Advice for a newbie to becoming a trainee conductor

[binkov50]

I’ve been a long-time train enthusiast and in the railway Industry. For a long time, I was a video editor with no real direction where I wanted to go further and I have decided I would want to able to progress a career in the railway industry.

What I would like to work towards becoming is a trainee train conductor, which I have been doing some research to what employer’s want in experience as a candidate. A lot of it being experience in customer service, and enigeering.

I have looked at other careers such as rail engineering, and a signaller which would have an good entry path into as well.

Right now, in life I am at a start fresh position. For the past couple of years now my only work experience is being a freelance video, which paid well until not so long ago. And also, food delivery with Just eat. It’s not much of work experience and it’s been hard finding any work. Due also to reasons I wasn’t able to finish secondary school. I am attending college now to catch up for it.

My friend tried applying to a trainee Conductor for Northern as well with A levels, and previous experience in customer service and sadly didn't hear back from it as well.

I have searched for customer service job’s and there seems to be quite a shortage of them over the country. I was hoping I could get a job in one working at a station so I could get the necessary work experience to put towards a conductor position. There have existed apprenticeship roles for customer service at a train station but I haven’t been able to find any outside of one in South Hampton.

What I would like to ask where would you advise is the best route to go to getting to this job from this position? Would it be to keep trying to apply to customer service roles, or other jobs based at station's, or to try something else?

I am also 20 as well.

Cheers

 

[driver9000]

They're going to ask for education and exam grades on the application so if I was you I would finish catching up with what you missed before applying. At 20 time is very much on your side so don't worry about getting knocked back just keep at it and maybe try your local supermarkets or bars to build up customer service experience.

 

[skyhigh]

What I would like to work towards becoming is a trainee train conductor, which I have been doing some research to what employer’s want in experience as a candidate. A lot of it being experience in customer service, and enigeering.

Engineering experience is of no relevance to a Conductor role, I wouldn't worry about trying to gain experience there.

 

[transportphoto]

Engineering experience is of no relevance to a Conductor role, I wouldn't worry about trying to gain experience there.

Agreed.

@binkov50 - you’ll find that your assessment days and interviews will mainly focus on customer service.

Your ability to work in a team will be assessed, but also your ability to work to your own initiative (a guard finds themselves lone working pretty much all the time!)

You’ll also find they’ll ask about times where you’ve perhaps had to work to a specific set of rules, or suchlike.

A lot of TOCs are also now moving towards trainee guards being apprentices - completing Maths and English functional skills as part of this.

I’d echo the above advice from the other posters. Take a breather, relax a little, but also make the most of any opportunity you see you put an application in

 

[PupCuff]

The sorts of experience companies would tend to look for for people going for a conductor role would be things like working to rules and procedures, customer service, cash handling, dealing with conflict effectively, and shift work.

I agree engineering experience would not be relevant for a conductor role, there's nothing a conductor would do which would require this.

In interview, you'd typically be asked questions like "can you give me an example of a time when you have..." so a good thing to do is write down a list of events which could be good answers to those type of questions ahead of time so you can refer to them.

I'd just gently note there's a fair few typos in your opening post and whilst everyone makes the odd one here or there, when it comes to your application it's really important that your CV and anything you write up on the application uses correct spelling and grammar. Get a friend or family member to check it over before you send it in.

Be sure to bookmark the recruitment pages of the TOCs closest to you and check them every few days so you don't miss any job postings. Most TOCs will expect you to be less than an hour's drive from the location you're applying to.

And, good luck! It's good to see new people keen to join the industry.