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A career as a signaller

amanda08

Guest
Joined
19 Oct 2019
Messages
304
Hi, thank you!
The interview is for one of the Oakham relief signaller jobs, it is very local to me as I live in Oakham. So peterborough is also an option I will apply for if I am unsuccessful.
Do you live around this area as well?
Good luck for your applications
Good luck! We may end up colleagues
 
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Cjbennett10

Member
Joined
2 Jun 2020
Messages
14
Location
NN18
Hi, thank you!
The interview is for one of the Oakham relief signaller jobs, it is very local to me as I live in Oakham. So peterborough is also an option I will apply for if I am unsuccessful.
Do you live around this area as well?
Good luck for your applications
Oooh fantastic, I applied and received the ‘more suitable candidate found‘ for Oakham so fingers crossed for you! It looks a fantastic relief position. I’m Corby area myself so only up the road. Good luck again
 

Roadster 7

Member
Joined
24 Oct 2017
Messages
38
Good luck! We may end up colleagues

Thank you!
I'm keeping grounded as this is my first interview and from reading this thread I know how good the other candidates will be.
Being local makes this one perfect for me.

Oooh fantastic, I applied and received the ‘more suitable candidate found‘ for Oakham so fingers crossed for you! It looks a fantastic relief position. I’m Corby area myself so only up the road. Good luck again

I've had to apply for roles I can commute to, due to family etc. I cant relocate.
Have you applied for the melton resident and the 2x crossing keeper roles in Wymondham?
Also there is the Eastfield box in Peterborough recently gone up on the jobs page.
Good luck in the future!
 

Kraken

Member
Joined
22 Mar 2020
Messages
247
Location
Lincolnshire
Thank you!
I'm keeping grounded as this is my first interview and from reading this thread I know how good the other candidates will be.
Being local makes this one perfect for me.

I think that's three of us now with an interview for Oakham this week, fingers cross we all get a job :) I've had a look the last few days and some of the boxes round there look lovely, shame we can't get a visit due to the current unpleasantness. If I don't get a chance to say it before very best of luck and hopefully if we're all fortunate we'll end up as colleagues at some point. CJbennett, hope you manage to find a suitable post soon.
 

Rigchick

Member
Joined
5 May 2019
Messages
49
I hate to ask a question about money, but hoping there is a Grade 2 signaller on here who can answer a question for me. I’ve been offered a G2 post and am now wondering what an accurate take home pay would be. I know what the basic is, but with rostered nights and weekends on 12s, without any RDW, what can I expect? Just trying to budget for the future. TIA
 

headshot119

Established Member
Joined
31 Dec 2010
Messages
2,052
Location
Dubai
I hate to ask a question about money, but hoping there is a Grade 2 signaller on here who can answer a question for me. I’ve been offered a G2 post and am now wondering what an accurate take home pay would be. I know what the basic is, but with rostered nights and weekends on 12s, without any RDW, what can I expect? Just trying to budget for the future. TIA

Is your box open 24 hours a day, including Sundays? And is it 12 hours all week?
 

headshot119

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Joined
31 Dec 2010
Messages
2,052
Location
Dubai
Assuming you don't give away your Sundays, you'd be looking at £2900 every 4 weeks BEFORE any deductions. I'll leave you to work out your own deductions / tax from that, as it varies based on your pension scheme, tax code, student loan and so on.
 

Rigchick

Member
Joined
5 May 2019
Messages
49
Assuming you don't give away your Sundays, you'd be looking at £2900 every 4 weeks BEFORE any deductions. I'll leave you to work out your own deductions / tax from that, as it varies based on your pension scheme, tax code, student loan and so on.
Thank you so much! Nice to have a base line to work from
 

TheOne1990

Member
Joined
19 May 2020
Messages
27
Location
Cambridge
Sorry to jump in gents, what is “Invite to Assesment 2 Pending” I’ve read different things, does that mean my application has made it out of recruitment and on to the hiring manager. Thanks.
 

LOM

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Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
405
Location
Been and gone.
Sorry to jump in gents, what is “Invite to Assesment 2 Pending” I’ve read different things, does that mean my application has made it out of recruitment and on to the hiring manager. Thanks.
Yes, the hiring manager will now be considering it for adding to their interview shortlist. Good luck!
 

Cerebral

Member
Joined
4 Jun 2014
Messages
53
Hi all. Apologies for being a pain, but does anyone know the shift times for the Alrewas box? Is it 8/12hrs, open 24hrs? Also any idea of rota (i.e. how many Sundays per 4 week). Feel free to PM me details if you don't want to put it in the forum.

Thanks!
 

ILoveLamp

Member
Joined
22 Nov 2019
Messages
215
Location
North Uk
I hate to ask a question about money, but hoping there is a Grade 2 signaller on here who can answer a question for me. I’ve been offered a G2 post and am now wondering what an accurate take home pay would be. I know what the basic is, but with rostered nights and weekends on 12s, without any RDW, what can I expect? Just trying to budget for the future. TIA
Congratulations on the job! There was a full 2020 salary run-down posted a few times, a few pages or so back, I’ll see if I can find it and attach, if not then scroll back 10 or 15 pages it shouldnt be far off. Where abouts are you going to be working? Did you apply for the box itself or was it through the future opportunities?
 

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Roadster 7

Member
Joined
24 Oct 2017
Messages
38
I think that's three of us now with an interview for Oakham this week, fingers cross we all get a job :) I've had a look the last few days and some of the boxes round there look lovely, shame we can't get a visit due to the current unpleasantness. If I don't get a chance to say it before very best of luck and hopefully if we're all fortunate we'll end up as colleagues at some point. CJbennett, hope you manage to find a suitable post soon.

Great news to hear you have an interview too! Whether I get a position or not I genuinely hope you get a role its great to read the success stories on here from people who have a real interest in becoming a signaller and keeping plugging away at the applications to then eventually make it.
Best of luck to you for the interview.
 

LOM

Member
Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
405
Location
Been and gone.
Hi all. Apologies for being a pain, but does anyone know the shift times for the Alrewas box? Is it 8/12hrs, open 24hrs? Also any idea of rota (i.e. how many Sundays per 4 week). Feel free to PM me details if you don't want to put it in the forum.

Thanks!
I cannot help you with your question but I would just like to point out as a public service to everyone - because it appears on this thread a lot from outsiders - that in the rail industry we do not put the word ‘the’ in front of signalbox names. So it is just Alrewas box. A bit like ship names!
 

Rigchick

Member
Joined
5 May 2019
Messages
49
Congratulations on the job! There was a full 2020 salary run-down posted a few times, a few pages or so back, I’ll see if I can find it and attach, if not then scroll back 10 or 15 pages it shouldnt be far off. Where abouts are you going to be working? Did you apply for the box itself or was it through the future opportunities?
Thanks for the info. Applied 3 times for the same SB plus a couple of others. Taken me a year but finally got the nod. Now just waiting for the formal offer and a start date (hopefully this week according to my LOM)
 

GMac1502

Member
Joined
19 Jul 2018
Messages
55
Does anyone know if your allowed to take notes into your interview with you incase you forget your examples to the 8 competancies due to nerves etc?
 

Thebullet

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Joined
23 Apr 2020
Messages
24
Location
North West
Does anyone know if your allowed to take notes into your interview with you incase you forget your examples to the 8 competancies due to nerves etc?

There is no guidance on if you're allowed to take notes or not.
I think it's a personal choice but I wouldn't do it. I would read notes before the interview starts.
If you have a list of answers to questions the interviewer is most likely to ask and you are looking at these notes you come across as unprepared.
Remember you're trying to build a connection with the other person/s and if you rely on notes you can become distracted and be put off from a natural flow of conversation.
Prep, prep and more prep try and commit your answers to memory and if they're answers to the NTS then these should be things that have happened in your life so shouldn't be difficult to remember.
Good luck.
 
Joined
1 Mar 2018
Messages
988
Does anyone know if your allowed to take notes into your interview with you incase you forget your examples to the 8 competancies due to nerves etc?

Although I can't remember anything specifically saying that you couldn't take notes but I think the expectation is that you don't. To help prep yourself try not to learn your answers parrot fashion, rather just the key points as a memory jogger to enable you to expand on them in the interview. You might find it helps if you can do a couple practice interviews with a friend or family member.
 

LOM

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Joined
26 Dec 2019
Messages
405
Location
Been and gone.
Does anyone know if your allowed to take notes into your interview with you incase you forget your examples to the 8 competancies due to nerves etc?
There is nothing to stop you doing this and I have seen it a few times but in my experience it does not come across well and gets in the way of building a good interaction/rapport with your interviewers.

As an interviewer there is nothing worse than a candidate reciting a story they have learned parrot fashion in the manner of a hostage with a gun held to their head, and often which does not actually answer the question they have been asked.
 
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Amy1090

Member
Joined
11 Jun 2020
Messages
34
Location
Knottingley
Hey everyone! Just had an email confirming all pre employment checks completed and starting 5th October!! Can’t wait :D could anyone give me an idea of when the first payday would be for me? Thank you in advance!
 

MrsP2010

Member
Joined
31 Mar 2020
Messages
105
Location
Ellesmere
Hey everyone! Just had an email confirming all pre employment checks completed and starting 5th October!! Can’t wait :D could anyone give me an idea of when the first payday would be for me? Thank you in advance!
Congratulations! I'm still waiting (since end April) for my start date!! The next pay date after 5th October is 16th, then 4 weeks after
 

headshot119

Established Member
Joined
31 Dec 2010
Messages
2,052
Location
Dubai
Hey everyone! Just had an email confirming all pre employment checks completed and starting 5th October!! Can’t wait :D could anyone give me an idea of when the first payday would be for me? Thank you in advance!

You'll be paid on the 16th of October for the 5th of October to the 10th of October

Your first "full" pay day will be on the 13th of November, for the 11th of October to the 7th of November.
 

Defenestrate

Member
Joined
6 Aug 2019
Messages
130
Does anyone know if your allowed to take notes into your interview with you incase you forget your examples to the 8 competancies due to nerves etc?

I have a fancy zip up folder with ID documents, pen, paper etc that I took in with me.
During my first 3 or 4 interviews I opened it up and made notes on the questions that were asked (they can be a little wordy) but it may have been off putting to those conducting the interview as well as myself, looking back. Didn't get any offers.
Next interview, I thought it best to sack off the note writing, and fully focus on just answering the questions. It meant I practised and prepared more beforehand, was ready to adapt my examples to what was asked, and generally the interview felt like it "flowed" better, or was just generally better focused. Got the job.
 

Mark34

New Member
Joined
22 Jun 2020
Messages
4
Location
Leeds
Hi everyone, my first post so be nice. I have applied for Wakefield G4 GPR position and a few others that I am close by to. I am new to signalling and never realised how interesting the job sounds, and how lucrative it is! I have had my applications at Test completed stage for about 1-2 weeks now, and passed the benchmark tests (really makes it easy when they keep your test results so you can easily apply for additional roles). Ive read through all the information on this thread and Ive got to say its a really good knowledge base so thank you to everyone that has contributed. Anyone got a rough though on when they may shortlist for interview? And what do people think my chances are based on the fact I haven't been a signaller before.
 

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