank you mate really appreciate that

 

[nom de guerre]

Same for Dorking?

Dorking Reliefs cover Dorking (G4), Littlehaven (G1/2), Reigate (G3), Whyteleafe (G1/2) and Oxted (G6).

A reasonably interesting mixture of crossing boxes, lever frames and NX...

The Arundel area had already been mentioned a few pages upthread. Easily found via the search function

 

[Sunset route]

Weren’t the Arundel and Dorking releif jobs that were just advertised for meal relief, is so then they won’t be covering all the signalling locations as the GP relief as not all locations qualified for meal breaks.

 

[Tom Quinne]

I am intrigued as to what a roughly average day is like as a signaller.
What's your first job when you arrive for your shift? What are your colleagues like? Are there any differences between the nature of your work when you work nights/days?

Tom Quinine, your post gives me hope they if you keep working hard at it, you'll get there in the end. Cheers!

Day turn:
Arrive about 0615 grab a drink and ready yourself for the day ahead - empty your balder etc.

Go onto the ops floor for 0630.

Get the handover from the night man - faults or failures overnight, any line blocks that are on etc.

Sit down in the hot seat, take five minutes to get a handle on what’s going on in your own mind.

Check the days line blocks, emails etc

Then deal with whatever happens during the day.


Night turn:
Pretty much as per day turns depending on the day of the week you could have anything from zero to six T3 possessions on your panel.
You’ll be checking limits of each possession, any trains that are having the possessions taken round them, what signals they need stopping at to permit this. Any outstanding of passenger stock etc.
Liaising with PICOPS to assist them with their possessions.

Nights can be mad busy or dead quiet all depending on where you are, the day of the week and what’s going on during the day.

No two days are the same on this job, but it is what you make of it.

 

[Southernsig]

Kettle on before anything when I walk into the box!

 

[Ross Shearing]

Cheers Tom. Are you aware of how the LOM selects those for interview? I’ve been told that sometimes it is a first come, first served basis? I’m determined to get away from what I’m doing now and with a friend already doing a signaller role I know it’s the one for me. I am hopefully popping up to one of the ROC’s if my mates LOM gives me the thumbs up to have a look round.

 

[TRain87]

Cheers Tom. Are you aware of how the LOM selects those for interview? I’ve been told that sometimes it is a first come, first served basis? I’m determined to get away from what I’m doing now and with a friend already doing a signaller role I know it’s the one for me. I am hopefully popping up to one of the ROC’s if my mates LOM gives me the thumbs up to have a look round.

LOMs select the interviews based on your scores from your tests. Usually it's about 5 people interviewed per role, so you need totbe in the top 5 scores.

 

[Ross Shearing]

Thanks TRain87. I guess my online scores met the bench mark but just aren’t high enough compared to others.

 

[GingerRH]

I made 36 before I got offered two jobs in 10 days...took 5 years, in that five years I sat and passed (level 3) the paper based Signaller assessments and had three interviews including the two I was offered.

It’s a very very long road but it worth it believe me !

36 jobs applied for? Jesus.

Applied for 1 and got 1..

 

[Ross Shearing]

I’ve missed out on three so far, a grade 8, a grade 9 and the Arundel relief one which must have been a popular one because of the variety and relief payment. I’ll keep going because I need this sooner rather than later!

 

[Tom Quinne]

36 jobs applied for? Jesus.

Applied for 1 and got 1..

They were all before the current system mind, back when recruitment activitly told you to apply for as many jobs as you could get selected for a Assessment - once you had that you’d “bye” to the interview selection stage.

I was applying for jobs all over the place, I’d only apply however for higher grade jobs.

The current system seems very poor considered to the former one.

 

[Saracen_83]

Applied for 3 signaller roles, 1 unsuccessful 2 pending.... new to applying for the rail and hoping I’m successful sooner rather than later!!!!! Really want this career, so just a case of perseverance

 

[GingerRH]

They were all before the current system mind, back when recruitment activitly told you to apply for as many jobs as you could get selected for a Assessment - once you had that you’d “bye” to the interview selection stage.

I was applying for jobs all over the place, I’d only apply however for higher grade jobs.

The current system seems very poor considered to the former one.

Interesting.

What makes you think the current standardised online tests are substandard to the old assessment days?

 

[Southernsig]

Interesting.

What makes you think the current standardised online tests are substandard to the old assessment days?

The biggest one for me is that there is no guarantee that the person applying for the job is the person who did the tests! On the assesment days ID was requaired.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Interesting.

What makes you think the current standardised online tests are substandard to the old assessment days?

With the old paper based assessments you knew where you stood, once you had them they were valid for 10 years.

You knew that part of the process was finished, so it was down to the hiring manager to decide who went forward to interview.

The current system is pretty much a case of start again with each and every application, you could be invited to interview for a grade 9 one month, and fail to even get a online assessment for a grade 2 the next, there doesn’t seem to be any logic to it.

The new set up is all about reducing cost to the company, do as much as you can online before you have to spend any money.

I assume they had 1000s of people with assessment centres passes which would clog up the interview stages for jobs.

The original 10 year period was reduced to 2 years in 2015 I think, not long before they scraped them together.

 

[Tom Quinne]

The biggest one for me is that there is no guarantee that the person applying for the job is the person who did the tests! On the assesment days ID was requaired.

Exactly, you could get your Mensa Level intellect mate to do the test for you, butcthe actually candidate could be as thick as two short planks.

 

[Sinistah]

I’ve missed out on three so far, a grade 8, a grade 9 and the Arundel relief one which must have been a popular one because of the variety and relief payment. I’ll keep going because I need this sooner rather than later!

Exactly, you could get your Mensa Level intellect mate to do the test for you, butcthe actually candidate could be as thick as two short planks.

With integrity and conscientiousness being a big part of the role I would hope know one does that with the tests

 

[uww11x]

Luck of the draw I think for this. So far I have applied for 2 boxes, Turned down for Interview on the 1st one and then got an interview for the 2nd one which I couldn't attend due to work commitments. On my third one now and sat on application under consideration for assessment 2.

 

[Big_43]

Hello everyone. Long time reader, first time poster here. I recently applied for York ROC position, got the message that I have reached the required benchmark for the assessment and that they will contact me shortly. That was more than 2 weeks ago.

Could anyone advise if I still have any chances as I have not heard anything from them?

 

[uww11x]

Hello everyone. Long time reader, first time poster here. I recently applied for York ROC position, got the message that I have reached the required benchmark for the assessment and that they will contact me shortly. That was more than 2 weeks ago.

Could anyone advise if I still have any chances as I have not heard anything from them?

Depends on the LOM. Some are quick and some are slow. I wouldn't worry about the wait.

 

[edwin catflap]

Hi do you mean this text, OA Barnsley SB (107175) G4, is that not the Department heading the recruitment and not the role itself?

 

[Sinistah]

Hi there guys,
I had two applications turn to assessment scheduled without having an invite to an interview. Has this happened to anyone BEfore as I’m sure you get an interview email at “pending invite to assessment 2” and then when you reply to the interview email it turns to assessment 2 scheduled

 

[Southernsig]

Hi there guys,
I had two applications turn to assessment scheduled without having an invite to an interview. Has this happened to anyone BEfore as I’m sure you get an interview email at “pending invite to assessment 2” and then when you reply to the interview email it turns to assessment 2 scheduled

Just call HR to find out when the interviews are, its no biggie. I would imagine either the interview emails are on their way out shortly or yours hasnt delivered for whatever reason. A quick phone call will sort it!

 

[Sinistah]

Just call HR to find out when the interviews are, its no biggie. I would imagine either the interview emails are on their way out shortly or yours hasnt delivered for whatever reason. A quick phone call will sort it!

Done that they have no clue. Your right though the emails haven’t been sent out yet

 

[Southernsig]

Done that they have no clue. Your right though the emails haven’t been sent out yet

As usual with the railways then its just a case of sitting tight! And as for HR not not having a clue that doesnt surprise me!

 

[linnet_ranger]

I need to have a good look at my CV. After 17 years in the financial services industry I think my CV doesn't go anywhere near close enough to helping me in securing an interview for the role of a Signaller.

Any tips folks? I know at the moment that compared with ex-services people I am going to struggle to impress on paper. Thoughts welcome.

P.s. just read this back and wondered if this is better off posted in the Pre-employment discusson forum rather than here.