New guy..

[Mrt1886]

First of all I'd like to say hello, I'm mark.

Secondly I'd like to ask a few questions to anyone willing to help me out. I appreciate the answers to many of my questions will be in the forum somewhere but I'm fishing for more a direct approach if I may on a more individual basis. (If allowed?)

I, like many on here, am thinking about a new career path into the train driving (if that's the official name?) path. My back ground is 14 years in the navy (non engineering branch, no acquired qualifications) and starting a family has made me question my commitment to the many months away at sea. I've literally searched for possible jobs that are a bit more left field than your average retail job etc that can offer a sturdy career path with prospects and stumbles across this possibility.

If anyone is willing to give me any information that i could benefit from from the recruitment process to training, anything I should be doing beforehand or guidance from the very start etc, I would appreciate it massivally either directly on here or via pm. I am a complete novice with anything to do with trains and feel a little naive in asking such questions.

Thanks in advance and apoligise again for going straight in asking for your time on an individual basis.

Mark

 

[bob1]

Hello mark,
Pretty much any question I had is already on this forum it's great for that. (Have look through the stickys). all I can say is you have to be patient, from my experience its slow old process. I applied for a trainee driver position back in 2011 and have only recently had my driver manager interview.

Did you ever venture onto fearless during time in?

 

[Mrt1886]

Hi bob, thanks the the reply.

I've posted without properly trawling through the other threads which I'm guessing is a school boy error!! Ill have a look through thou and hopefully I can gain some insight.

How long does the process take on average?

I was never lucky enough to serve on the fearless or intrepid. They were both Portsmouth based and I am Plymouth. My background is/was type 22 frigates which under the the defence review were all decommissioned. Crying shame because they were the best ships to serve on.

 

[bob1]

Couldn't possibly know the average, but I'd say don't be disappointed if your still in the process for a year, I believe the amount of applicants per vacancy is absoloutly huge. Just focus on getting the application form perfect first as short listing at that stage is brutal.

I think I must have joined the mob around the same time as you, I was on fearless for a couple of years as a stoker, never been on type 22

 

[Mrt1886]

I've done the initial form filling online that asks various questions. I answered them quite freely without fully understanding the probable importance of it. Hoping it doesn't get filtered the wrong way.

Bob, having served before, would you say that the train service would still process meh the same way even though I'm still fully employed by the navy? I'm just not in a suitable position to leave and then apply with the fear of unemployment setting inbetween. As you know we are at 12 months notice to leave however on some occasions (where a suitable job opportunity arises) they navy have been willing to accept a request for early release.

 

[bob1]

As far as I understand they should process your application in the exact same way as any other ( equal opportunities etc ), I left a while ago and I was under the impression that like you say if you have a job to go to and the 12 months would hinder this, then early release is possible but don't quote me on that.

 

[Lincoln_biker]

Hi mrt1886,
I've been interested in this career for some time now (since childhood) but have only just ventured into trying to actually do anything about it too! Stage 1 in getting into the rail industry is trawling places like this and doing some research. I think many do not and a bit of homework always pays off in the end. Find out who your local Train Operating Company (TOC) is and search on here as to whether they take on trainees, and if so where. My local station is Lincoln, and my local TOC - East Midlands Trains, do not do trainees in Lincoln. So I've had to look at the concept of moving.
There's two sticky topics at the top of the "jobs and careers" thread, with the Group Bourdon and Sustained Concentration and Attention Tests (named GBT & SCAAT - took me ages to figure out!) and a reactions test attached. Just download them and get practicing. From what I understand if you're lucky to get invited to psychometric testing you'll do stuff like this, and if you're unlucky enough to fail the psychometric testing twice, you go on some sort of database that prevents you from ever getting into the industry as a driver. Seems mental to me, but it appears to be the case. Also, revise your GCSE or O Level physics because you'll get some sort of mechanical testing too.

At the application stage you'll get asked questions like "Have you been in a situation that has required you to concentrate for long periods of time? If so, please explain" or "Train drivers require intensive training. Please detail times where you have been on training courses for longer than two weeks". Take the time to think these through and be meticulous with spelling and grammar. It would appear that this is enough for a TOC to reject an application.

This is all I know of the application process. I wish I'd had the cojones to just straight up ask what's involved, but I was fearful of an ear bending. Much to my dismay, this forum doesn't seem to be quite like that!

If you apply for a job with a TOC that you have no intention of even considering, I don't know what turning down the offer to go to psychometric testing does to your two strike thing. Perhaps someone here could enlighten me on that? If it doesn't affect it then I guess there's no harm in applying to any TOC trainee driver job that comes up as it'll help you strengthen your application for a job you really want. I stand prepared to be corrected on all of this, but it seems to conclude my hours and hours of trawling into one small essay!

Finally, good luck on getting into a trainee job. LB

 

[Mrt1886]

LB thank you for the reply. Very helpful. Living in plymouth would suggest that a relocation would be likely to achieve any career in the industry.

I will try and forge out a plan from the information I've already read on here and look forward to hearing anything back from First Great Western. I'm in the safety bubble of employment which slighty reduces the importance of needing it desperately and gives me time.

When I clicked onto the advert for the trainee job listing, it asked me alot of questions regarding my experiences etc with concentration levels and work patterns, is this the first steps that they methodical trawl through? I'm a little worried I may not have given my answers in the best discription. I answered all questions but looking back I would have liked to have been more informative.

 

[PeteH]

LB thank you for the reply. Very helpful. Living in plymouth would suggest that a relocation would be likely to achieve any career in the industry.

I will try and forge out a plan from the information I've already read on here and look forward to hearing anything back from First Great Western. I'm in the safety bubble of employment which slighty reduces the importance of needing it desperately and gives me time.

When I clicked onto the advert for the trainee job listing, it asked me alot of questions regarding my experiences etc with concentration levels and work patterns, is this the first steps that they methodical trawl through? I'm a little worried I may not have given my answers in the best discription. I answered all questions but looking back I would have liked to have been more informative.

Plymouth is (just) under an hour from a FGW depot at Par, Cornwall. There are plenty of other FGW depots across the region (that you can Google), you wouldn't have to move far.

 

[TDK]

LB thank you for the reply. Very helpful. Living in plymouth would suggest that a relocation would be likely to achieve any career in the industry.

I will try and forge out a plan from the information I've already read on here and look forward to hearing anything back from First Great Western. I'm in the safety bubble of employment which slighty reduces the importance of needing it desperately and gives me time.

When I clicked onto the advert for the trainee job listing, it asked me alot of questions regarding my experiences etc with concentration levels and work patterns, is this the first steps that they methodical trawl through? I'm a little worried I may not have given my answers in the best discription. I answered all questions but looking back I would have liked to have been more informative.

From a personal experience in recruiting Train Drivers ex forces personnel do very well when it comes to sifting, if you put exactly what they want from what other people say to put on the forms the assessor sifting (and I have sifted thousends of applications) can uusually tell that the answers given are from a forum/advisor or not the thoughts or have the originality of the applicant so don't worry too much on what you have put as long as you have answered the questions truthfully and put over that you have had experience with shifts, meachanical background, working alone etc. you not need worry.

 

[Lincoln_biker]

When I clicked onto the advert for the trainee job listing, it asked me alot of questions regarding my experiences etc with concentration levels and work patterns, is this the first steps that they methodical trawl through? I'm a little worried I may not have given my answers in the best discription. I answered all questions but looking back I would have liked to have been more informative.

Yeah that's the stuff. It appears as though they'll reject the guff applicants that won't relocate, or use the wrong colour ink etc. then this is the section where you sell yourself. Essentially you put what it is you did that meets the requirements of the question, then a few sentences to link it to the role of a train driver. For example, in the "have you concentrated for long periods of time" question, I explained that I do strip downs and repairs of electromechanical equipment that can take upwards of 5-6 hours to complete. I then linked it to train driving by observing that driving a route may take similar lengths of time and require me to concentrate on signals, station approaches, warning systems, weather conditions and highlighted a need to change my driving style accordingly. If this isn't what they wanted to hear me say, I'll find out soon enough! Likewise, if your answers weren't upto their exacting standards and they reject your application, ask HR for feedback.

We'll get there some day!!!! LB

 

[TDK]

Yeah that's the stuff. It appears as though they'll reject the guff applicants that won't relocate, or use the wrong colour ink etc. then this is the section where you sell yourself. Essentially you put what it is you did that meets the requirements of the question, then a few sentences to link it to the role of a train driver. For example, in the "have you concentrated for long periods of time" question, I explained that I do strip downs and repairs of electromechanical equipment that can take upwards of 5-6 hours to complete. I then linked it to train driving by observing that driving a route may take similar lengths of time and require me to concentrate on signals, station approaches, warning systems, weather conditions and highlighted a need to change my driving style accordingly. If this isn't what they wanted to hear me say, I'll find out soon enough! Likewise, if your answers weren't upto their exacting standards and they reject your application, ask HR for feedback.

We'll get there some day!!!! LB

More applicats are rejected for not completeing the form than any other reason, usually about 40%

 

[Lincoln_biker]

More applicats are rejected for not completeing the form than any other reason, usually about 40%

Ouch! But then if you're one of a few thousand applying, you've got to "be the best of the best of the best" (thanks MiB/Will Smith)