Getting a Customer Service Advisor job on the Underground

[welshrailfan]

Hi

Due to only a small amount of stations and railways here in North Wales I am considering moving to London to try and get a job on the tube as I really want to work on the railway.

Does anyone know how competitive it is to get jobs at entry-level?

Is there a specific period when TFL hire or they do they hire more "as and when required"?

Apart from a small amount of retail and bar work I have mainly worked as a support worker for people with disabilities. Am I in with a chance of getting a job based on this or will I need more customer service experience?

Also, I'm colourblind with reds/greens. Are general customer service jobs on the tube safety critical?

Thanks alot if anyone can help answer these questions.

 

[gerryuk]

Station grades have just changed. 900 ticket office staff and station supervisors have just taken voluntary redundancy.
The entry level customer service assistant (1) with a salary of just over £30k were not affected, however customer service assistants have to work on platforms and if needed go down on to the track. Being colour-blind would be a problem.
They have just introduced a new entry level which could be of interest to you, customer service assistant 2. Unlike a csa1, I believe the role is basically meet and greet. You would be assisting customers at the gateline and around the ticket machines, you will not be doing any work platform level. The drawback however is you will be earning a lot less money than a csa1.
Check the TFL website regularly for vacancies.

 

[welshrailfan]

Cheers!

 

[bluegoblin7]

Red/green colourblindness shouldn't be an issue for the CSA1 role, as long as you declare it as early as possible (I believe that's during the initial application).

A couple of my colleagues are r/g colourblind and are restricted accordingly for anything relating to red or green lights.

 

[welshrailfan]

Good to know it wouldn't stop me getting a position, fairplay for them making allowances for people with colour blindness.