Job application timescales.

[andy50027]

Hi everyone.

(Bit of a long one but please stick with me!).

So I’m in the process of being made redundant.
My boss has sold the land and it will become flats and a supermarket.

I’m qualified car mechanic, City and Guilds 383 levels 1,2,3, Btec onc and hnc in motor vehicle repairs. Mot tester for 20 years.

If truth be known I’ve had enough of working on cars so I’m considering jumping ship and getting a job on the railways.
Either in maintenance or throwing it all in and going as a guard / TTI or something.
I probably live too far for maintenance jobs at Wimbledon, Fratton, Eastleigh or Northam so these are out. So maybe network rail maintenance or something.
Also maybe a guards job at Farnham, Guildford or Woking?
Does anyone know how long the process would take from closing date of applying should I be successful in applying?

The garage is set to close on 31st May so I’m in slight limbo as I can’t really apply yet as I don’t know how long it will take I don’t want to be offered an interview, assessment and training etc and turn it down (and be seen as a time waster) and nor do I want to find it takes up to 6 months and in turn be left in job limbo.
Would they be sympathetic to this?


Any thoughts and advice please?
Dm me if you want to keep this off page.

Thanks

 

[lbr97]

When I joined as a external candidate to my TOC it was close to 6 months from my initial application through to actually starting with them. Even internally recruitment tends to be a very slow process

 

[Intercitybruce]

How long is a piece of string.

If there is one thing about the railway what I’ve learned is that recruitment across all roles can take forever and a day, so if I was you apply for jobs that take your fancy see how you get on and go from there.

But I would line up another job for when the redundancy goes live at the same time just to be safe.

 

[LokiB]

Railway recruitment is notoriously slow. Both my roles have being relatively quick. To be a conductor it took from October initial application to March start date. Driver was April application to January start date.

However, if it happened that yours was incredibly quick surely your current bosses would understand with them making you redundant and allow you to leave early.

 

[43066]

Hi everyone.

(Bit of a long one but please stick with me!).

So I’m in the process of being made redundant.
My boss has sold the land and it will become flats and a supermarket.

I’m qualified car mechanic, City and Guilds 383 levels 1,2,3, Btec onc and hnc in motor vehicle repairs. Mot tester for 20 years.

If truth be known I’ve had enough of working on cars so I’m considering jumping ship and getting a job on the railways.
Either in maintenance or throwing it all in and going as a guard / TTI or something.
I probably live too far for maintenance jobs at Wimbledon, Fratton, Eastleigh or Northam so these are out. So maybe network rail maintenance or something.
Also maybe a guards job at Farnham, Guildford or Woking?
Does anyone know how long the process would take from closing date of applying should I be successful in applying?

The garage is set to close on 31st May so I’m in slight limbo as I can’t really apply yet as I don’t know how long it will take I don’t want to be offered an interview, assessment and training etc and turn it down (and be seen as a time waster) and nor do I want to find it takes up to 6 months and in turn be left in job limbo.
Would they be sympathetic to this?


Any thoughts and advice please?
Dm me if you want to keep this off page.

Thanks

Unfortunately it’s notoriously slow and can take (literally) years. There’s a tendency for prospective trainee drivers, in particular, to complete the selection process, only to be placed into a talent pool that the TOC then dips into as and when they need, and have training capacity.

That said this all depends on the vacancy, and guards (based on what’s said on here) can be a little quicker.

 

[andy50027]

Thanks for the replies.
As I thought, it will take a while.

I’ll get applying now and see how it goes.
If it takes longer I’ll do any job going, even stacking shelves at Sainsbury’s would probably be about the same wages as I’m currently on so I’d be happy with that!
Failing that I’ve got a broken class 50 to attend to to keep me busy!


Any tips on assessments etc?

 

[andy50027]

Hi everyone.

Quick update to the very slow job application process.
You were all spot on, it’s taking ages!

So in February I applied for a Farnham guard position, turned down almost straight away,

Revenue protection at Woking a few days later, same, emailed within 2 days.

I applied for Guildford gateline, heard nothing for about a month so I rang them.

Lady on the phone said there were 200 applications and they were working through them all.

About a fortnight ago I had an email saying my application was moving onto the next process and I now have a video interview with them in a few weeks.

My question is, what can I expect this to be like?

I’m a car mechanic but I’m popping home to do the interview as I live local.

Should I smarten myself up and change my work polo to a shirt and tie?

Is it a general personality and attitude check?

 

[43066]

Should I smarten myself up and change my work polo to a shirt and tie?

Yes!

 

[AG78UK]

Would say definitely smart dress for the video interview, did they say if it was a video interview as in 1-2-1 or is it pre-set questions that you have to answer?

Usually it goes:

Smart Dress (shirt and tie)

Research the Company you have applied for (their values, ethos etc)

Why you want to work for them

Then usually a few questions tell me about:

• When you dealt with a difficult customer
• When you had to work to rules / safety / regulations
• How you deal with set backs / failures (both personal and work)
• Example of good customer service
• Examples of working to deadlines / timescales
• How you would prioritise work (Safety First!)

 

[AndySV1K]

I was really fortunate to get in as a trainee driver on my first go……but the process took 3 years and 9 months between the application and actual start date.

that doesn’t mean of course that you shouldn’t go for a job on the railway, absolutely go for it. But be prepared that it likely won’t be a matter of weeks. More likely will be months and could well be years to get through the process!

 

[ComUtoR]

(Safety First!)

This is where people go wrong.

 

[winks]

I take it you live around the Farnham area. Your mechanical skills will
no doubt be of use to SWR at its depots - especially Salisbury. Appreciate it’s a bit far out in terms of travel…

Perhaps take a look at Network Rail’s website as they are always recruiting for track and maintenace operatives with a lot of roles in Basingstoke.

Good luck.

 

[andy50027]

I take it you live around the Farnham area. Your mechanical skills will
no doubt be of use to SWR at its depots - especially Salisbury. Appreciate it’s a bit far out in terms of travel…

Perhaps take a look at Network Rail’s website as they are always recruiting for track and maintenace operatives with a lot of roles in Basingstoke.

Good luck.

Thanks guys.

Safety first and smart dress code duly noted!

Yeah I in Farncombe so Farnham is only 15 mins away.
I did consider depot work but that would be 99% nights and my life wouldn’t cope with nights.
Plus depots like Fratton, Wimbledon and Southampton are just a touch too far from me to commute.

Same with Network Rail maintenance, night shifts aren’t really an option.

 

[andy50027]

Hi guys.
Full update.
So after my video call mid April, I was told to expect an answer in 7-10 days.
The next day I was offered a face to face interview at Guildford station for the week after.
After this is was told again, an answer in 7-10 days.
The next day they rang to offer me the job.
Medical competed I started my training today.
Had the induction day at Basingstoke today.

 

[Horizon22]

Congratulations! Long process - as railway recruitment often is - but hopefully you have a rewarding railway career.

 

[methecooldude]

Hi guys.
Full update.
So after my video call mid April, I was told to expect an answer in 7-10 days.
The next day I was offered a face to face interview at Guildford station for the week after.
After this is was told again, an answer in 7-10 days.
The next day they rang to offer me the job.
Medical competed I started my training today.
Had the induction day at Basingstoke today.

A belated welcome to the Railway Family

 

[andy50027]

A belated welcome to the Railway Family

Thank you!
It’s good to be in!

Next question,

What’s the best app for shifts?
I’m on an 8 week cycle so only really want to type the 8 weeks in and then auto repeat them if poss rather than keep typing them.

Would also like to share them with my other half as well if poss?

Happy to pay for a decent one…..?

 

[Stigy]

Thank you!
It’s good to be in!

Next question,

What’s the best app for shifts?
I’m on an 8 week cycle so only really want to type the 8 weeks in and then auto repeat them if poss rather than keep typing them.

Would also like to share them with my other half as well if poss?

Happy to pay for a decent one…..?

It’s easy enough to do with any smartphone these days. I use my calendar on my iPhone and synch it so the wife can see all the shifts etc. it should be easy for you as it rotates every 8 weeks and presumably the shifts at the same ish week after week? It’s a nightmare for me as nothing really repeats for about 36 weeks, as I’m a driver and as any driver will tell you, our shifts are all over the place generally

Welcome (albeit belated!) to the railway!

 

[transportphoto]

I’m on an 8 week cycle so only really want to type the 8 weeks in and then auto repeat them if poss rather than keep typing them.

I use the standard calendar app on my iPhone. Once the base roster is published, I go through it and load all the shifts in - set them to reoccur every X number of weeks - and then use the next block of weeks to double check it’s all showing correctly.

 

[DerekDingle]

Simple roster app on iPhone is good

 

[Twotwo]

Congratulations! I started off as a gateline assistant in 2015 and I've been a qualified driver for about a year and a bit now. The possibilities are endless.

 

[andy50027]

I’ve found the shifter app to be user friendly and easy to replicate my 8 weekly shift pattern.
I’ll play with the other suggestions tho and see if they are better.