A career as a signaller

[MylesHSG]

Is there anyone who switched to signalling as a second career and was new to shift work that could share their experiences on here please?

I personally haven’t done shift work for some time but I quite enjoyed it when I did. However, I was in a different place then and as a single man with no commitments not being off over the weekend was an active bonus for me. Now I have a family and, to be candid, the potential move to shift working is something I’m slightly apprehensive about. How do people find their work-life balance as a signaller? Do you feel that you get adequate time with your family over weekends?

I appreciate that this is highly subjective, and roster-dependent, but any insight would be very welcome.

Not me, but my father became a Signaller in his 50's after 25 years of a standard 9-5. Me and my sister were in our mid/late teens then so might be different to your situation. I'm now a signaller, but I live alone so again not your exact situation.

If you can straight to bed after a night shift. If possible and you have a spare room consider using that so your mrs/fella can get up normal time without waking you. Don't expect to be able to take the kids to school, come home sleep and then pick them up. You won't get enough sleep and you will really hate the alarm that goes off when you got to collect the kids.

Have a routine on nights, I have my last cup of tea at 02:30, any later and I found the caffeine effected me. Invest in decent curtains/blackout blinds especially useful in summer when you get home in daylight. First night is always a *******, I find it tough to nap during the day before so just have to power through, after that I'm in the routine and it much easier.

This is just what works with me, I work with someone who stays up until 11am and sleeps until the evening when working nights. I enjoy waking up at 1/2pm and just chilling in the afternoon before work, makes a change to my earlies when I can go from bed to driving away in 10 mins.

 

[LOM]

I believe on the NR website you can only add one document. When you add a second the first gets deleted.

I have never looked at the NR website but it must be possible somehow because I have seen several covering letters. Two of the candidates for my last vacancy included them. On the hiring managers screen there is a tab for uploaded documents and it appears there with the CV.

 

[ChrisG85]

I believe on the NR website you can only add one document. When you add a second the first gets deleted.

If I remember correctly there's an option to add another document at the bottom of the first or second page of the application. When you click on that it takes you to a new page where a drop down menu appears called 'document type'. You can change the document type to a covering letter and upload from there.

 

[Javagem]

If I remember correctly there's an option to add another document at the bottom of the first or second page of the application. When you click on that it takes you to a new page where a drop down menu appears called 'document type'. You can change the document type to a covering letter and upload from there.

Or you could just add the covering letter to the CV doc and have one doc if it’s causing a problem.

 

[Allaboard78]

Did anyone here start their career as a pool signaller ? Is anyone willing to share their experience?

 

[amanda08]

If you are relief, how does it work with a mix of 8 and 12 hour boxes? Will you literally change between each every day, box dependent? Thanks

 

[Ell887]

As you’re employed by NR rather than a TOC, I assume you don’t come under ‘internal’ moves? Or are you made aware of them by TOCs?

 

[Signaller2020]

Are interview invites done via the usual email method or do HR contact candidates by phone to invite? Cheers

 

[ryan__84]

For the 27/4 York starters, Where are people going on Monday. I’m going to York MDU to meet my LOM there. Does anyone know what the dress code is for the first week? (presume it’s induction week).

It seems strange that some are going in and others like myself are doing a video call on Monday.

Think there’s around 15-16 people on my call

I’m keen to find out what will be happening with our course due to start on 4th May... I’m sure all will be revealed on Monday

 

[Kraken]

Not me, but my father became a Signaller in his 50's after 25 years of a standard 9-5. Me and my sister were in our mid/late teens then so might be different to your situation. I'm now a signaller, but I live alone so again not your exact situation.

If you can straight to bed after a night shift. If possible and you have a spare room consider using that so your mrs/fella can get up normal time without waking you. Don't expect to be able to take the kids to school, come home sleep and then pick them up. You won't get enough sleep and you will really hate the alarm that goes off when you got to collect the kids.

Have a routine on nights, I have my last cup of tea at 02:30, any later and I found the caffeine effected me. Invest in decent curtains/blackout blinds especially useful in summer when you get home in daylight. First night is always a *******, I find it tough to nap during the day before so just have to power through, after that I'm in the routine and it much easier.

This is just what works with me, I work with someone who stays up until 11am and sleeps until the evening when working nights. I enjoy waking up at 1/2pm and just chilling in the afternoon before work, makes a change to my earlies when I can go from bed to driving away in 10 mins.

Thanks for the advice Myles, I remember the nightmare of trying to sleep before going on night shift very well! I’m feeling a lot happier after reading some people’s experiences from earlier in this monster thread and speaking to a friend who does shifts and wouldn’t want to do 9-5 for all the tea in China.

 

[7Paul7]

It seems strange that some are going in and others like myself are doing a video call on Monday.

Think there’s around 15-16 people on my call

I’m keen to find out what will be happening with our course due to start on 4th May... I’m sure all will be revealed on Monday

I was told class size has been reduced from 20 down to 10 which was the reason I was going to Preston rather than York

 

[Javagem]

It seems strange that some are going in and others like myself are doing a video call on Monday.

Think there’s around 15-16 people on my call

I’m keen to find out what will be happening with our course due to start on 4th May... I’m sure all will be revealed on Monday

Yeah that is strange, how did you find out about it being a video call?
Maybe your LOM is isolating too?

 

[LaheyTPS]

Yeah that is strange, how did you find out about it being a video call?
Maybe your LOM is isolating too?

Hi, I'm also down for the video call on Monday, think it's more down to the number of people being in one place if we were all to report to somewhere than a LOM being in isolation? Good luck to everyone for Monday and hopefully the beginning of great careers for all of us.

 

[9tfrizzco]

Start Monday but apparently there is no place at signalling school for me at the moment, awaiting details on what I will be doing instead in the meantime

 

[Pablo65]

Start Monday but apparently there is no place at signalling school for me at the moment, awaiting details on what I will be doing instead in the meantime

How did you find out. Did you get an email, did you phone yourself...?

 

[9tfrizzco]

How did you find out. Did you get an email, did you phone yourself...?

I emailed them.....

 

[MostlyHarmless]

Are interview invites done via the usual email method or do HR contact candidates by phone to invite? Cheers

Its normally done by email

 

[Javagem]

Hi, I'm also down for the video call on Monday, think it's more down to the number of people being in one place if we were all to report to somewhere than a LOM being in isolation? Good luck to everyone for Monday and hopefully the beginning of great careers for all of us.

Could be a geographical thing, maybe asking those who will travel more than an hour to dial in. I’m from York and not heard anything other than to go to the MDU on Monday. Think I’ll check though.

 

[9tfrizzco]

Could be a geographical thing, maybe asking those who will travel more than an hour to dial in. I’m from York and not heard anything other than to go to the MDU on Monday. Think I’ll check though.

I'm from west Sussex and as far as I know at the moment am going in

 

[Javagem]

I'm from west Sussex and as far as I know at the moment am going in

That’s a fair old trek, have you managed to get a hotel?
I’ve emailed recruitment so will see what they say.

 

[desrudy]

For the 27/04 starters , i emailed my lom and got this message :

Normally we would have you in the office and then go out and about on the patch for your first week.
However due to the current situation we are letting new signallers stay at home until they start signalling school.
I will send you through some stuff to work on and some bell codes to learn before signalling school starts.

So ,what i understand is that the first week become one day , and we start the 04th of may at the sig school .

 

[9tfrizzco]

That’s a fair old trek, have you managed to get a hotel?
I’ve emailed recruitment so will see what they say.

I have found places to stay available but I'm still awaiting more information on what will be happening after induction week for me

 

[High Dyke]

If you are relief, how does it work with a mix of 8 and 12 hour boxes? Will you literally change between each every day, box dependent? Thanks

If you are thinking from the point of pay calculations then you should be paid for the longest shift possible (i.e. you would be paid 12 hours even if you aren't working a 12 hour location). For example, my base roster hours are 8' 47", but there's only one location I cover with those hours. All the other locations have a variety of differing times of shift length.

 

[amanda08]

If you are thinking from the point of pay calculations then you should be paid for the longest shift possible (i.e. you would be paid 12 hours even if you aren't working a 12 hour location). For example, my base roster hours are 8' 47", but there's only one location I cover with those hours. All the other locations have a variety of differing times of shift length.

Thanks for that. Do you still average around 36 hours a week?

 

[High Dyke]

Thanks for that. Do you still average around 36 hours a week?

More or less averaged at that across my base roster. I've a week that's closer to 42 hours, but then one week that's only 26 hours. Other base rosters may vary slightly, depending on the area and the normal base roster length.

 

[LOM]

As you’re employed by NR rather than a TOC, I assume you don’t come under ‘internal’ moves? Or are you made aware of them by TOCs?

You would be treated as an external candidate. The same is true of someone coming from a TOC or FOC into NR. They are totally seperate companies. The NR internal vacancy list is for NR employees only and vice versa. Even in the old British Rail days you could not just apply for any job, inter-regional transfers were complicated and it was especially difficult applying outside your own line of promotion.

 

[amanda08]

More or less averaged at that across my base roster. I've a week that's closer to 42 hours, but then one week that's only 26 hours. Other base rosters may vary slightly, depending on the area and the normal base roster length.

Thank you. I appreciate you taking time to answer

 

[High Dyke]

Thank you. I appreciate you taking time to answer

You're welcome.

 

[Woody27]

Or you could just add the covering letter to the CV doc and have one doc if it’s causing a problem.

Hi, I don’t remember seeing anything about a covering letter, just an upload cv section! Hope this doesn’t affect any application that I have at the moment, will definitely be adding one next time!

 

[Ell887]

Thanks for that LOM, much appreciated. Been thinking about the rail industry for a long time without pursuing it. Unfortunately at a critical point in my current career; pension, promotion etc.

Would love to be lucky enough to become a trainee driver, however, can’t in any way justify leaving my current role on a whim. Signaller also looks like a great career choice, was wondering what doors it’d open for me.