Trainee Train Driver - Virgin Trains East Coast

[atochopefull]

The article gives a start date of January 2017. HR will have to work flat out to shortlist, invite to team building days, shortlist again, then get OPC on-side to get the tests done, interviews, sift again then get job offers out allowing people to give a months notice for a January start! Richard Branson will be busy!

 

[marshyc]

The article gives a start date of January 2017. HR will have to work flat out to shortlist, invite to team building days, shortlist again, then get OPC on-side to get the tests done, interviews, sift again then get job offers out allowing people to give a months notice for a January start! Richard Branson will be busy!

Yet more misinformed journalism. The job advert, which I printed out, says the last assessment centre is on 2nd February. There's also the psychometrics to do after that too. Then medicals etc etc.

 

[Economist]

Yet more misinformed journalism. The job advert, which I printed out, says the last assessment centre is on 2nd February.

That's modern journalism for you, I once saw a Spitfire described as a "fighter jet" and that was in a broadsheet of all places. It's all people stories and a lot of journalists are totally lost when it comes to technical detail. There are a few good ones left, not many.

One thing that surprised me in one of the articles was someone from Virgin saying they want train drivers who "think differently". I thought conformity was a pretty big part of the job.

 

[Andy-mc]

Yet more misinformed journalism. The job advert, which I printed out, says the last assessment centre is on 2nd February. There's also the psychometrics to do after that too. Then medicals etc etc.

It probably will start in January as they will most likely stagger the training throughout 2017. Most companies wont have any more than 15 people per class.

 

[Belgarion]

It's possible it will be the qualifiers that start in January, but they won't have enough time to serve the usual 12 weeks notice with their current TOC/FOC

 

[sw1ller]

It was just because people were talking about the initial CV sift on here and the use of software I was saying about the rumours I had heard.
I am aware it's a total different ball game in your interview, answering competence questions etc

How I see it, if you can come up with a load of clever words to pop at the bottom of your CV in hope of "beating the system", then why not just take each of those words and make a coherent sentence around it. (This isn't a directed message to yourself, I understand you're just talking hypothetically.)


Just another note, and my source is only the rumour mill, but have DB just announced they're getting shot of 300 drivers?? If so these jobs are going to be very difficult for new entrants. Good luck.

 

[E&W Lucas]

One thing that surprised me in one of the articles was someone from Virgin saying they want train drivers who "think differently". I thought conformity was a pretty big part of the job.

Something that the psychometric process is, in part, designed to ensure!

 

[800001]

How I see it, if you can come up with a load of clever words to pop at the bottom of your CV in hope of "beating the system", then why not just take each of those words and make a coherent sentence around it. (This isn't a directed message to yourself, I understand you're just talking hypothetically.)


Just another note, and my source is only the rumour mill, but have DB just announced they're getting shot of 300 drivers?? If so these jobs are going to be very difficult for new entrants. Good luck.

They announced yesterday potential losses across the business of up to 900 stafhttps://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/oct/18/rail-freight-group-db-cargo-planning-nearly-900-uk-job-lossesf.

 

[Jonno6699]

Those may come from natural "wastage" e.g. Retirement, resignation and voluntary redundancies. That may also be spread over a period of time, so I wouldn't be too concerned about a massive influx of available qualifieds.

 

[ainsworth74]

If anyone wants to discuss the DB redundancy situation then there is a thread on that subject here. I think on the whole it's probably not that relevant to the subject of this thread so if we can bring that discussion on here to an end and focus instead on the application process.

 

[156484]

needless adverts in the first place, now newspaper articles on the volume of applicants, this is all just a massive pr exercise for virgin. The 78 selected, doubtless from a huge cross section of society, will be paraded like the holders of the golden tickets before willy wonka's chocolate factory with further headlines about how virgin are amazing etc....

 

[nata]

Has anyone had a response to their application as of yet?

 

[MarkMayf]

Has anyone had a response to their application as of yet?

No. Though they have only had 4 working days to start processing the 15000 applicants.

 

[Sirgerbil]

Has anyone had a response to their application as of yet?

If there truly is 15000 applicants, I'd be amazed if any of us hear before the advertised date of Nov 1st!

 

[ainsworth74]

If there truly is 15000 applicants, I'd be amazed if any of us hear before the advertised date of Nov 1st!

That would depend on how vicious their automated sift is I would guess!

 

[Scuba2208]

I still feel that the successful at sift applicants for Kings Cross and York assessment days will find out first as they are to be held in November.
Regardless, the "talent team" are going to be horrendously busy over the next few weeks!!!

 

[Webby]

I wonder if the initial sift software looks at cover letters or just cvs ps I'm a London taxi driver hope that doesn't put them off

 

[atochopefull]

I see The Sun ran a story today "15,000 CHASING 78 TRAINS JOBS". Just glad they ran the story AFTER the closing date. 12 days to wait!

 

[Scuba2208]

I see The Sun ran a story today "15,000 CHASING 78 TRAINS JOBS". Just glad they ran the story AFTER the closing date. 12 days to wait!

It's been in most of the major newspapers. I wonder how many applicants per station were received...

 

[Gemz91]

I still feel that the successful at sift applicants for Kings Cross and York assessment days will find out first as they are to be held in November.
Regardless, the "talent team" are going to be horrendously busy over the next few weeks!!!

Was they actually any vacancies at York though? As the advert soon changed after a few days, where York was dropped and replaced with Doncaster I thought?

 

[156484]

Was they actually any vacancies at York though? As the advert soon changed after a few days, where York was dropped and replaced with Doncaster I thought?

No! There is no depot at York.

 

[Trainride]

I have applied too but expect mails next week Thursday or Friday and the way November 1st falls, I wouldn't be surprised if they left it until Monday 31st allowing a full weekend (29th and 30th) as breathing space to get stuff done

 

[Kaltias]

I just got an email inviting me to do an online test...

 

[Sirgerbil]

Well I've passed the initia sift, now been invited to take online assessment before going forward to the actual assessment.

 

[Ewie13]

Congratulations to those who have heard back already.

Out of curiosity, if an applicant has completed the initial online assessments with another TOC will they have to retake for Virgin, or do these not fall within the national database?

 

[Scuba2208]

Well done to those who made the sift. Out of curiosity, are you folks hoping for London or York assessment?

 

[Sirgerbil]

Well done to those who made the sift. Out of curiosity, are you folks hoping for London or York assessment?

London.

Out of curiosity, if an applicant has completed the initial online assessments with another TOC will they have to retake for Virgin, or do these not fall within the national database?

Initial assessments vary from TOC to TOC.

 

[Kaltias]

Well done to those who made the sift. Out of curiosity, are you folks hoping for London or York assessment?

Nope, I'm in for Edinburgh!

 

[Sirgerbil]

Well assessment is done, Before anyone asks I'm not going to divulge what you have to do, I'll just say it's somewhat similar to one of the psychometric tests you have to do as a industry standard.

Best of luck to those taking part.

 

[bagazon]

Well assessment is done, Before anyone asks I'm not going to divulge what you have to do, I'll just say it's somewhat similar to one of the psychometric tests you have to do as a industry standard.

Best of luck to those taking part.

Please, please tell us ....