Help

[Dylanm0197]

Hi there just wondering if someone could help me before I lose all sanity , over the last 18 months I’ve applied for every role available with scotrail , and every time for the last 18 months I’ve received the same rejection letter . I’m 23 years of age had some experience working with public , previously worked shift , willing to work weekends , don’t drink . Does anyone know anything else I could do to be successful next time or atleast make it by the next stage of the application process , or am I better just giving up And trying something else.

 

[LCC106]

Have a look at the roles and responsibilities of the job and try to match them with experience of your own. They will be looking a bit more deeply than someone who has done shift work. For instance, for safety critical jobs it may be demonstrating concentrating for long periods of time, following rules and procedures, dealing with abusive / unhappy members of the public etc. If you don’t have experience of those things then you need to find a job where you can start to do so.

 

[Dylanm0197]

Have a look at the roles and responsibilities of the job and try to match them with experience of your own. They will be looking a bit more deeply than someone who has done shift work. For instance, for safety critical jobs it may be demonstrating concentrating for long periods of time, following rules and procedures, dealing with abusive / unhappy members of the public etc. If you don’t have experience of those things then you need to find a job where you can start to do so.

I’m currently working in the whiskey industry and have previously worked in retail few years ago everything you’ve said I put in my application forum regarding working with customers etc .

 

[LCC106]

When you say you are applying for everything, what specifically are the roles? If it’s trainee driver, it would be worth googling Non Technical Skills to see the skills and qualities needed of a driver and try to illustrate those or work on building your experience there. An application for, say gate line assistant would be different from that of someone doing revenue protection, guard or driver. Not sure I can be of much help, just a few thoughts.

 

[185]

Apply beyond your local operator, be prepared to apply for all roles and relocate. Apply to all train companies regardless of location if you really want in. Once in, get qualified and transfer back. Many of us have successfully done it, after being turned down by our local firms (who've often subsequently lost their franchise). Repeatedly being booted by one train company shouldn't necessarily be seen as a sign of a substandard application or applicant - often the recruitment people themselves are the problem.

One key point -
I'm sure you already have, but when applying, pay close attention to the sections marked give an example of a situation when... (or similar) - these are relevant to the job you apply for eg- Driver post may ask for an example of following rules or working alone, Conductor may ask for dealing with a difficult situation or Dispatcher may ask for remaining focused during distraction. When sifting applications (after the recruitment people have done their initial sift), these are what relevent managers generally look at to invite to interview or not.

 

[Dylanm0197]

When you say you are applying for everything, what specifically are the roles? If it’s trainee driver, it would be worth googling Non Technical Skills to see the skills and qualities needed of a driver and try to illustrate those or work on building your experience there. An application for, say gate line assistant would be different from that of someone doing revenue protection, guard or driver. Not sure I can be of much help, just a few thoughts.

I’ve applied for most roles in Near Glasgow , Ideally I would’ve liked to be a train driver but I know the difficulties and that why I was trying to start at the bottom and potential work my way up , I’ve applied for ticket examiner, gate line , hospitality but I can’t seem to get a break , I’ve even emailed hr for some clarification on my application but it does state that feedback isn’t available at this point.

 

[LCC106]

When you apply for different roles are you putting down that you see it as a starting point to being a driver? If so that might be putting HR off. The idea that they will spend lots of time and money training someone who is just using it as a stepping stone. Also, lots of people do go in straight as Trainee Drivers but plenty do the same as you trying to get your foot in the door.

 

[lae150]

Cross Country are advertising for RSM's. I'm pretty sure they have staff based in Edinburgh and would get you a foot in the door: https://jobs.deutschebahngroup.care...ail-Service-Managers-multiple-locations/25765

 

[221129]

Cross Country are advertising for RSM's. I'm pretty sure they have staff based in Edinburgh and would get you a foot in the door: https://jobs.deutschebahngroup.care...ail-Service-Managers-multiple-locations/25765

It's an expression of interest only. There are currently no vacancies at Edinburgh.

 

[lae150]

It's an expression of interest only. There are currently no vacancies at Edinburgh.

Still worth doing though!

 

[Dylanm0197]

Apply beyond your local operator, be prepared to apply for all roles and relocate. Apply to all train companies regardless of location if you really want in. Once in, get qualified and transfer back. Many of us have successfully done it, after being turned down by our local firms (who've often subsequently lost their franchise). Repeatedly being booted by one train company shouldn't necessarily be seen as a sign of a substandard application or applicant - often the recruitment people themselves are the problem.

One key point -
I'm sure you already have, but when applying, pay close attention to the sections marked give an example of a situation when... (or similar) - these are relevant to the job you apply for eg- Driver post may ask for an example of following rules or working alone, Conductor may ask for dealing with a difficult situation or Dispatcher may ask for remaining focused during distraction. When sifting applications (after the recruitment people have done their initial sift), these are what relevent managers generally look at to invite to interview or not.

Emailed a lot of the different company and have been told that they on hire if you live within 45 minutes of the train station your applying for .

 

[Dylanm0197]

When you apply for different roles are you putting down that you see it as a starting point to being a driver? If so that might be putting HR off. The idea that they will spend lots of time and money training someone who is just using it as a stepping stone. Also, lots of people do go in straight as Trainee Drivers but plenty do the same as you trying to get your foot in the door.

No I haven’t put down I’m using it as a stepping stone as I wouldn’t I would’ve like to learn everything and maybe after a few years progress , am literally just looking for a break in the industry ,but it’ll surely be more harder for job in it now after the pandemic .

 

[Dylanm0197]

When you say you are applying for everything, what specifically are the roles? If it’s trainee driver, it would be worth googling Non Technical Skills to see the skills and qualities needed of a driver and try to illustrate those or work on building your experience there. An application for, say gate line assistant would be different from that of someone doing revenue protection, guard or driver. Not sure I can be of much help, just a few thoughts.

Thanks for you advice much appreciated.

 

[Dylanm0197]

Cross Country are advertising for RSM's. I'm pretty sure they have staff based in Edinburgh and would get you a foot in the door: https://jobs.deutschebahngroup.care...ail-Service-Managers-multiple-locations/25765

I’ll check that out thanks for your help .

 

[Dylanm0197]

It's an expression of interest only. There are currently no vacancies at Edinburgh.

Thanks

 

[185]

Emailed a lot of the different company and have been told that they on hire if you live within 45 minutes of the train station your applying for .

You could either suggest (clearly) in your application or email contact with them that you are willing to relocate, or failing that - thwart their system if you've got friends resident in that area and use their address, then quietly relocate after a firm job offer.

 

[Dylanm0197]

You could either suggest (clearly) in your application or email contact with them that you are willing to relocate, or failing that - thwart their system if you've got friends resident in that area and use their address, then quietly relocate after a firm job offer.

A lot of them are in England though and I’m not in contact with anyone living there as I live in Scotland , previously applied for a role within Carlisle and emailed the company informing them that I would be willing to relocate , to which they replied that due to me not living within 45min of the trainstation I applied for that couldn’t be possible .

 

[Joliver]

Are you using the same generic application for all the different roles? If so, as others have said, tailor each one for the specific role you are applying for.
Make sure your C.V is the best it can be too.
Try not to get to disheartened, we've all had knock backs along the way.

Good luck

 

[Dylanm0197]

Are you using the same generic application for all the different roles? If so, as others have said, tailor each one for the specific role you are applying for.
Make sure your C.V is the best it can be too.
Try not to get to disheartened, we've all had knock backs along the way.

Good luck

Scotrail doesn’t get you to send a cv , and ano am really just looking for we’re I went wrong so next time I can sort it out and hopefully be more successful . It must be something I’m doing if after 18 months of applying I’m not getting by the first stage . Thanks for your help .

 

[TeeTeeMcgee]

Best bit of advice I can provide is link your CV to the essential criteria in the job description. Literally. So if one of the criteria is for example - experience of effective time management, put that in.

Many larger companies now use software to shortlist and even those that don't look at hundreds of CVs. Make it easy for them to score you the highest against the essential criteria. Match the language as much as you can.

Best of luck!