-
Our booking engine at tickets.railforums.co.uk (powered by TrainSplit) helps support the running of the forum with every ticket purchase! Find out more and ask any questions/give us feedback in this thread!
How many applications and interviews until you cracked it?
- Thread starter MDCW
- Start date
- Status
Sponsor Post - registered members do not see these adverts; click here to register, or click here to log in
R
RailUK Forums
3436mill
Member
I have passed psychometric tests with southeastern, freightliner, greater anglia, gtr but buggered up the interviews :/.
Mcr Warrior
Veteran Member
- Joined
- 8 Jan 2009
- Messages
- 11,804
Ten out of ten for perseverance, but maybe, just maybe, time to look elsewhere, for something that better suits your talents?
(You'll know what you're really good at!)
Bucephalus
Member
I still haven't 'got in' so expect the list below to grow:
Manchester metrolink x2
Northern driver
Swr guard x 3
Swr shunter x2 (interview)
Gwr driver
Gtr shunter x3
Gtr station assistant x2
Overground driver
Tramlink x2 (interview)
Lner station assistant
Lner driver
Avanti driver
Tfl train maintainer (interview)
Freightliner groundstaff x2
Db cargo groundstaff
Overground station assistant
Network rail signaller
Network rail operative
Balfour Beatty (I think?) Tamper driver
28 over about five years, if I've not missed any.
I don't really want to give up but it is starting to affect me mentally
Maybe? I passed DMI, rail operator. Close, but not close enough!Ten out of ten for perseverance, but maybe, just maybe, time to look elsewhere, for something that better suits your talents?
(You'll know what you're really good at!)
I know how you feel. Do you get any useful feedback? What job are you doing now?
martin2345uk
Established Member
On and off, about 8 years mate... 
Trogladyte
Member
- Joined
- 2 Feb 2020
- Messages
- 69
Got trainee driver job at my second and final go at the psychometrics 
Congratulations! What TOC?Got trainee driver job at my second and final go at the psychometrics
Trogladyte
Member
- Joined
- 2 Feb 2020
- Messages
- 69
sounds like you’re just applying for any job going with no real plan? How can you apply for signallers jobs, to customer assistant jobs to Driver jobs? Maybe this is why you are failing as you’re all over the place?
Third time lucky for me:
I'm going back to the late 80s when BR was the only railway employer. Whilst at uni, I initially applied to join the graduate trainee scheme but didn't even get shortlisted for a "milk round" interview. Then a family friend used the old "its not what you know its who you know" trick to try and get me a clerical job in BR but by that time I had already accepted a graduate trainee job in a company outside the rail industry.
Fast forward four years to the early 90s (prior to BR being privatised) and I saw an advert in the paper for a management level job in BR (such adverts were extremely rare in those days). Anyway I applied and was interviewed and whilst I didn't get the job I originally applied for my details were forwarded to another manager who also interviewed me for a vacant post they had. That was successful and so begun a 27 year railway career.
I'm going back to the late 80s when BR was the only railway employer. Whilst at uni, I initially applied to join the graduate trainee scheme but didn't even get shortlisted for a "milk round" interview. Then a family friend used the old "its not what you know its who you know" trick to try and get me a clerical job in BR but by that time I had already accepted a graduate trainee job in a company outside the rail industry.
Fast forward four years to the early 90s (prior to BR being privatised) and I saw an advert in the paper for a management level job in BR (such adverts were extremely rare in those days). Anyway I applied and was interviewed and whilst I didn't get the job I originally applied for my details were forwarded to another manager who also interviewed me for a vacant post they had. That was successful and so begun a 27 year railway career.
Something like ten applications and five management interviews over a two year period. I got through the psychometrics very quickly but found various DMIs very difficult to get through. I was in my early twenties at the time and didn't have the life experience of the other candidates I don't think. I got a driving role in the end and have been qualified for nearly three years.
For those that aren't in safety-cirital jobs (I wasn't when I applied), I'd suggest writing/talking about any safety-critical hobbies, doing so helped me out.
For those that aren't in safety-cirital jobs (I wasn't when I applied), I'd suggest writing/talking about any safety-critical hobbies, doing so helped me out.
LSWR Cavalier
Established Member
I want to know more about the people who got a job at the first or second try, what experience or training do they have?
I suspect luck and contacts are not often decisive
I suspect luck and contacts are not often decisive
rakoczigabi
Member
Here’s my story , started with SWT/R in February 2016
I never planned to work for the railway or knew anything about it. But got in at my first go ( maybe luck ? )
A guard who used to be friend with my husband told me in September 2015 that I should apply for a job in the railway , she said it’s great fun.
I went on SWT website and they were advertising a part time RO2 position , Monday to Friday 6am-10am. Something part time suited me with the weekends off.
I’ve applied for it , went through the assessments and passed.
On my way home on the train when the guard seen my free travel ticket asked me how was my assessment and if I passed etc.
Then he said I should look up the company and learn stuff about it for the interview.
I never thought that I should do that
So I went home and spent the next week learning about the company and trains on my interview they’ve asked me what I know about it and I haven’t stopped talking for 10 mins
Got a call the next morning that if I’m still interested I got the job.
Didn’t start till mid February 2016 , but it was worth the wait and I’m glad I went through it.
I’m a trainee driver now just a bit over a year now. Applied to be a trainee driver in 2017, got my assessments 2 months later , failed the last assessment on the computer ( 2 hand coordination ). Took me a long time to re try due to bereavement , but passed second time and passed the interviews as well in October 2019 , started the course in December 2019.
I never in my life thought that I’ll be working for the railway , my railway knowledge was 0 , I was the person who sat on the wrong part of the train and it’s divided and I ended up at the wrong destination so many times , but here I am , and I still loving it
I’ve started as a housekeeper when I moved to England back in 2011, who knew back then that I’ll end up here ?
I definitely didn’t plan it.
Ohh the job I had before the railway was in customer service for a courier company.
I didn't know anyone in the industry, researched the tests and questions I was likely to be asked and went thoroughly over it all so I knew it, with the mmi and dmi it helps if you can think on your feet also for when they put you under pressure.
HamSandwich
Member
I got in first time - with no contacts in the industry. I previously worked in offices and similar in other industries, however I was a first aider in those roles, and was able to talk about incidents that I have been involved in, as well as NTS which can be drawn from anything.
iphone76
Member
I was also lucky also with the first time. I applied in Spring 2015 with MTR. I was fortunate as I saw the post on here about them taking on a few hundred trainee drivers for the project. I didn't know anyone in the industry.
I got through all the stages and started in early 2016 and qualified late Summer.
I was lucky in the sense that they were taking on so many drivers, however, I think they said a few hundred / thousand people applied for each position so I must have done something right. The biggest hurdle was the group bourbon test. From memory 20 odd went down to 4 or 5.
In terms of tips, stay focused on each stage, do your research - be that the company, routes, industry news. When I got through to the interview stage I found out who would be conducting it and looked at their LinkedIn profiles and was able to weave in some of their railway interests (CBTC, etc. into the interview).
I got through all the stages and started in early 2016 and qualified late Summer.
I was lucky in the sense that they were taking on so many drivers, however, I think they said a few hundred / thousand people applied for each position so I must have done something right. The biggest hurdle was the group bourbon test. From memory 20 odd went down to 4 or 5.
In terms of tips, stay focused on each stage, do your research - be that the company, routes, industry news. When I got through to the interview stage I found out who would be conducting it and looked at their LinkedIn profiles and was able to weave in some of their railway interests (CBTC, etc. into the interview).
Coach Carter
Member
- Joined
- 21 Sep 2018
- Messages
- 227
I was driving coaches before I applied. I had originally wanted to apply long before I actually did but back then I didn’t feel I had anything like the experience or skills they were looking for on the applications. But after being in my coach driving job for 3 years I felt ready to apply. I passed everything with my first application in 2018 and was placed in the pool for freightliner just before Christmas that year. At the start of 2019 I saw an advert for a toc near me so applied to that as well, I quickly had a dmi with them and 2 days later had a firm offer with a start date and medical booked.
One for me.
I actually applied to another TOC shortly after sending off the first application and failed to proceed, However proceeded through all examinations with the original TOC which was closer to home and slightly improved salary, win win!
I actually applied to another TOC shortly after sending off the first application and failed to proceed, However proceeded through all examinations with the original TOC which was closer to home and slightly improved salary, win win!
1st time applying for a Trainee Driver role. I am from outside the train industry and had no contacts to "put in a word"
I can imagine the frustrations of those whom have applied multiple times, but having been on this forum for a while now, the one thing that does stand out is perseverance and not giving up hope if it is genuinely what you want to do. Take each role on its own merits and write your application to hit all points raised in the job specification/description.
Good luck....it will be worth it in the end.
I can imagine the frustrations of those whom have applied multiple times, but having been on this forum for a while now, the one thing that does stand out is perseverance and not giving up hope if it is genuinely what you want to do. Take each role on its own merits and write your application to hit all points raised in the job specification/description.
Good luck....it will be worth it in the end.
Railroader22
Member
About 6 applications. Never made it to Assessment stage for Driver. Failed at interview for Customer Ambassador. Completed 2 assessments centres (one for TfL CSA2 and one for SWR Guard). Passed both, went to interview and passed both. Now got two job offers, but no start date for either because of Covid.
Didn't know any one in the industry. Emergency service background helped with the questions in the MMI.
PaulBusDriver
Member
- Joined
- 26 Jul 2018
- Messages
- 248
I was a bus driver and heard through colleagues about opportunities with train companies. Looking into the industry more I realised that there were a lot of parallels between my job and the railway.
I applied for Freightliner in 2018, passed stage 1 assessments to National standard which halted that application. Unfortunately the concurrent application I had with DB cargo had to be withdrawn as I wanted to focus on one.
I had applied to WMT in 2018 but they were pretty slow and I forgot about them. I applied for GWR in 2019 and went straight to the 2nd stage assessments as they accept national standard.
I passed, did my DMI and passed to land in a Talent Pool.
I was disheartened not to hear anything more about that and applied to other places, whilst still putting in applications to any other TOC within an hours driving distance. I've still at this current time got a live application with TFW but I'm a few weeks away from starting as a trainee driver with WMT.
My previous experience was ten years as a shop manager, dealing with mobile phones, sat nav and mobile phone accessories sales. I spent five years driving buses and in both jobs became comfortable with responsibility. I feel that running bus services gave me a awareness of the importance of safety and instilled a safety focused attitude.
My advice if your not getting anywhere with applications is try working in a similar safety focused job first. I get the impression that the interviewers are very certain of the kind of person they need and that you won't be able to treat TOC interviews like any traditional job interview, they need real evidence of specific skills and a convincing demonstration of your own safety focused mindset.
I applied for Freightliner in 2018, passed stage 1 assessments to National standard which halted that application. Unfortunately the concurrent application I had with DB cargo had to be withdrawn as I wanted to focus on one.
I had applied to WMT in 2018 but they were pretty slow and I forgot about them. I applied for GWR in 2019 and went straight to the 2nd stage assessments as they accept national standard.
I passed, did my DMI and passed to land in a Talent Pool.
I was disheartened not to hear anything more about that and applied to other places, whilst still putting in applications to any other TOC within an hours driving distance. I've still at this current time got a live application with TFW but I'm a few weeks away from starting as a trainee driver with WMT.
My previous experience was ten years as a shop manager, dealing with mobile phones, sat nav and mobile phone accessories sales. I spent five years driving buses and in both jobs became comfortable with responsibility. I feel that running bus services gave me a awareness of the importance of safety and instilled a safety focused attitude.
My advice if your not getting anywhere with applications is try working in a similar safety focused job first. I get the impression that the interviewers are very certain of the kind of person they need and that you won't be able to treat TOC interviews like any traditional job interview, they need real evidence of specific skills and a convincing demonstration of your own safety focused mindset.
Bucephalus
Member
only one interview provided me with feedback and the advice was to provide more eye contact, clearer communication, and stronger examples to the main competency questions. As it was a shunter job I thought "fair enough".
I'm currently working as a bus driver - luckily I quite enjoy it!
Best of luck mdcw, it's not over yet...
@Trogladyte
Fair point. It would certainly be less labour to focus one specific thing rather than all sorts of jobs. The issue I have at the moment is that I lost both lives on my psychometric tests so I have to be open-minded to non-train driver stuff.
Glad to hear it dude, we were at the 1st FL assessment together. Been driving nearly 18 months now!
I had no previous experience, just fell lucky i think, passed everything first time.
Over the last couple of years I'm on application 8.
3x Signaller.
1x station supervisor.
1x conductor
2x trainee driver (1 role withdrawn).
I was starting to feel it would never happen but I can understand why none of these got anywhere near a job. I'd not truly appreciated what was required on a railway application so what I submitted even after tweeking it each time would never have appealed to the companies.
I then spent a few months really researching what's needed (this forum is a gold mine tbh) and my first application after has got me into a talent pool. Hopefully it leads to a job but if it doesn't it's given me the confidence to keep trying until I do get my opportunity.
In my limited experience I'd advise to step back, do some serious research, then look at you application responses/cv with an open mind and potentially change the hole thing to suit the job you're going for.
Best of luck mate.
3x Signaller.
1x station supervisor.
1x conductor
2x trainee driver (1 role withdrawn).
I was starting to feel it would never happen but I can understand why none of these got anywhere near a job. I'd not truly appreciated what was required on a railway application so what I submitted even after tweeking it each time would never have appealed to the companies.
I then spent a few months really researching what's needed (this forum is a gold mine tbh) and my first application after has got me into a talent pool. Hopefully it leads to a job but if it doesn't it's given me the confidence to keep trying until I do get my opportunity.
In my limited experience I'd advise to step back, do some serious research, then look at you application responses/cv with an open mind and potentially change the hole thing to suit the job you're going for.
Best of luck mate.
- Status