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SWR Trainee Drivers at Staines, Woking and Waterloo

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jballz72

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I think Salisbury used to be hard to get into, but I believe they've had a number of retirements in the last few years and it's a lot bigger than Weymouth.

Had a mate start there as a trainee train driver last year, so must be positions available.
 
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Saracen_83

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Hi!! First time poster here but I applied for this role over a week ago now and have not heard back yet..... I’m going with the theory that no news is good news!!!!! Was worried that I might be binned due to location (grays, so 40-45min drive and 45-50 mins train ride out) but hoping that as I’ve not been rejected yet that this is not an issue!!!

Also surprised that this is still open, that been nearly two weeks! I wonder why???
 

Johnny Depot

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Hi!! First time poster here but I applied for this role over a week ago now and have not heard back yet..... I’m going with the theory that no news is good news!!!!! Was worried that I might be binned due to location (grays, so 40-45min drive and 45-50 mins train ride out) but hoping that as I’ve not been rejected yet that this is not an issue!!!

Also surprised that this is still open, that been nearly two weeks! I wonder why???

I can't believe it's been open for so long. I imagine they'll have hundreds of interested applicants. I'm curious if "wave 1" means there could be multiple recruitment calls. I am hoping the no news is good news theory too - good luck.
 

HeelBurton

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I can't believe it's been open for so long. I imagine they'll have hundreds of interested applicants. I'm curious if "wave 1" means there could be multiple recruitment calls. I am hoping the no news is good news theory too - good luck.

Multiple waves, but for different depots. Wave 2 won’t be for the same depots.
 
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TOCS have 2 agenda’s.

1) To develop a reserve backlog of applicants for their own ends.

2) For each particular “wave” is to invite to assessment, heavy heavy numbers because out of maybe 100 only 15-20 will pass everything and be offered the job.
The waves are done I believe , purely because of organisational logistics. How can you invite to assessment and then invigilate 500-600 people . It’s obviously not possible.

3) Your job now = patience.

Oh and incidentally. If you have heard other people being “binned” on here AND they applied at the same time as you, obviously is evidence that they are screening and that the “probability “ is , yes, you probably will be invited , however there is also a probability that they have not yet screened your application .....

Every applicant has a job and that is patience.

( I had a job offer from SWT in 2012) but was unable to begin training due to me having bad bad flu for 8 days..

Good Luck Driver Applicants
 

Johnny Depot

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TOCS have 2 agenda’s.

however there is also a probability that they have not yet screened your application .....

That's good advice and actually a sensible way of looking at it. Do you mind if I ask why your training could not be rescheduled? Did you later join the industry. That's a shame to get so far into the process.
 
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I’m not in the Industry. I’ve recently applied for the pool for Waterloo and Paddington - SWR and GWR respectively. It really should be called a waiting list but that would put people off from applying !
I’m gonna get offers from both and then I’ll take my pick - hopefully !!!
 

HeelBurton

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I’m not in the Industry. I’ve recently applied for the pool for Waterloo and Paddington - SWR and GWR respectively. It really should be called a waiting list but that would put people off from applying !
I’m gonna get offers from both and then I’ll take my pick - hopefully !!!

Waterloo all day :)
 

Teddyward

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Hi!! First time poster here but I applied for this role over a week ago now and have not heard back yet..... I’m going with the theory that no news is good news!!!!! Was worried that I might be binned due to location (grays, so 40-45min drive and 45-50 mins train ride out) but hoping that as I’ve not been rejected yet that this is not an issue!!!

Also surprised that this is still open, that been nearly two weeks! I wonder why???
I’m in grays too. Wish us luck.
 

Johnny Depot

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Got an email today they have had 1300 applications and they are still being sifted.

Thanks for the update Teddyward - does that mean you are being looked at? I've not received a yes or no, yet! Be nice to have a clear answer. May I ask how long ago you received your e-mail?

Well done.

EDIT**** Or did you follow this up yourself? Cheers
 

Johnny Depot

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Is that 1300 overall or just for one depot???

Could be in for a long wait people!!!
You would hope that's for all depots. The application is still open by the looks of things.

Think you are right though - long wait either way.
 

DA1

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Applied for Waterloo so keeping my fingers crossed, I'm only 21 so not holding much hope but we'll see.
 

387star

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Applied for Waterloo so keeping my fingers crossed, I'm only 21 so not holding much hope but we'll see.
You'll be fine I got invited to a fgw assessment centre for reading when I was 21

Turned it down as I only applied to practice the application and for some reason hit send assuming I'd get nowhere

I actually turned it down as I didn't feel ready to take the assessments. . Namely the mechanical apt which I spent months studying. And I didn't feel I had the experience to get through the interviews. I passed my assessments when I was 24/5. Being 21 won't stop you if you answer well.. I'd only had retail experience at the time. Maybe it was crazy not to go but worked our in the end

I enjoyed being platform staff and a guard.. gave me a wider understanding
 
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1300 Applications equates to about 3 “waves” by my reckoning. Here’s the logic :

Invite 50% of applicants to assessment which is 650.

One wave should be around 200 people. I remember echoes of assememts taking place over 2 weeks which is 10 days ( no weekends ) So 20 people per assessment session (sounds about right ??)....

The time lapse bewteeen “waves” is anyone’s guess.
 
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I think only after the 1300 have been sifted and there are 2 piles : YES and NO will everyone be contacted and even then they might only contact people who have been randomly selected as part of Wave 1 ! then the Wave 2’s will be contacted then 3’s.....That OR An email for all Waves detailing their success in passing the Application stage. “ We will be in touch with dates for assessment in the future”
 

Johnny Depot

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I think only after the 1300 have been sifted and there are 2 piles : YES and NO will everyone be contacted and even then they might only contact people who have been randomly selected as part of Wave 1 ! then the Wave 2’s will be contacted then 3’s.....That OR An email for all Waves detailing their success in passing the Application stage. “ We will be in touch with dates for assessment in the future”

That does make sense but I wonder why they have advertised as Wave 1 rather than waves 1-3 (not that it really matters)? Only I inferred from that ther would then be another call for wave 2 etc?

I wonder why some have heard back already. Do you think they are likely to be people outside of the expected distance?
 

Saracen_83

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Likely they were outside of the required 45mins travelling time.... would narrow a lot of the applications before reading them I would suspect....
 

Londonirish

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I applied Monday last week, not heard anything yet so hopefully that’s good, I hope I do better this time as I failed on one of the test on the Crossrail application, but I did pass like 5 other tests so, who knows, good luck all
 
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That does make sense but I wonder why they have advertised as Wave 1 rather than waves 1-3 (not that it really matters)? Only I inferred from that ther would then be another call for wave 2 etc?

I wonder why some have heard back already. Do you think they are likely to be people outside of the expected distance?

When you say they have heard back already , Are you saying they have been invited to Assessment?
 
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I presume the very first thing they do is look at the postcode at the top of the application. Imagine reading all the details only to go back and decide he couldn’t make it in for 2.30am or whatever silly it is . Lol. Yes I’d be very surprised if it wasn’t a distance thing.
 
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Calling it Wave 1 directly implies a Wave 2 otherwise it wouldn’t be a Wave!!
A Wave is something that returns !!!
 
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They are whittling down for 2018 Driver Training Courses. Don’t they normally hold assessments around March and June ? If so then we should start receiving invites around February or May 2018 ? Really stretches your imagination this TOC game
 
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Can we get a thread going on what trainees favourite shifts would be ? I mean you should know whether your an early or late person
 
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