A career as a signaller

[danners430]

Hello there everybody. I have read through the duration between interview stages for london and it seems to range from a a couple of weeks to several months from application to job offer. I was wondering how many stages are there as i have done initial 70 question screen, And have also completed the online assessments, to which i recieved an email on mid oct saying, "i am pleased to let you know your application is being considered further and i will be in contact with you again shortly."

My question is to anyone that can help me is how many more steps remain? is there a frouo assessment then a final 121 interview. Or is there a video interview then a face to face?

Also will recruitment reach out to me via phone or email for next step?

And finally how long would you recommend waiting for next step until i proactively follow up myself if i hear nothing back after this?

Thankyou to all those who reply and God bless

All of those questions have already been answered if you do a search through the thread

 

[Jetsetter]

Hello there everybody. I have read through the duration between interview stages for london and it seems to range from a a couple of weeks to several months from application to job offer. I was wondering how many stages are there as i have done initial 70 question screen, And have also completed the online assessments, to which i recieved an email on mid oct saying, "i am pleased to let you know your application is being considered further and i will be in contact with you again shortly."

My question is to anyone that can help me is how many more steps remain? is there a frouo assessment then a final 121 interview. Or is there a video interview then a face to face?

Also will recruitment reach out to me via phone or email for next step?

And finally how long would you recommend waiting for next step until i proactively follow up myself if i hear nothing back after this?

Thankyou to all those who reply and God bless

You’ll receive an email with an interview invite or an email with a NR letter attached telling you you’re application has been unsuccessful.

If successful you have an invite to interview currently being carried out remotely via your tablet or computer.

After interview it’s either a no or an offer.

Hope that helps.

 

[89jordanbj]

Thrilled to say I passed my final IST observation today

Managed to secure a permanent position whilst at IST also, can't wait to get into box and start the real work whenever that may be.

Good luck to the other forum members currently at IST.

 

[HamSandwich]

Thrilled to say I passed my final IST observation today

Managed to secure a permanent position whilst at IST also, can't wait to get into box and start the real work whenever that may be.

Good luck to the other forum members currently at IST.

Well done, and also well done on getting a permanent position whilst at block school. I'm currently at York IST, it's tough but I'm enjoying it. Does everyone on your course have a permanent position to go to once passing, or has anyone passed the course without securing a permanent role yet?

 

[89jordanbj]

Thank you!
What week are you currently on?

There are about 5 on our course who are on future opportunities.. 2 of which have secured a permanent position whilst at IST. I am based in South Wales so wasn't on the Eastern future opportunities. So 3 of us in total have secured roles whilst there.

2 already had positions before attending IST, 4 are still waiting for interviews etc but will be passing (hopefully!) without securing permanent positions at this stage.

They are all brilliant so I am sure they will find something within the 12 months.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Thrilled to say I passed my final IST observation today

Managed to secure a permanent position whilst at IST also, can't wait to get into box and start the real work whenever that may be.

Good luck to the other forum members currently at IST.

Where are you off to mate?

 

[_Odo_]

Thrilled to say I passed my final IST observation today

Managed to secure a permanent position whilst at IST also, can't wait to get into box and start the real work whenever that may be.

Good luck to the other forum members currently at IST.

Congratulations! I'm in week 2 at the moment and enjoying it a lot. I'm quickly getting used to the routine of work, eat, sleep, repeat!

 

[HamSandwich]

Thank you!
What week are you currently on?

There are about 5 on our course who are on future opportunities.. 2 of which have secured a permanent position whilst at IST. I am based in South Wales so wasn't on the Eastern future opportunities. So 3 of us in total have secured roles whilst there.

2 already had positions before attending IST, 4 are still waiting for interviews etc but will be passing (hopefully!) without securing permanent positions at this stage.

They are all brilliant so I am sure they will find something within the 12 months.

Just started week 3 Thank you, that's really good to know.

 

[89jordanbj]

Where are you off to mate?

Pontrilas mate

Congratulations! I'm in week 2 at the moment and enjoying it a lot. I'm quickly getting used to the routine of work, eat, sleep, repeat!

Thank you! You def get out of it what you put in. Take full advantage of sim time and lots of group revision/quizzing and you will be fine. Apart from the assessment/observation nerves I loved every second of it and made friends for life. Wishing you all the best.

Just started week 3 Thank you, that's really good to know.

How are you finding it? I loved every second and had some good laughs along the way amongst all the hard work.

 

[Burton5000]

Just a quick one and I have searched the thread but couldn't find an answer.

Regarding the 70 questions, as an external candidate I can only answer the first half-ish. Is that correct? The rest of them are about experiences I'd have if I'd worked the job, but I see newbies like me referring to the 70 questions in totality.

So what I'm asking is... I am correct in only answering the initial half, then clicking no and n/a for the rest? Or am I missing a trick here.

Thanks so much

 

[HamSandwich]

Pontrilas mate


Thank you! You def get out of it what you put in. Take full advantage of sim time and lots of group revision/quizzing and you will be fine. Apart from the assessment/observation nerves I loved every second of it and made friends for life. Wishing you all the best.


How are you finding it? I loved every second and had some good laughs along the way amongst all the hard work.

Difficult in parts (so much to take in!) but enjoyable - I'd heard from lots of people about how intense it was but didn't quite believe it until I experienced it for myself I'm in a really great group of other trainees who are as keen and enthusiastic as I am, and I feel so privileged to be here. Best of luck at your new box

 

[MostlyHarmless]

I'm not sure if anyone watched 'Kings Cross: Now and Then' on C5 tonight but there was a NR guy on it a couple of times, however I'm pretty sure that the panel behind him is very familiar to quite a few people on here!

Edit. The guy in the photo is Paul Rutter, the Route Director for the ECML

 

[Tom Quinne]

Pontrilas mate


Thank you! You def get out of it what you put in. Take full advantage of sim time and lots of group revision/quizzing and you will be fine. Apart from the assessment/observation nerves I loved every second of it and made friends for life. Wishing you all the best.


How are you finding it? I loved every second and had some good laughs along the way amongst all the hard work.

Ah brilliant you’ll love it up there.

 

[matty1984]

Just a quick one and I have searched the thread but couldn't find an answer.

Regarding the 70 questions, as an external candidate I can only answer the first half-ish. Is that correct? The rest of them are about experiences I'd have if I'd worked the job, but I see newbies like me referring to the 70 questions in totality.

So what I'm asking is... I am correct in only answering the initial half, then clicking no and n/a for the rest? Or am I missing a trick here.

Thanks so much

See if you can relate the questions to anything you have experienced, for example I came from aviation, so based my answers around scenarios I was familiar with.
Remember, safety first!

 

[RailNoob]

Just a quick one and I have searched the thread but couldn't find an answer.

Regarding the 70 questions, as an external candidate I can only answer the first half-ish. Is that correct? The rest of them are about experiences I'd have if I'd worked the job, but I see newbies like me referring to the 70 questions in totality.

So what I'm asking is... I am correct in only answering the initial half, then clicking no and n/a for the rest? Or am I missing a trick here.

Thanks so much

The questions that are specifically aimed at someone that already has prior signaller experience I just answered with N/A and it didn't hold me back I think you just need to show experience within the first half of the questions that are asked!

 

[LOM]

See if you can relate the questions to anything you have experienced, for example I came from aviation, so based my answers around scenarios I was familiar with.
Remember, safety first!

I am making a 1 off return to this thread to point out that this is poor advice. Whether you are an internal or external applicant the 70 questions are the same for everyone, this is to give a fair way of scoring external applications against internal ones. The questions towards the end are aimed fairly and squarely at existing signallers and you are not expected to be able to answer them. They ask you whether you have specific signalling experience and you cannot answer yes honestly unless you currently are or have been a signaller (or at least some front line operational railway experience) in the past.

One of the most annoying things for me as a hiring manager is when an external candidate answers yes to one of these questions and then fills the box with a load of waffle that does not actually relate to the question that was asked. If the question is ‘do you have experience of setting up complex possessions’ and you say ‘yes I often have to deal with complex logistical problems in my current role blah blah blah’ then you are not answering the question that was asked but you still get a point automatically added to your score. When they say experience of possessions, trespassers, level crossings, line blockages, isolations, that is what they mean. To answer yes honestly, you personally need to have experience of these things in a railway role.

I look at it (and I know I am not alone in this) as a way of artificially inflating your score. You certainly do not get marks from me for ingenuity in twisting the meaning of a question to what you want it to ask instead.

TLDR - do not worry if you cannot answer yes to all the questions as an external candidate, you are not meant to be able to.

 

[Tigerned371]

I am making a 1 off return to this thread to point out that this is poor advice. Whether you are an internal or external applicant the 70 questions are the same for everyone, this is to give a fair way of scoring external applications against internal ones. The questions towards the end are aimed fairly and squarely at existing signallers and you are not expected to be able to answer them. They ask you whether you have specific signalling experience and you cannot answer yes honestly unless you currently are or have been a signaller (or at least some front line operational railway experience) in the past.

One of the most annoying things for me as a hiring manager is when an external candidate answers yes to one of these questions and then fills the box with a load of waffle that does not actually relate to the question that was asked. If the question is ‘do you have experience of setting up complex possessions’ and you say ‘yes I often have to deal with complex logistical problems in my current role blah blah blah’ then you are not answering the question that was asked but you still get a point automatically added to your score. When they say experience of possessions, trespassers, level crossings, line blockages, isolations, that is what they mean. To answer yes honestly, you personally need to have experience of these things in a railway role.

I look at it (and I know I am not alone in this) as a way of artificially inflating your score. You certainly do not get marks from me for ingenuity in twisting the meaning of a question to what you want it to ask instead.

TLDR - do not worry if you cannot answer yes to all the questions as an external candidate, you are not meant to be able to.

Well its not really fair if internal candidates get points for questions external candidates can’t really answer is it? Is it poor advice if they get a point for it? It may not be right from a LOMs point of view, but if it gives extra points, then its worth its weight in Gold.

 

[LOM]

Well its not really fair if internal candidates get points for questions external candidates can’t really answer is it? Is it poor advice if they get a point for it? It may not be right from a LOMs point of view, but if it gives extra points, then its worth its weight in Gold.

It is not really worth its weight in gold if the LOM then rejects the candidate because they apparently cannot read and comprehend the meaning of a simple question. If the question is ‘do you have experience of taking an isolation’ you still automatically get a point if you answer yes and ‘my favourite colour is blue’. Meanwhile an internal candidate may have to honestly answer no. Is that fair?

The scoring system is the way it is for a reason. There is a range of expected scores for a decent external application and a score much above that range is a big red flag for a hiring manager.

That is my advice, for what it is worth. People are free to listen to it or ignore it but I am going back into the shadows now I have said my piece.

 

[iwasyoungonce]

I am making a 1 off return to this thread to point out that this is poor advice. Whether you are an internal or external applicant the 70 questions are the same for everyone, this is to give a fair way of scoring external applications against internal ones. The questions towards the end are aimed fairly and squarely at existing signallers and you are not expected to be able to answer them. They ask you whether you have specific signalling experience and you cannot answer yes honestly unless you currently are or have been a signaller (or at least some front line operational railway experience) in the past.

One of the most annoying things for me as a hiring manager is when an external candidate answers yes to one of these questions and then fills the box with a load of waffle that does not actually relate to the question that was asked. If the question is ‘do you have experience of setting up complex possessions’ and you say ‘yes I often have to deal with complex logistical problems in my current role blah blah blah’ then you are not answering the question that was asked but you still get a point automatically added to your score. When they say experience of possessions, trespassers, level crossings, line blockages, isolations, that is what they mean. To answer yes honestly, you personally need to have experience of these things in a railway role.

I look at it (and I know I am not alone in this) as a way of artificially inflating your score. You certainly do not get marks from me for ingenuity in twisting the meaning of a question to what you want it to ask instead.

TLDR - do not worry if you cannot answer yes to all the questions as an external candidate, you are not meant to be able to.

Slice of fried gold from LOM as always, enjoy the shadows

 

[Pancakes84]

Thrilled to say I passed my final IST observation today

Managed to secure a permanent position whilst at IST also, can't wait to get into box and start the real work whenever that may be.

Good luck to the other forum members currently at IST.

awww well done!!!
huge congratulations! I’m starting in Derby on 1st Feb - can’t wait!

 

[Burton5000]

It is not really worth its weight in gold if the LOM then rejects the candidate because they apparently cannot read and comprehend the meaning of a simple question. If the question is ‘do you have experience of taking an isolation’ you still automatically get a point if you answer yes and ‘my favourite colour is blue’. Meanwhile an internal candidate may have to honestly answer no. Is that fair?

The scoring system is the way it is for a reason. There is a range of expected scores for a decent external application and a score much above that range is a big red flag for a hiring manager.

That is my advice, for what it is worth. People are free to listen to it or ignore it but I am going back into the shadows now I have said my piece.

Just want to say thankyou for these replies, puts me at ease regarding my applications. My recent one went straight to the test complete stage so I'm assuming that must mean my 70 questions pass the first instance.

Enjoy your time in the shadows

 

[89jordanbj]

awww well done!!!
huge congratulations! I’m starting in Derby on 1st Feb - can’t wait!

Thank you! And all the best, you will love it.

 

[High Dyke]

I'm not sure if anyone watched 'Kings Cross: Now and Then' on C5 tonight.

Not watched it yet, but have it on catch-up. However, I once had a strange incident whilst using the type of simulator shown. I signalled a train off the single line branch (shown top right). The train had proceed signals, but I then received the SPAD alarm. I turned to the trainer, thinking he was throwing another scenario at me, but when he confirmed that he hadn't I suggested he came and looked at the panel. Seemingly the train had derailed on the trap points whilst running on a proceed aspect. Apparently the simulator had a few glitches like that every so often.

 

[Amy1090]

Hi guys, how soon before payday do the payslips go online please? ☺️

 

[7Paul7]

Hi guys, how soon before payday do the payslips go online please? ☺️

You'll find out tomorrow

 

[siraning]

You’ll receive an email with an interview invite or an email with a NR letter attached telling you you’re application has been unsuccessful.

If successful you have an invite to interview currently being carried out remotely via your tablet or computer.

After interview it’s either a no or an offer.

Hope that helps.

Thank you.
Emailed HR and they explained that I will be invited for an interview. They’re waiting on the hiring manager to schedule this.

 

[Tom Quinne]

Hi guys, how soon before payday do the payslips go online please? ☺️

Usually Wednesday night on epay.

 

[Amy1090]

perfect thank you!

 

[ChrisRS]

perfect thank you!

You'll get an email to your NR email when it's available to view.

 

[SussexSig]

Hi All,

Does anyone know what grade Barnham Signal Box is? Thanks in advance!