Tigerned371
Member
I’ll see your there!!!! Myself and Kinglewood are on that course. I must say, Westwood looks very nice.
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A career as a signaller
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endofthetunnel
Member
There’s a few of us on the forum from the first and second ‘Future Opportunities’ intakes. Most of the info is on here but to summarise:
(I’m in the 2nd intake so haven’t actually started yet but know what the process is)
-Application is fewer questions than normal but requires more detailed answers
-Online tests are different to the SHLs but not too bad (I explained these recently if you search for my posts)
- Virtual scenario interview is recorded questions of things that you don’t know in advance, but just need to react and make decisions and explain them. Very simple really just take your time and listen to what the situation is.
- normal signaller style interview, ours were virtual due to covid
The signaller roles are just normal roles and you are just a normal signaller. The difference is you don’t apply for a specific role at the start of the process, you start your employment with a nominal location for a year and then have to apply internally for your forever job within that year. It can be any grade job within the area and they’ll strongly suggest which ones you might want to apply for, but until you get the forever job it’s a grade 2 salary. I believe there are people on the first intake who got their forever job in the first few weeks of sig school.
Until you get the real job I’m told you’re just visiting boxes, shadowing, visiting control, MOMs etc - you’re not a part of the roster in your nominal location it’s just a temporary base.
Amanda
Member
- Joined
- 5 Mar 2018
- Messages
- 197
It's been a while since I last posted in here, I kinda let things be for a while after getting rejected for every signalling job I applied for.
Anyway today I applied for this one: Signaller - Future Opportunities (grade 2)
Firstly, only 8 questions - bonus! But the sort that reeeeally required a lot of deep and meaningful thought. (Not that the usual 70 questions don't, but I think I'd got used to them.) Took me ages to fill them in.
The last 2 questions were asking you to choose the locations that were commutable for you. The specified the commute should be no longer than an hour, which is the first time I've seen that mentioned as a specific policy. As the vacancy is for
... the first list was North Staffordshire, Derby, North London, and Leicester. Maybe Oakham too. So I opted for Derby and Leicester, since I live just north of Nottingham.
The second list was everything in Lincolnshire. I didn't answer it because they are all over an hour away. But then it wouldn't let me finish without choosing an option!! So I put Sleaford and Lincoln purely because they are the nearest to me but they are both about an hour and a quarter from me and I would not be prepared to do it regularly, plus it goes against Network Rail's own policy. Considering the vacancy goes all the way west to North Staffordshire and all the way south to London, I doubt I will be the only one in this boat but I think they are going to have a lot of people saying they can work in Lincolnshire when they can't.
Anyone else had this issue??
Anyway today I applied for this one: Signaller - Future Opportunities (grade 2)
Firstly, only 8 questions - bonus! But the sort that reeeeally required a lot of deep and meaningful thought. (Not that the usual 70 questions don't, but I think I'd got used to them.) Took me ages to fill them in.
The last 2 questions were asking you to choose the locations that were commutable for you. The specified the commute should be no longer than an hour, which is the first time I've seen that mentioned as a specific policy. As the vacancy is for
| "North Staffordshire, Sleaford, Boston, Lincoln, Market Rasen, North London, Derby, Oakham, Leicester" |
... the first list was North Staffordshire, Derby, North London, and Leicester. Maybe Oakham too. So I opted for Derby and Leicester, since I live just north of Nottingham.
The second list was everything in Lincolnshire. I didn't answer it because they are all over an hour away. But then it wouldn't let me finish without choosing an option!! So I put Sleaford and Lincoln purely because they are the nearest to me but they are both about an hour and a quarter from me and I would not be prepared to do it regularly, plus it goes against Network Rail's own policy. Considering the vacancy goes all the way west to North Staffordshire and all the way south to London, I doubt I will be the only one in this boat but I think they are going to have a lot of people saying they can work in Lincolnshire when they can't.
Anyone else had this issue??
Amanda
Member
- Joined
- 5 Mar 2018
- Messages
- 197
Some poor sod in Lincolnshire is going to get really excited at all these potential recruits they are never going to have!
High Dyke
Established Member
The future opportunities vacancies is basically as it sounds. Nothing fancy, just normal signaller jobs. As has been mentioned before, Network Rail are needing to recruit extra signallers, as part of the new fatigue management standard being introduced - some have recently secured jobs as part of this. Network Rail are now also looking at 'age profiling' to identify possible vacancies within the next few months/years as signallers retire. This has seen 'future opportunities' for grade 1 - 8 signallers in the East Midlands/Linc's area. Other routes/ regions will probably have identified similar requirements. There may also be some external recruitment for Lincolnshire shortly, as part of the current re-org process for that area.
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High Dyke
Established Member
Not if it means I'm the "poor sod" getting overtime to cover. Lol.Some poor sod in Lincolnshire is going to get really excited at all these potential recruits they are never going to have!
Tom Quinne
On Moderation
- Joined
- 8 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 2,225
Taking of overtime, two weeks and I’m leaving the relief link to settle into my last 22yrs as a resident 
To be honest the 4% really isn’t worth the hassle of not knowing what your working the next week anymore.
Hardship being there is a run of 5 turns if you include the Booked Sunday in the resident link, saying goodbye to 3 on, 7 off generally in the relief link.
To be honest the 4% really isn’t worth the hassle of not knowing what your working the next week anymore.
Hardship being there is a run of 5 turns if you include the Booked Sunday in the resident link, saying goodbye to 3 on, 7 off generally in the relief link.
Rab2018
Member
thanks for all the replies, very helpful. I'm in Lincolnshire so i would love to be the poor sod.
Congratulations, you can actually plan your life in advance instead of just from the Thursday, how are you going to manage?Taking of overtime, two weeks and I’m leaving the relief link to settle into my last 22yrs as a resident
To be honest the 4% really isn’t worth the hassle of not knowing what your working the next week anymore.
Hardship being there is a run of 5 turns if you include the Booked Sunday in the resident link, saying goodbye to 3 on, 7 off generally in the relief link.
pocketjacks
Member
Well done!
If I may, was it 8 questions around the NTS values?
I’m interested in the structure of the interview, did you have a set time to answer the questions?
Did you have to talk about yourself too?
All the best and fingers crossed for you
No not to do with NTS values.
3 questions, 20 secs to read, 1 minute to think and 2 minute answer. The questions were about yourself, give an example when etc...
Almost impossible to prepare for, just try to think of any examples you could use, that’s probably the best advice i could give.
Thank you, and good luck to you aswell!
Hi Praase, i'm in the same boat, start on 7th Sept but don't know yet which training school, hopefully Glasgow as itsonly half an hr away, where did you apply for?
Glasgow would be perfect! Where are you heading? Was told by the hiring manager during interview that there were no Signalling courses running there though, unless it’s changed?
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I'm going to Barrhill, middle of nowhere! No courses at Glasgow? my LOM wasn't sure at my interview, he was hopeful it might be Glasgow but that was about 5 weeks ago my interview. Hopefully i've been lucky as something must be arranged as i have my start date. When was your interview?
It was mid July- I’m sure I was told it would be either York or maybe Basingstoke.
Onboarding said I would only get a start date when a course was arranged so there must be something in the pipeline for you in September!
Brilliant! Yeah it looks amazing to be fair!
Oh well hopefully you'll hear soon then, i interviewed 3rd July and got the call saying i was successful on 13th then just last week got my start date of 7th Sept so notice handed in straight away at work.
Thank you, fingers all crossed
Good luck with your start and school wherever it may be!
MoaningOldGit
Member
Good Evening Everyone. I'm considering applying for a signaller role. It will be a complete career change at 49!
Any advice?
Thanks.
MOG
Any advice?
Thanks.
MOG
Signaller2020
Member
Over the moon to be able to say I am a week away from starting employment with Network Rail. After being on a reserve list for a couple of months following a past interview, I was eventually offered a position of pool signaller based at Cardiff SWCC on a FTC.
Still waiting for final confirmation of signal school location and date but to say I am excited is an understatement.
This thread has been a great help through the process - thank you to those who regularly input to help potential signallers such as myself.
Good luck to those starting signalling school shortly, and also those who are just starting their recruitment journey.
Still waiting for final confirmation of signal school location and date but to say I am excited is an understatement.
This thread has been a great help through the process - thank you to those who regularly input to help potential signallers such as myself.
Good luck to those starting signalling school shortly, and also those who are just starting their recruitment journey.
Tom Quinne
On Moderation
- Joined
- 8 Jul 2017
- Messages
- 2,225
Ive messaged you.
High Dyke
Established Member
Evening. I appreciate this thread is rather long, but if you have the patience to read all the way through it then it should stand you in good stead for a job as a signaller.
Main thing is don't be afraid to apply.
Cheers and to youThank you, fingers all crossed
MoaningOldGit
Member
Thanks. I'm off to page 1!
I’m 49 and was offered a position earlier this year so it’s definitely do-able!!
SignalNewbie
New Member
Hi all. I applied for 2 signaller positions at the beginning of July one in Ridgmont the other at Wembley. I successfully completed the online tests on the 13th July and have heard nothing since. No thanks but no thanks and no offer of interview. I'm just wondering if this is usual at this stage or if I simply need to stop fretting and wait patiently for news? Any input is much appreciated.
Chumba
Member
- Joined
- 13 May 2019
- Messages
- 164
It took a couple of goes but I was offered a job at 51 as someone with no previous railway experience so it’s totally doable. As others have said read all the posts, the information is invaluable. The process has changed slightly due to current circumstances but learn the non technical skills, safety vision and life saving rules and thats a very good start.
MoaningOldGit
Member
Thanks for your post Chumba. I've completed the application & I'm now slowly working my way through this thread.