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A career as a signaller

Csb362

Member
Joined
21 Mar 2021
Messages
29
Location
Falkirk
Hi there I recently applied for a signalling position in Colchester and done the tests roughly 2 weeks ago. Until this evening my status on the careers hub was showing as interview it is now showing withdrawn, does this mean it has been filled internally or is this the new way of saying unsuccessful?
 
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mdfc

Member
Joined
27 Jun 2021
Messages
19
Location
Worcestershire
Evening all, I recently got rejected for the grade 6 role in Birmingham and have been offered interview for the grade 7-9 in Didcot. I want to try and make my interview as strong as possible, can anyone suggest anything I can look at that will help with the following feedback I received:

"The panel noted that you had a very strong interview and demonstrated lots of transferrable skills to the role of Signaller.

To improve your performance, the team would encourage you to do research and understand all interactions needed of a NR Signaller."

Thanks!
 

Mark1503

Member
Joined
16 Jan 2017
Messages
39
Hi there I recently applied for a signalling position in Colchester and done the tests roughly 2 weeks ago. Until this evening my status on the careers hub was showing as interview it is now showing withdrawn, does this mean it has been filled internally or is this the new way of saying unsuccessful?
Unfortunately I think it means unsuccessful mate
 

Rockhopper

Member
Joined
29 Apr 2019
Messages
736
Regarding interview feedback and so on - the hiring manager just selects one option from a drop down list and the automatic email system sends it out. It’s difficult to know how meaningful the feedback really is.
 

ArchangelA

Member
Joined
4 Feb 2020
Messages
264
Location
West Midlands
Regarding interview feedback and so on - the hiring manager just selects one option from a drop down list and the automatic email system sends it out. It’s difficult to know how meaningful the feedback really is.
I would tend to agree with this as my latest feedback has been rather generic. The first feedback I had though-the manager very graciously sent me their marking document including all the individual comments made against each question but Ive only had that once out of the last three interviews.
 

dkuli6666

Member
Joined
18 May 2020
Messages
11
Location
Tamworth
Evening all, I recently got rejected for the grade 6 role in Birmingham and have been offered interview for the grade 7-9 in Didcot. I want to try and make my interview as strong as possible, can anyone suggest anything I can look at that will help with the following feedback I received:

"The panel noted that you had a very strong interview and demonstrated lots of transferrable skills to the role of Signaller.

To improve your performance, the team would encourage you to do research and understand all interactions needed of a NR Signaller."

Thanks!
Hi I just wondered how you’ve already been offered interview for didcot? Hasn’t that position only just come up?
Or was it because you didn’t get the Birmingham job they automatically offered you another interview?
Sorry I’m new to all this in case this has been asked before.
Cheers Dom
 

Welshgirlx

New Member
Joined
8 Jul 2021
Messages
1
Location
Cardiff
Got my rejection through with feedback that some of my interview responses weren't as good as others and that I hadn't prepared them well. I had prepared a list of around 20 prospective questions that I thought would come up taken from the NTS list but sadly there were a few questions asked that curve-balled me!

Absolutely gutted right now but I want to try again.

Anyone had an interview recently able to drop me a message as I just want to check a couple of things.

Cheers.
Could you remember what kinda questions were asked? Please and thank you ☺️

Reference NTS interview questions (external):
The initial 69 questions that ask for an example are pretty good guidelines of what you might expect.
Where can I find the 69 questions ?
 

nom de guerre

Member
Joined
24 Nov 2015
Messages
774
Evening all, I recently got rejected for the grade 6 role in Birmingham and have been offered interview for the grade 7-9 in Didcot. I want to try and make my interview as strong as possible, can anyone suggest anything I can look at that will help with the following feedback I received:

"The panel noted that you had a very strong interview and demonstrated lots of transferrable skills to the role of Signaller.

To improve your performance, the team would encourage you to do research and understand all interactions needed of a NR Signaller."

Thanks!

Have you asked the feedback provider for further explanation?

We can guess at what they might be hinting at, but nothing will beat hearing it from the source.
 

Jordg

Member
Joined
9 Jul 2021
Messages
5
Location
Cardiff
Hi I have an interview Monday to be a grade 2 signaller for South Wales. Could anyone give me any hints of what the questions will be like as I am quite nervous as this will be only the second interview I have ever attended due to being in the same company since I was 17. I have done the virtual interview and I think that went pretty well but I had time to write down and plan my answers.
 

Rail-noob

New Member
Joined
10 Jul 2021
Messages
3
Location
Suffolk
Afternoon you wonderful people! New to the forum and not in the rail industry but looking to get in! I’m looking at a grade 8 signaller role which has salary of approx 47k, I’ve been told on top of this are allowances that aren’t advertised, I’m sure this has already been asked and answered in this thread so I apologize in advance but I can’t locate it, what sort of salary without overtime would I be looking at with allowances added? Thanks in advance
 

Saracen_83

Member
Joined
22 Oct 2017
Messages
475
£60k ish depending on shift pattern
(Includes rostered sundays)

allowances also depend on how close to London you are and if you qualify for inner/outer London supplement etc
 

Rail-noob

New Member
Joined
10 Jul 2021
Messages
3
Location
Suffolk
That’s great, thanks , one of the places advertised was Colchester but no idea what roster they’re on, to be honest I’m still interested even with the advertised salary but it’s nice to know what else is offered
 

Mark1503

Member
Joined
16 Jan 2017
Messages
39
Hi I have an interview Monday to be a grade 2 signaller for South Wales. Could anyone give me any hints of what the questions will be like as I am quite nervous as this will be only the second interview I have ever attended due to being in the same company since I was 17. I have done the virtual interview and I think that went pretty well but I had time to write down and plan my answers.
I’m no expert but I’m guessing they’ll be similar to the ones on the application, they’ll be competence based questions around the nts skills highlighted on the job advert. My advise is to get an example for each nts and fit it to the specific question being asked, use the star format (situation task action result) and make sure you say ‘I did’ rather than ‘we did’, may seem obvious but it’s definitely picked up on
 

Jordg

Member
Joined
9 Jul 2021
Messages
5
Location
Cardiff
Happy to say I got offered the job today after my interview Monday. Extremely lucky as it was my first time applying and I have also been placed at a grade higher that I had actually applied for. After a terrible day in work it was definitely a well needed phone call. :D:D
 

Defenestrate

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2019
Messages
130
Happy to say I got offered the job today after my interview Monday. Extremely lucky as it was my first time applying and I have also been placed at a grade higher that I had actually applied for. After a terrible day in work it was definitely a well needed phone call. :D:D
Congratulations, well done!
 

Allaboard78

Member
Joined
16 Dec 2019
Messages
164
Location
Wales

Happy to say I got offered the job today after my interview Monday. Extremely lucky as it was my first time applying and I have also been placed at a grade higher that I had actually applied for. After a terrible day in work it was definitely a well needed phone call. :D:D
Congratulations! Which job was this for?
 
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SWTurbo

Member
Joined
19 May 2020
Messages
108
Location
South West
That’s great, thanks , one of the places advertised was Colchester but no idea what roster they’re on, to be honest I’m still interested even with the advertised salary but it’s nice to know what else is offered
Colchester are on 12s (both the main box (G8) and the NYL link (G3)
 

Chumba

Member
Joined
13 May 2019
Messages
164
Is there anyone on here who is currently a signaller in Petersfield, or has covered it on relief. I wanted a bit of information on shifts, and longevity of the box. I am currently a grade 3 signaller in a different area, who is thinking about applying for the current vacancy. Thanks.
I was offered a job at Petersfield starting in January 2020, but was unable to take it up. At that time i was told that the box would move to the ROC @ Basingstoke "sometime in the next few years" That said i was also told it should have moved "a few years ago" :D

As for shifts this is what i was told they were (obviously may have changed)

1626627276535.png
 

Highlandspring

Established Member
Joined
14 Oct 2017
Messages
2,778
That’s a shocker. I‘m baffled by the stick-in-the-muds in the signalling and control fraternities who swear by eight hour rosters.
 

Horizon22

Established Member
Associate Staff
Jobs & Careers
Joined
8 Sep 2019
Messages
7,446
Location
London
That’s a shocker. I‘m baffled by the stick-in-the-muds in the signalling and control fraternities who swear by eight hour rosters.

Ah each to their own! I would hate permanent 12s, but don't mind them on weekends. Don't want to be at work/commuting for the vast majority of my day even if I would get more RDs. Plus the fatigue issues. Not fun 2 days off only after nights on that particular roster.
 
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Sunset route

Member
Joined
27 Oct 2015
Messages
1,176
That’s a shocker. I‘m baffled by the stick-in-the-muds in the signalling and control fraternities who swear by eight hour rosters.

Personally I much prefer the 8hr roster that I’m on than the opposite 12hr roster that our signalling centre has, I haven’t suffered any fatigue or had any problems rotating off nights since our current roster came into effect January 2018. Then you look at the tired faces of the 12hr crew where all they do is work overtime on 16 hour days including travel all the time just to earn maximum money and fir what they are never at home to enjoy it. I’ve got the best work life balance I’ve ever had since joining the railway in 1988 although I appreciate that a signalling centre with inbuilt in meal relief and GPR will have a better roster than a single staffed locations.
 

EGPWS#2

Member
Joined
19 Aug 2020
Messages
11
Location
Hampshire
Well here we are. 14 months later, approaching 30 applications and 4 interviews...…day number 1. Words cannot express how this feels after losing my job last March as a result of the pandemic.

I am not writing this for my self glorification but to publicly thank every single person who has contributed to the thread, amongst them several "old hands" who provide such great words of wisdom - you know who you are and I cannot thank you enough. And for the recent joiners of this excellent forum...… heed every word of advice from established members, not least read every single page and use the search facility. And do not be despondent at failure, keep trying and learn from your mistakes - if you seriously want a signalling job, never ever give up.
 

Dan1982

Member
Joined
3 May 2021
Messages
11
Location
Wellingborough
Well done for getting the job, and your advice is spot on. I am relatively new to the signalling applications, 2 so far but can't seem to pass the new online tests. But as you suggest I won't give up and I hope there will be some more vacancies soon.
 

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