Tricky interview questions.

Hi guys.

Seen a lot of threads on here recently relating to Interviews with driver managers or HR departments etc and it got me thinking about some of the questions that are asked in these interviews that can be perceived as difficult and questions that potentially catch people out despite being relatively simple in their nature.

there were a couple which i thought of straight away and thought it might be an idea for guys that have been successful or even guys that haven't to share their experiences regarding questions they have been asked as not only will it be interesting to see the answers you gave (should you wish to disclose them ) It could also narrow down the number of threads from candidates regarding the MMI etc?

The one i was particularly wary of was " where do you see yourself in 5 years?" very simple in It's nature but It was how i worded my answer i was worried about. In the end i went with " I'd like to see myself in the role of instructor with this TOC so i could give something back if successful in my application".

Sounds Ok really but It's a fine line with that one as I didn't want to sound arrogant in any way but was also worried that they'd want a more confident answer as in " I WILL be a driver instructor with this TOC" .

Any experiences from you lot?

Do you think it is possible to reach such a grade after such a short period of time? Did you think about that before you answered?

It is possible, you can apply to be an instructor after 3 years as a qualified driver.

It was a long time ago now but I answered something along the lines of 'at this point in my life I'm looking for a long term career rather than a job and would hope to be driving in 5 years and many years after'. I made the (possibly incorrect) assumption that they wanted to know if you were serious about sticking with the role as they are putting an awful lot of time and money into training each person so would be looking for people who are in it for the long haul.

Clip said:

Do you think it is possible to reach such a grade after such a short period of time? Did you think about that before you answered?

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sure is and yes i did, My TOC just state you have to be out of your 2 year probation. With the turnover rate at some TOC'S you are a veteran after 5 years
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Memetim said:

It is possible, you can apply to be an instructor after 3 years as a qualified driver.

It was a long time ago now but I answered something along the lines of 'at this point in my life I'm looking for a long term career rather than a job and would hope to be driving in 5 years and many years after'. I made the (possibly incorrect) assumption that they wanted to know if you were serious about sticking with the role as they are putting an awful lot of time and money into training each person so would be looking for people who are in it for the long haul.

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That was my thinking, I thought that if they could see not only ambition but longevity within my answer It's a decent answer to give. But even then these guys are trained to have a rather good poker face so you have no idea whether they had liked your answer or not he he he.

I was once asked about a time I disagreed with a management decision. Tricky to strike the balance of answering properly and not slagging former employers off.

red2005 said:

but was also worried that they'd want a more confident answer as in "I WILL be a driver instructor with this TOC" .

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I 100% believe that this approach is what people fail on. The answer you give should be your own and not what you believe the TOC wants as an answer.

I have interviewed people and I can hear the generic replies to each question as the interview progresses. I either tick the boxes and the candidate turns into a "grey man" that is easily forgotten or I push for them to expand and then they fall apart because their answers aren't genuine.

What if the interviewer then asked Clips question ?

The best answers are where you get into a conversation with the interviewer and everything feels natural.

An interview is not a test, and there are often no right or wrong answers. It's meant to be a process of getting to know the applicant and finding out how is likely to be the best suited to a role. Equally, it's an opportunity for the applicant to get to know the TOC and managers, so it's a bit of a two way process.

That's why I always recommend honesty and trying to avoid second guessing what you think they want to hear in an answer to a question like this one. In my case, it's usually that I see myself with the same company but keeping an eye on any development opportunities that I feel I'm ready for.

Clip said:

Do you think it is possible to reach such a grade after such a short period of time? Did you think about that before you answered?

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It's a British thing. Knock down someone with ambition.

Phil. said:

It's a British thing. Knock down someone with ambition.

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Same with the social commentary about others

Clip said:

Do you think it is possible to reach such a grade after such a short period of time? Did you think about that before you answered?

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It is possible indeed, especially if your TOC need minders

My answer to that question was very simple, it isn't a trick question so don't get caught out trying to make it something it isn't, it isn't a tricky question, just think realistic.

I simply answered that I see myself in X amount of years as a safe and productive member of *insert TOC here* train crew. Saying you see yourself as an instructor driver after 5 years is possible and something to aim towards but I'd expect that to come after saying about having a safe and clean record.

Bang on about safety tell them you see yourself as a safe productive member of the team that will hopefully be an asset to their TOC by all means tell them you have aspirations but just be yourself and be honest because if they start probing you for more info you will need to give a natural answer these interviewers can smell BS a mile away .

ComUtoR said:

I 100% believe that this approach is what people fail on. The answer you give should be your own and not what you believe the TOC wants as an answer.

I have interviewed people and I can hear the generic replies to each question as the interview progresses. I either tick the boxes and the candidate turns into a "grey man" that is easily forgotten or I push for them to expand and then they fall apart because their answers aren't genuine.

What if the interviewer then asked Clips question ?

The best answers are where you get into a conversation with the interviewer and everything feels natural.

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Good point

'What do you dislike most about your current job' which at the time was guard

I was honest and mentioned I don't always particularly like earlies and made a joke that if anyone says they get up at 4am happily in the depths of winter then they are lying. but then turned it round into a positive that there is a sense of pride involved as well as the need to plan your life around the job and the benefits of shift work

Passed the interview and the interviewer thanked me for my honesty

"How did you prepare for this interview?"

Great thread red2005! Just what i was looking for.

Can any Lorol drivers help me out? I'm hoping to get a DMI soon having pass the assessment with GTR.

Just wanted some advice of what to expect & the latest figures.

Cheers.

The trickiest and most important question at the DMI stage is the one that they don't ask:
Why would I want to have someone like you in my team rather than the next guy?

Memetim said:

It is possible, you can apply to be an instructor after 3 years as a qualified driver.

.

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red2005 said:

sure is and yes i did, My TOC just state you have to be out of your 2 year probation. With the turnover rate at some TOC'S you are a veteran after 5 years
.

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SPADTrap said:

It is possible indeed, especially if your TOC need minders

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I know it is but thats not what I asked was it?

ComUtoR said:

I 100% believe that this approach is what people fail on. The answer you give should be your own and not what you believe the TOC wants as an answer.

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This post sums it up quite well - and with the OP saying they would like to give something back to the company within their answer to me makes it sound quite needy and trying to please rather than being honest and blunt which is why I asked if they thought about their answer.

Ive interviewed tons of people and you can see they have researched the questions and answers as they know ones like that will come up and to be honest a lot sound forced like the OPs. And I dont mean offence with this just speaking from experience.

Clip said:

I know it is but thats not what I asked was it?



This post sums it up quite well - and with the OP saying they would like to give something back to the company within their answer to me makes it sound quite needy and trying to please rather than being honest and blunt which is why I asked if they thought about their answer.

Ive interviewed tons of people and you can see they have researched the questions and answers as they know ones like that will come up and to be honest a lot sound forced like the OPs. And I dont mean offence with this just speaking from experience.

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I very much thought of my answer as It was the honest one about where I'd like to be, Granted at that stage It was something i had only kept to myself hence being on guard about using it when asked! remember honesty Isn't always the best policy especially here as I could of been seen as arrogant. And for clarity i did actually say "I'd like to see myself as an instructor here" not I WILL BE.

Could of been worse i could have said sat on a beach in Mauritius enjoying the life 40 odd k a year gives me.
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donpoku said:

Great thread red2005! Just what i was looking for.

Can any Lorol drivers help me out? I'm hoping to get a DMI soon having pass the assessment with GTR.

Just wanted some advice of what to expect & the latest figures.

Cheers.

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Good luck mate hope the thread helps you
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Another question i was asked Is what can this job (driver) give you that your current job (guard) can't give you?

hmmmm lol

Personally I tend to find the more subjective questions difficult, I don't tend to struggle with technical interviews quite as much, though I did pass my MMI at the first attempt.

The most difficult thing for me interview-wise is having high-functioning autism. Despite discrimination being illegal, there is still a lot of stigma and "unconscious bias" around. If I don't declare it, I'm often seen as being slightly different from most people and fail on that, yet if I do declare it, people often make negative assumptions. Lastly, it's very difficult to provide "reasonable adjustments" since regardless of what I say in the interview, if the interviewer takes a dislike, it's game over.

Of course I'd declare it at the medical but I'm honestly not sure if it's a good idea at the interview stage.

Economist said:

Personally I tend to find the more subjective questions difficult, I don't tend to struggle with technical interviews quite as much, though I did pass my MMI at the first attempt.

The most difficult thing for me interview-wise is having high-functioning autism. Despite discrimination being illegal, there is still a lot of stigma and "unconscious bias" around. If I don't declare it, I'm often seen as being slightly different from most people and fail on that, yet if I do declare it, people often make negative assumptions. Lastly, it's very difficult to provide "reasonable adjustments" since regardless of what I say in the interview, if the interviewer takes a dislike, it's game over.

Of course I'd declare it at the medical but I'm honestly not sure if it's a good idea at the interview stage.

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Hiya mate!

Sorry to hear of the Issues/struggles you face but keep plodding on! the fact you passed MMI first time says a lot, some people don't pass it at all remember

My advice to you is declare it if need to be, I mean surely you'd of had to declare It on your application form anyway so you really wouldn't have got that far If the condition was a serious problem to them?. And as you say If there still are stigmas and a sense of unconscious bias towards the condition people will never get through/over that (Interviewers included) unless they are educated no better time than In the interview.

Yes at the same time you are obviously taking a chance but honesty can get you a long way in this industry mate .......you'd be surprised .....good luck buddy.

Thanks for the advice, like you say, if I talk about it I can overcome some of the perceptions people have, if they are still negative, perhaps I'd be better off working for a different company.

I suppose there is no "perfect" interview answer, a lot of it is not just what someone says but the authenticity with which they say it.

Economist said:

Thanks for the advice, like you say, if I talk about it I can overcome some of the perceptions people have, if they are still negative, perhaps I'd be better off working for a different company.

I suppose there is no "perfect" interview answer, a lot of it is not just what someone says but the authenticity with which they say it.

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yes very true mate......It Is hard to get people to look beyond medical Issues given how safety conscious the railway Is. I suppose a big part of It is someone has to sign someone with a medical issue competent to drive trains and have people's safety In their hands, It's a big signature to make i suppose and one that shouldn't be taken lightly.

As I say keep plodding on you never know what might happen.

I can see what you mean about the medical signoffs, however I do have a pilot's medical and have been sent solo. Whilst I appreciate aviation and the railway are different, you'd hope it would put their mind at ease somewhat.

I don't want to digress from the original thread too far but when you consider GCHQ intentionally go for people with autism and trust them with cryptography and military intelligence, you'd hope that the railway would take a reasonably open-minded view. Particularly when you consider that people with autism are normally great at attention to detail and enjoy lots of rules.

Economist said:

I can see what you mean about the medical signoffs, however I do have a pilot's medical and have been sent solo. Whilst I appreciate aviation and the railway are different, you'd hope it would put their mind at ease somewhat.

I don't want to digress from the original thread too far but when you consider GCHQ intentionally go for people with autism and trust them with cryptography and military intelligence, you'd hope that the railway would take a reasonably open-minded view. Particularly when you consider that people with autism are normally great at attention to detail and enjoy lots of rules.

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Ooh well that certainly gives you a great chance mate as i do hear that's very strict!

I personally believe a person should be judged Individually and every situation by It's own merits. Unfortunately and without trying to sound like I am ignorant I don't know enough about the condition to comment on that but like i say I am sure you have many qualities that suit the role and fingers crossed the powers that be see that sooner or later

Good thread that you have got going here Red. When I went for an interview with Transpennine or for other telephone interviews, it all seemed related to the job so it was a bit of a surprise to see a generic question about where the TOC asks about why they should employ the interviewee in preference to any other candidate.

DunfordBridge said:

Good thread that you have got going here Red. When I went for an interview with Transpennine or for other telephone interviews, it all seemed related to the job so it was a bit of a surprise to see a generic question about where the TOC asks about why they should employ the interviewee in preference to any other candidate.

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Glad you like It mate.......just thought any help we could all be to each other without having a million and one threads going the better he he he.

yes there are a few people that have been caught out by unexpected questions or relatively simple questions that they haven't thought properly about the answers to so any help successful or unsuccessful applicants can be to others the better eh

red2005 said:

yes there are a few people that have been caught out by unexpected questions

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Which leads to another pitfall about this forum and interviews. When people ask about "what questions are asked" they prepare for those questions and prepare an answer. They forget that any question can effectively be asked. Good preparation is about getting ready and thinking about the job you are interviewing from from a holistic approach.

or relatively simple questions that they haven't thought properly about the answers to

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Genuine answers should come naturally. When you are so transfixed on what your prepared reply is or what it should be then your pulling an answer from memory and is very noticeable when conducting an interview.

Whilst preparation is important and some answers do require a definite answer so questions you can answer "I don't know" I remember being asked about the "boredom" element of train driving. As I went in blind and had no idea what the job entailed I simply said I didn't know and thought the job required concentration all the time and I'd be busy at the controls. The interviewers and I then had a hilarious conversation about "distractions" I was unsure about the question, had no prior knowledge, but engaged the interviewers and and it came across that I was genuinely interested in becoming a Driver and willing to learn new things.

What people should take from this thread is that many questions can, and will, be asked. What should also be taken away is that many different answers are given too

Oh of course It Is always better to know an answer through experience rather than learn one so to speak, the one thing i have always advised people going Into these Interviews Is to be totally honest and If you don't have an answer to a question just tell them that rather than blag it.

My point In making this thread Is not so much they can just use other people's answers as their own or anything like that, I feel that Is a one way ticket to being caught out however some of the questions asked can be awkward to find examples for. Some may not realise they have been involved in an emergency situation for example as everyone may have different Ideas what an emergency situation is.

I know of a manager that failed a candidate In an Interview because the emergency example they used was their wife going Into labour in a supermarket. Some may see that as an obvious emergency but others not so much so the thread Is more about getting people Into using the right thought process before going Into the Interview rather than putting It on a plate for them. You can still have genuine answers beforehand and It be perfectly natural? I know mine were certainly genuine and they were far better in their detail and In the way I put them across to the Interviewer because i had some Idea of the examples I would use beforehand.

Genuine answers will come naturally yes but what happens when you have multiple answers for one question and you have to decide which one to use? I had 6-7 emergency situations I could have used luckily but I felt much more comfortable giving the details to the guy Interviewing me knowing that I had already chosen my answer and everything regarding my Involvement was 100% accurate. Yes people can think of things on the spot but for me my approach was absolutely spot on, remember It's a pressurised environment anyway the last thing you want to do Is give yourself more by having to think on the spot and rush your answers.

This thread may also be of some help In helping people work out If they are wasting their time or not, remember that common sense and life experience are pretty Important In the railway's eyes so this may save forum users from a lot of expense or heartache as well.

Being prepared comes In many different forms for many different people, some won't leave the house unless all the tee's are crossed and eye's dotted others think they can wing It yet still see themselves as fully prepared. If people can use the experiences of others to Improve their approach or thought process It can only be a good thing.

People will still need to use their Initiative as they won't get a job from threads like this or forums like this alone, But i do know that the advice I got from these forums when applying played a major role In me getting my job so I just thought I would play some part In repaying that.

red2005 said:

My point In making this thread Is not so much they can just use other people's answers as their own or anything like that, I feel that Is a one way ticket to being caught out however some of the questions asked can be awkward to find examples for.

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Totally support the thread I just point out the dangers that people often make.

I know of a manager that failed a candidate In an Interview because the emergency example they used was their wife going Into labour in a supermarket.

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We had a serious complication with our pregnancy which started off from a phone call.. Blood everywhere, get home NOW !

It wasn't accepted as my emergency answer either. I didn't even know there was going to be the question of "emergency situation" With people now being more and more forewarned about the specific answers they think one up and keep that in their head. Then when its not accepted they panic and then struggle with the interview.

Yes people can think of things on the spot but for me my approach was absolutely spot on, remember It's a pressurised environment anyway the last thing you want to do Is give yourself more by having to think on the spot and rush your answers.

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Absolutely. That approach is what gets people through. You prepared and made sure you had more than one answer to give. You also had those life experiences to go on. Part of what makes the MMI and DMI successful is to do exactly what you did. You pulled life experience out and made sure you were prepared for an answer to be rejected. Those skills seem to pass everyone else by. We tell people here that giving out the questions and rehearsing answers for what the TOC wants to hear is the wrong approach but many never listen and still bang on about Q&A's

The MMI and DMI catches a large portion of people out and we harp on about it being a skill but those who don't get through interview stages bleat about it not being relevant to the role etc and how it has nothing to do with train driving. Those who do get through all appear to offer the same advice. The penny drops when your walking out the door and drops further when you proceed to the next stages.

It's your skill with how you approach and prepare for it that shines in an interview. They show personality traits.

This thread may also be of some help In helping people work out If they are wasting their time or not, remember that common sense and life experience are pretty Important In the railway's eyes so this may save forum users from a lot of expense or heartache as well.

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I wish that were true It's hard getting rejected and more so when you post your entire progress. Some just do not admit they just belabour a point that they failed on. Rejection is itself a life skill.

Being prepared comes In many different forms for many different people, some won't leave the house unless all the tee's are crossed and eye's dotted others think they can wing It yet still see themselves as fully prepared. If people can use the experiences of others to Improve their approach or thought process It can only be a good thing.

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A very good point. Not all techniques work for everyone. I see a lot of posters trying to crowbar themselves into what they believe is the cookie cutter employee. A few people have pm'ed me and I always give the same advice. Be yourself, relax, take your time and enjoy it.

I just thought I would play some part In repaying that.

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I think those of us here post for that same reason. The whole process is long and complicated. I went in blind and almost got caught out but my personality and life skills won me through. Helping those who post here, for me, is in part to help those who who aren't looking to be spoon fed and who are just after some advice to help them on the way.

BTW another skill you seem to have is the ability to lead a discussion

The most difficult question to answer is "why is your answer exactly the same as the last two candidates?"

ComUtoR said:

Totally support the thread I just point out the dangers that people often make.



We had a serious complication with our pregnancy which started off from a phone call.. Blood everywhere, get home NOW !

It wasn't accepted as my emergency answer either. I didn't even know there was going to be the question of "emergency situation" With people now being more and more forewarned about the specific answers they think one up and keep that in their head. Then when its not accepted they panic and then struggle with the interview.



Absolutely. That approach is what gets people through. You prepared and made sure you had more than one answer to give. You also had those life experiences to go on. Part of what makes the MMI and DMI successful is to do exactly what you did. You pulled life experience out and made sure you were prepared for an answer to be rejected. Those skills seem to pass everyone else by. We tell people here that giving out the questions and rehearsing answers for what the TOC wants to hear is the wrong approach but many never listen and still bang on about Q&A's

The MMI and DMI catches a large portion of people out and we harp on about it being a skill but those who don't get through interview stages bleat about it not being relevant to the role etc and how it has nothing to do with train driving. Those who do get through all appear to offer the same advice. The penny drops when your walking out the door and drops further when you proceed to the next stages.

It's your skill with how you approach and prepare for it that shines in an interview. They show personality traits.



I wish that were true It's hard getting rejected and more so when you post your entire progress. Some just do not admit they just belabour a point that they failed on. Rejection is itself a life skill.



A very good point. Not all techniques work for everyone. I see a lot of posters trying to crowbar themselves into what they believe is the cookie cutter employee. A few people have pm'ed me and I always give the same advice. Be yourself, relax, take your time and enjoy it.



I think those of us here post for that same reason. The whole process is long and complicated. I went in blind and almost got caught out but my personality and life skills won me through. Helping those who post here, for me, is in part to help those who who aren't looking to be spoon fed and who are just after some advice to help them on the way.

BTW another skill you seem to have is the ability to lead a discussion

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really good points made there mate.