Just wondering what age is the oldest trainee driver you've known to get a driving job on the railway?
I've been trying for a few years now since joining the railway at 19 and although I am only 25, I am starting to wonder if I will ever get one. I've come close a couple of times with a couple of freight companies, but unfortunately have just missed out.
I kept my options open by not purchasing a property so I could relocate, but this year I have bit the bullet and bought one which has limited my options somewhat. Hopefully my current TOC will advertise at some point...
Don't give up on your goals Sammy H, I have recently passed the Assessment Day and am now awaiting a medical before starting the Trainee Train Driver course late next year (2017), when I will be a sprightly 50 year old! The TOC I have applied for will have at least 17 years of loyal service out of me, so I'm not a bad investment for them.
The best advice I can give is to not look too far into the future and instead, concentrate on each step of the process, one step at a time. For example:
- Get your application all ready for when the job advertisements come out. Use the roles and responsibilities of a Train driver as headings and give lots of examples on your experiences to match each quality the TOC are looking for. Submit your application as soon as the post is advertised as it may be retracted early. You have got to put in a lot of hours to get this part of the process right. Your application has to stand out amongst all the other applicants' applications. There will be a thousand plus to compete with.
- I found the telephone interview the hardest part of the process to pass. I tried 4 times before passing it. Again, we are still in the brutal early sifting stages. Make sure you know all the routes, as much about the TOC as possible e.g. how they are funded, any initiatives, a bit of history, their corp values etc. Make sure you mention H&S awareness and Customer service experience. Know the role of a Train driver; I explained the typical daily routine from start of shift to going home at the end of the day, which seems to have done the trick.
- At the face to face interview, make sure you have plenty of experiences you can relate to and give your answers in a structured form. Easier said than done I know but if you follow; Situation, Task, Actions (yours) and the Results, you won't go far wrong. Tell the interviewers what YOU did, not what the team did, so you'll be needing to use "I" as opposed to "we". Try to relax, this interview is not as stressful as the telephone interview, in fact I found it a very pleasant experience due to the interviewers' responsiveness. At this stage, they want to get the best out of you, as a lot of effort has been spent getting the right candidates to this stage. Dress smart, invest in a good suit. Relax and don't waffle, if they need more information from you, they will ask you a follow-up question to help you elaborate.
- For the Assessment Day, make sure you practice the examples you are sent by the TOC prior to the event. Practice, practice, practice. This is the easiest part of the process, or at least I thought so. Enjoy the experience and just concentrate on your own efforts. Don't concern yourself on how well others are doing. You might think you haven't done so well at one assessment but don't dwell on it, you'll probably find you did fine at it later. Give each assessment your full attention and if you don't understand the process after the practice run, make sure you ask the assessor to go over it again. You get one go at it, so best to make sure you know exactly what is expected of you prior to starting. Relax, you will enjoy it.
Don't give up on your dreams, you will get there in the end, if you are determined and have the right aptitude.
Good luck. :razz:
