Understanding the job

Hi folks,

This is my first post. I’ve read through a lot of the threads on the forum so would like to say thanks to everyone that have posted before as they have been invaluably helpful.

I've got my test date in 2 weeks, just got the email yesterday so I now know what to face. I’m doing some swatting up on physics (buying ‘physics for dummies’ this afternoon) and practicing both the Group Bourdon and the co-ordination tests that I found on this forum (thanks for those programmes!). The 2 trainability tests seem easy to me.

So I think I have a handle on all of the tests. It’s just a matter of practising and studying like hell for the next 2 weeks and see what happens on the day. Hopefully I will get better at the Group Bourdon! I aim to practice both on the computer and on paper, as it could be either on the day.

My main worry is my current knowledge of what the job entails and I think it will come across in the structured interview that I don’t know as much as I should. Are there any books or websites that give you a core understanding of things I would face? Or are there any other ways to glean this understanding from somewhere else?

I would like to sound familiar with the job.

I have done a little research before coming to you so I know I would have to deal with:
memorising rules and regulations,
learning the routes,
wrong signals,
track and signal failures,
human error,
vandalism,
engaging with difficult members of the public,
concentration over long shifts,
learn the preventative and emergency measures that are required for Signals Passed at Dangers (SPADs),
and finally the possibility of a fatality on the line.

But this list exhausts my knowledge of the job.
Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Fraser

Hi Fraser

In my experience they will not expect you to know specifics about the job in any great detail ( Particularly if you are from outside the rail industry as I was). With the interview in mind your time would be better spent getting examples ready of things you have done in the past that relate to the job (Working alone, following rules/regs, ability to work shifts, times you have dealt with an emergency situation etc) and some background information on the company such as routes, structure, future plans and developments etc but not in any exhaustive detail ( Just enough to show you have prepared and are interested).

Cheers

I remember being asked what the public expects from a train driver and my answer was that people dont think about him/her they just expect them to be a professional who knows his job.

If you get asked "What does the role of a driver involve" always start your answer with "Safety is the first priority"
Then move onto:
Reading notices at the start of shift
Working in accordance to the diagram you pick up at the start of the day -(this lists all the trains you will work, including empty stock to/from Depots, which stations to stop at, when to couple/uncouple, when to prep unit/dispose of unit, you do what it says unless control say otherwise, though no need to go into this much detail in the interview)
Learning new routes when required - this includes signals (where they are, where they can route you, what route indications they can display, etc), speeds, location of stations, crossings, track layouts, notable gradients, etc
Deal with out of course and understand the correct response to each situation
Dealing with driving in unusually bad weather (thick fog, heavy snow, etc)
Communication with the signalman and control when required
Recognising faults, find and reporting the faults/defects and rectifying them where possible (usually rectifying the fault means isolating whatever is faulty so you can get the train moving again, rather than actually fixing it which is the fitters job)
Ensure passengers are kept informed of any delays (via the guard or the PA)


I know from vast experience of being a Maintenance Depot Driver at two depots and have also had a number of cab rides on the mainline on development days and have looked at countless Drivers diagrams that get left onto trains coming on depot at night.

lvaxb24 said:

Hi Fraser

In my experience they will not expect you to know specifics about the job in any great detail ( Particularly if you are from outside the rail industry as I was). With the interview in mind your time would be better spent getting examples ready of things you have done in the past that relate to the job (Working alone, following rules/regs, ability to work shifts, times you have dealt with an emergency situation etc) and some background information on the company such as routes, structure, future plans and developments etc but not in any exhaustive detail ( Just enough to show you have prepared and are interested).

Cheers

Click to expand...

That pretty much sums it up. The aim of the questioning is to see whether you have transferable skills/experience, either from previous employment or from elsewhere, not to see how much you know about how the railway runs. You learn all that when you're training!
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wessex said:

I remember being asked what the public expects from a train driver and my answer was that people dont think about him/her they just expect them to be a professional who knows his job.

Click to expand...

Very true. For the public, safety is a given, not an optional extra (by which I mean you won't get a pat on the back from the passengers for being safe, it is assumed you are doing your job safely). But they expect good customer service especially during disruption.

Thanks for the comments folks. All much appreciated and great advice. It's not 100% clear when the structured interview will be. From the email sent to me it reads that it will immediately follow the tests on the day. And there will be another interview on another day if I get through all the tests. Am I correct in this?

jon.fra.sim said:

Thanks for the comments folks. All much appreciated and great advice. It's not 100% clear when the structured interview will be. From the email sent to me it reads that it will immediately follow the tests on the day. And there will be another interview on another day if I get through all the tests. Am I correct in this?

Click to expand...

The structured interview will follow the psychometric tests if there's time, but you may have to come back on another day if there are lots of candidates. The line manager interview may be held on a separate day (often because it's held at a depot rather than an assessment centre). It all depends on the TOC and their individual arrangements obviously.

Read the companies website and learn about them, they will ask you about the companies history

Corporate interview will normally ask to what you know about the role, structured interview (part of the psycho tests) asks 5 main example based questions then probing questions based on these

Although the position is not a 100% customer facing role I would also say putting a big emphasis on safety and customer service for the company interview with HR and the Train Manager is a must.

Good luck with it.

jon.fra.sim said:

Hi folks,

I would like to sound familiar with the job.

I have done a little research before coming to you so I know I would have to deal with:
memorising rules and regulations,
learning the routes,
wrong signals,
track and signal failures,
human error,
vandalism,
engaging with difficult members of the public,
concentration over long shifts,
learn the preventative and emergency measures that are required for Signals Passed at Dangers (SPADs),
and finally the possibility of a fatality on the line.

But this list exhausts my knowledge of the job.
Any help anyone could offer would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Fraser

Click to expand...

Working alone
Shifts
Resposibility
Continuous improvement
Keeping to rules and regs
No alcohol or drugs
Working with others
Diversity
Professional
Company image
Constant concentration
Thinking ahead
Customer focus
Profitability

These are the main points they are looking for, not an understanding of passing signals, track and signal failures, fatalities etc.

Good luck

Thanks for all the comments folks.
I was wondering how much math is required in the mechanical test?
I know simple stuff like balancing weights will be there - but will there be anything more strenuous? Just worrying a little since we only get 30 seconds a question and although my math skills are there they aren't that fast.
All the mechanical and spatial aptitude literature I read have sections for shop arithmetic, consisting of learning formulas and conversion charts. Do I need to relearn all my old standard grade/higher math?