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Trainee driver talent pools
- Thread starter jezzer34
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ESONEULB
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- 9 Nov 2017
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Just over 2 yrs
Then had to retake a DMI with the same TOC because it was so long
Now have an offer and a medical booked
Then had to retake a DMI with the same TOC because it was so long
Now have an offer and a medical booked
Carrie-Cole
Member
I got told by a train driver the other day it’s usually two years from start to finish... we applied April 2019 Jezzer for the Plymouth talent pool so realistically I’m thinking by April next year we will hear... well hopefully anyway
Liam00086
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- 11 Mar 2019
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I was quite fortunate in that I was in the talent pool for 3 days, but the process start to finish -applied 3rd December 2018 assessment day 1 was beginning March 2019 assessment day 2 was middle May DMI was end of July took 2 weeks to find out I had passed DMI and was in the pool, 3 days later got a call for a start date of February 2020 so around 14 months all in all
When I was a Guard waited six months internally for a depot the other side of the country. I could have gone for an interview at my own depot but never believed there would be vacancies. Waiting six months with no job made me far too pessimistic. I'd failed an interview with GREATER ANGLIA for Cambridge after passing the internal interview and thought it must have been a fluke I'd passed internally and I was nowhere near the dream. When vacancies at my depot got filled and I was still waiting I hit rock bottom but got an interview with another TOC passed it and got taken on with them. Few years later I'm back where I started.
Talent pools do not guaruntee you a job but you must apply for everyone you can.
Talent pools do not guaruntee you a job but you must apply for everyone you can.
king_walnut
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- 16 Oct 2013
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- 261
2 and a half years from passing the MMI to starting in the training school.
I’ve been waiting 2yrs now if I do get a call I’m gonna have to take parts of the Assessment again due to them only lasting 3yrs with that toc but 5 with the OPC
I am hoping for a call up though soon! As my dilemma now is if I retake and fail it will knock out all my assessments and that’s me out the game for a long while till they change
I am hoping for a call up though soon! As my dilemma now is if I retake and fail it will knock out all my assessments and that’s me out the game for a long while till they change
I’m currently in a talent pool but my timeline so far has been...
Nov 2018 - applied
Sept 2019 - Stage 1
Nov 2019 - Stage 2 & MMI
Jan 2020 - DMI
Talent pool wise it’s been less than 2 months so far but the whole process has already been 17 months. I’d say the waiting time is heavily dependent on luck, what the requirements are at your depot - you can score as high as possible but realistically I don’t think you can have too much of an impact yourself on your waiting time.
With GWR my test results last 5 years from the date of the first test so I would like to think that an offer will come along without having to resit anything. I have until September 2024 after all...
Nov 2018 - applied
Sept 2019 - Stage 1
Nov 2019 - Stage 2 & MMI
Jan 2020 - DMI
Talent pool wise it’s been less than 2 months so far but the whole process has already been 17 months. I’d say the waiting time is heavily dependent on luck, what the requirements are at your depot - you can score as high as possible but realistically I don’t think you can have too much of an impact yourself on your waiting time.
With GWR my test results last 5 years from the date of the first test so I would like to think that an offer will come along without having to resit anything. I have until September 2024 after all...
PearoTheHero
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- 3 May 2019
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Where will you be driving from Liam?
Liam00086
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- Joined
- 11 Mar 2019
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- 219
Fratton
PearoTheHero
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- 3 May 2019
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- 51
How far in are you??
Good luck!!!
Good luck!!!
Here’s my timeline;
NOV 2018 - Applied to GWR
Jan 2019 - DMI (Told I was successful and would be in a pool, a week later)
Feb 2019 - Offered a start pending medical
April 2019 - Medical passed
1 Jul 2019 - Started job
With GWR at least it really could go either way. I was very lucky, as were a few others. However a friend of mine applied for Reading and was placed in the pool at around the time I was for Fratton. He never heard anything else about a course or anything, but has since started with SWR.
I was the first external for my depot for at least a decade apparently (not one to blow my own trumpet, but I’m still proud of that
). I was shocked I got a start date so soon, especially since they said quite clearly in my email saying I was in the pool that they had to interview and assess all internals before offering start dates.
I already passed the psychometric assessments which I believe helped with getting a DMI.
NOV 2018 - Applied to GWR
Jan 2019 - DMI (Told I was successful and would be in a pool, a week later)
Feb 2019 - Offered a start pending medical
April 2019 - Medical passed
1 Jul 2019 - Started job
With GWR at least it really could go either way. I was very lucky, as were a few others. However a friend of mine applied for Reading and was placed in the pool at around the time I was for Fratton. He never heard anything else about a course or anything, but has since started with SWR.
I was the first external for my depot for at least a decade apparently (not one to blow my own trumpet, but I’m still proud of that
). I was shocked I got a start date so soon, especially since they said quite clearly in my email saying I was in the pool that they had to interview and assess all internals before offering start dates.I already passed the psychometric assessments which I believe helped with getting a DMI.
Thameslink Brighton depot
No real knowledge of that TOC, do you know of any others in the talent pool waiting similar times?
Do Thameslink have the 5 year expiry period?
There are threads on here with people who’ve said they’ve been waiting four years plus for TL - which is a mystery to me because surely, if they wanted the job that badly, they’d have applied elsewhere in the meantime.
Most people probably do apply elsewhere in the meantime but just fail papersifts etc.
It may depend on certain individual circumstances as to why they may not have done that though.
Personally I’m in a talent pool where there is only one TOC with depots in my county, so I’d have to relocate at least 70 miles to start with any other TOC. I would hate to be waiting 4 years myself but for me my options would be pretty limited.
I get the impression that lots don’t bother, and then come on here complaining about how unfair it all is. That shows a complete lack of initiative, in my view.
I don’t mean this to sound harsh, but I have little sympathy. If I’d applied for a job, was told I’d been successful, but was still waiting for a start date YEARS later, I’d have long since accepted it wasn’t going to happen and applied elsewhere for the same job, or else done something different.
As a general point, some of the questions and comments on this part of the forum stagger me, and again suggest a complete lack of any intelligence/initiative from those who are applying for these roles.
For example there was a posting earlier by someone who’d made a basic administrative error by attaching the wrong CV to an application. But, rather than simply contacting the company to correct the error, they posted about it on here. What is anybody on here supposed to advise about that?!
In many cases these are £60k+ jobs which people are applying for. Surprise surprise, you might have to jump through a few hoops, and the recruitment system favours the TOCs. At trainee driver level, it’s a buyer’s market, just like any other competitive job.
Thats true - location can be an issue. Most GTR applicants are within striking distance of other TOCs, though.
And, of course, there are also plenty of people who are prepared to relocate in order to get the job.
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railwayman2737
Member
I believe it depends on your performance and Luck. One advice for those who are still waiting in Talent pool, please keep on contacting and asking them about your position, this will really help. Good Luck to everyone
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