Trainee Train Driver - Virgin Trains East Coast

[martin2345uk]

The way how they advertised the position was abit weird imo. Personally I thought they only wanted the 5 questions in the cover letter. all I did was a little intro to who I was, answered the 5 question and a yours faithfully with my name.

I didn't even do a little intro! I literally typed:

"cover letter - virgin trains east coast trainee train driver"

I then typed "questions to include in your cover letter" and typed out the 5 questions with my answers below each one.

I didn't even sign off with my name :-/

 

[Vik10]

Mate, its not bitter at all. Trust me, I've worked in the back office of a few Virgin companies !! Old beardy Branson likes to give most of those jobs to girls who don't have a clue about life on the front line !!

You can see it from their twitter pics. Instead of going through the applications they were more interested in decorating their office for Halloween !!!

I wasn't holding out much hope for this one as I knew how tough it would be to get through. I am hoping my Northern application can at least get me through to the tests at least on their application you had to describe real life problems you have solved and transferable skills you have.
Haha didn't notice the decorations but I do find all big HR departments the same.

 

[nata]

I can.... product tester in a right arm cyborg laboratory .....
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This is an open question to everybody really..... would there be this much interest and overwhelming desire to be a train driver if it paid as national minimum wage and the benefits were that of a unskilled job?

Is it a dream job or a dream salary? How many applicants can put hand on heart and say they'd do it for a 60% pay cut?

I'd take a pay cut, definitely

I work in finance, my earning potential in the next 5 years will for sure reach £60k. But it's not important to me. I don't enjoy sitting in an office, the emails, the not feeling like I'm achieving much in the short term. You can't buy time can you, and every day stuck in a career which doesn't suit is a waste of that limited time. I did some assessments with a career psychologist and this kind of work would bring me greater joy, meets more of my brains underlying hard wired abilities.

Doing a more hands on job where you are doing something tangible, and can finish each day with the work done and dusted and your results there would be so much less frustrating for me personally. So I'd take a cut to feel genuinely more satisfied, totally.

Being honest though, the good pay made it easier for me to apply because my husband wasn't worried about loss of income for longer than a couple of years. Had it been £25k end salary he'd have not supported me at all.

 

[dugster70]

Really? Who nominated you as spokesperson for the forum? Easy to advocate sharing when you're already a driver ( as it says under your name ).

It's a forum, people are free to do as they please, as long as they stay within the rules.

Into sharing? Part of a commune? Going to buy me a pint?

Sam, no offence, I know what it takes to get into the driving grade and you need to change your attitude

 

[djsmith200]

those of you luckily enough to take the checking test- did you have to select the correct/identical 'one' from a list, or was it more complicated than that- i.e- indicate whether there was a incorrect spelling, lowercase/uppercase, swapped letter etc etc?

 

[choochoochoo]

I wasn't holding out much hope for this one as I knew how tough it would be to get through. I am hoping my Northern application can at least get me through to the tests at least on their application you had to describe real life problems you have solved and transferable skills you have.
Haha didn't notice the decorations but I do find all big HR departments the same.

Yeah, the application process wasn't ideal. Asking for a cover letter and CV, setting a word limit to the questions. - I'd love to see the coding of the program that counted the words. How did it know at what point the questions were being answered in the cover letter ?

As much as I hate filling them in, I think a good old fashion application form is better.

 

[Sam Slade]

Haha none taken, i'm already on the p-way and i'll leave it at that. I just don't see the sense in sharing info with others which could give them even a slight advantage over yourself, being altruistic doesn't pay the bills.

 

[HD-VTWIN]

I'd take a pay cut, definitely

I work in finance, my earning potential in the next 5 years will for sure reach £60k. But it's not important to me. I don't enjoy sitting in an office, the emails, the not feeling like I'm achieving much in the short term. You can't buy time can you, and every day stuck in a career which doesn't suit is a waste of that limited time. I did some assessments with a career psychologist and this kind of work would bring me greater joy, meets more of my brains underlying hard wired abilities.

Doing a more hands on job where you are doing something tangible, and can finish each day with the work done and dusted and your results there would be so much less frustrating for me personally. So I'd take a cut to feel genuinely more satisfied, totally.

Being honest though, the good pay made it easier for me to apply because my husband wasn't worried about loss of income for longer than a couple of years. Had it been £25k end salary he'd have not supported me at all.

Quite similar to myself in many respects. I work in a marine engineering consultancy and I would be taking a pay cut. You are right though you can't buy time. That cannot be quantified.

 

[Brian88]

I'd take a pay cut, definitely

Being honest though, the good pay made it easier for me to apply because my husband wasn't worried about loss of income for longer than a couple of years. Had it been £25k end salary he'd have not supported me at all.

Greedy ba****d

 

[Choochoodriver]

Sam, no offence, I know what it takes to get into the driving grade and you need to change your attitude

Being a driver myself I totally agree! It's the only job I've been in where you take as much help as you can even if you already know it just say thanks and help each other out!

 

[Belgarion]

Being a driver myself I totally agree! It's the only job I've been in where you take as much help as you can even if you already know it just say thanks and help each other out!

Agreed, there is defo no such thing as too much help. That's what I love about being a driver, there is always someone willing to offer help and advice.

 

[Sam Slade]

Agreed, there is defo no such thing as too much help. That's what I love about being a driver, there is always someone willing to offer help and advice.

Yes, I agree totally with helping but not if you're in competition with others for another job / role / career / employment.

Seriously, would you give assistance to someone else knowing the information you supplied to them could mean they secured a job you were both competing for?

 

[juniorred]

Tbh I really don't believe people on here that say they aren't going for it because of the money. For me that is one of the main attractions in trying for the role but I wouldn't dare say that in a interview. being a bus in London on about 35k for the year I see train driving as the next step as both jobs are really similar. Saying that if I did get the job I would have to take a pay cut albeit a temporary one.

 

[Gemz91]

Tbh I really don't believe people on here that say they aren't going for it because of the money. For me that is one of the main attractions in trying for the role but I wouldn't dare say that in a interview. being a bus in London on about 35k for the year I see train driving as the next step as both jobs are really similar. Saying that if I did get the job I would have to take a pay cut albeit a temporary one.

One of the fairly new drivers at our depot had no shame in telling me that when they asked why he wanted the job as a train driver, his first answer was for the money. I think they quite liked his honesty.

 

[juniorred]

I wouldn't dare say that in a interview but I think most people with common sense would know that was one of the main attractions.

 

[Dutton165]

I received the inevitable rejection email earlier today, a little disappointing as I have recently passed the assessment, but not at all surprising. Good luck to everyone still waiting to hear and those that have progressed, be nice to think at least a few of you will get positions.

 

[Amberk]

And that attitude is probably why you haven't gone any further.

Well that's me with a no, good luck to everyone in the next stage.

I know it was a long shot getting one of these positions and to get right through to the end was going to take a bit of luck as well, but am slightly disappointed I didn't even get through to the online checking stage.

It might have been my cover letter but with 15000 applicants and a office girl checking my CV from a technical industry she knows nothing about and probably reads double dutch to her it has got to take a bit of luck to get through.

 

[Vik10]

And that attitude is probably why you haven't gone any further.

Actually its not easy to interpret someones attitude from a small bit of typed text, not like having a face to face conversation. So I can understand that you maybe think I have a bad attitude or I am cocky but I can guarantee that's not the case.

I am a control room operator on a North Sea oil platform, I am constantly monitoring process variables:- pressure, temperatures, volumes, flow rates. Rectifying any anomalies or potentially dangerous situations immediately within company procedures. All this needs to be done primarily for safety reasons, as I have the potential all shift to cause another Piper Alpha and secondly if I shut the platform down it costs the company stupid amounts of money for every hour we are not producing so there is a certain amount of pressure. So if I had a bad attitude I can assure you the OIM would not let me take control of the platform and I would not have been promoted to that position.

All I said in my opinion the CV's were not looked at thoroughly but I would not have expected them too with 15000 applicants and thats why I mentioned earlier I hope I wasn't sounding bitter.

Being confident in your own abilities does not mean you have a bad attitude.

Maybe you need to look at your own abilities before criticising me, are they looking for someone who gets sweaty palms from the pressure of doing a small online test.

 

[Deltic Dan]

Anyone for doncaster heard back yet

Yes ive put Doncaster and had my online assessment but nothing since then

 

[Sam Slade]

Actually its not easy to interpret someones attitude from a small bit of typed text, not like having a face to face conversation. So I can understand that you maybe think I have a bad attitude or I am cocky but I can guarantee that's not the case.

I am a control room operator on a North Sea oil platform, I am constantly monitoring process variables:- pressure, temperatures, volumes, flow rates. Rectifying any anomalies or potentially dangerous situations immediately within company procedures. All this needs to be done primarily for safety reasons, as I have the potential all shift to cause another Piper Alpha and secondly if I shut the platform down it costs the company stupid amounts of money for every hour we are not producing so there is a certain amount of pressure. So if I had a bad attitude I can assure you the OIM would not let me take control of the platform and I would not have been promoted to that position.

All I said in my opinion the CV's were not looked at thoroughly but I would not have expected them too with 15000 applicants and thats why I mentioned earlier I hope I wasn't sounding bitter.

Being confident in your own abilities does not mean you have a bad attitude.

Maybe you need to look at your own abilities before criticising me, are they looking for someone who gets sweaty palms from the pressure of doing a small online test.

Excellent post. Especially how your personality can be judged in a few words by someone who's never met you.

I think some drivers on here imagine themselves at the apex of safety critical roles, difficult and pointless to compare such jobs against each other really. Any job where an action / omission of action has the potential to cause harm is important.

Btw, I'm a train driver

 

[Vik10]

Excellent post. Especially how your personality can be judged in a few words by someone who's never met you.

I think some drivers on here imagine themselves at the apex of safety critical roles, difficult and pointless to compare such jobs against each other really. Any job where an action / omission of action has the potential to cause harm is important.

Btw, I'm a train driver

I have seen a few of those with that attitude posts and am not really keen on any of the criticism, its a forum where people post to discuss thoughts and ideas, get information and maybe have a debate not somewhere to put people down. There was only one post I thought it was called for and a few people pulled him up but to be fair in the end the lad did apologise and hold his hand up haha

This forum has been great and I have got some excellent information I might not have found elsewhere but there is 1 or 2 seem to think there above their station.

 

[Belgarion]

Yes, I agree totally with helping but not if you're in competition with others for another job / role / career / employment.

Seriously, would you give assistance to someone else knowing the information you supplied to them could mean they secured a job you were both competing for?

You have got the wrong end of the stick Sam Slade, I am talking about the help once in the job. Information about getting the job is just that information, the person still has to perform during interview, assessment and pass a medical. There are many things that can trip you up in this process, I don't see that providing people with a little information to ease there worries and concerns without telling them the answers as a problem

 

[Davidson4301]

Well I received my rejection email last night. Disappointing news but not the end of the world. I'll be at work on Monday driving Tyne and Wear metros. All the best to those still waiting. I feel kind of relieved that I'm not checking my emails every 5 mins. Anyway I'm off to edingburgh for a days binge drinking .
Good luck everyone.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

Tbh I really don't believe people on here that say they aren't going for it because of the money. For me that is one of the main attractions in trying for the role but I wouldn't dare say that in a interview. being a bus in London on about 35k for the year I see train driving as the next step as both jobs are really similar. Saying that if I did get the job I would have to take a pay cut albeit a temporary one.

It's the only reason I applied. I only go to work to earn money and provide for my family so I want to earn as much as possible. I drive currently but this final wage is nearly £17k a year more than I currently get.

 

[JohnFM]

Tbh I really don't believe people on here that say they aren't going for it because of the money. For me that is one of the main attractions in trying for the role but I wouldn't dare say that in a interview. being a bus in London on about 35k for the year I see train driving as the next step as both jobs are really similar. Saying that if I did get the job I would have to take a pay cut albeit a temporary one.

With respect if you actually believe that driving a bus is similar to driving a train you might as well compare neurosurgery with being a miner. Their only link is with the word "driver". The job is completely different; more passengers, responsible for more equipment, technical knowledge required, rules and regs, distances, communications, track knowledge and more safety rules, regs and procedures than you can shake a stick at and not one aspect of it transferable from the Highway Code and car driving test!

The money certainly is the biggest factor once you get into discussions in the rest rooms. Some folk totally hate the job but stick it for the money that it brings and end up a slave to the shift pattern. Some even claim they could never cope with a job that pays less as they're mortgaged to the hilt or just in the habit of spending.

Be aware of what you're getting into, money really isn't the best part of the job and if you can't stand the hours, the tedium, the grime, the dirty crew rooms, the tedium, the same routes, the holdups, delays, tedium, engineer abuse, passenger abuse or the tedium then you're gonna be depressed a long time!

 

[Amberk]

No in actual fact you said that cv's would have been flicked through by some office girl with no technical knowledge. Which in itself is a derogatory statement. You haven't been successful and your comment smacks of sour grapes.
And I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only person that was nervy about the online test as many of the other guys also said similar things. You also probably didn't need to tell me how important you were in your current role in your reply to me, but whatever makes you feel better...

Actually its not easy to interpret someones attitude from a small bit of typed text, not like having a face to face conversation. So I can understand that you maybe think I have a bad attitude or I am cocky but I can guarantee that's not the case.

I am a control room operator on a North Sea oil platform, I am constantly monitoring process variables:- pressure, temperatures, volumes, flow rates. Rectifying any anomalies or potentially dangerous situations immediately within company procedures. All this needs to be done primarily for safety reasons, as I have the potential all shift to cause another Piper Alpha and secondly if I shut the platform down it costs the company stupid amounts of money for every hour we are not producing so there is a certain amount of pressure. So if I had a bad attitude I can assure you the OIM would not let me take control of the platform and I would not have been promoted to that position.

All I said in my opinion the CV's were not looked at thoroughly but I would not have expected them too with 15000 applicants and thats why I mentioned earlier I hope I wasn't sounding bitter.

Being confident in your own abilities does not mean you have a bad attitude.

Maybe you need to look at your own abilities before criticising me, are they looking for someone who gets sweaty palms from the pressure of doing a small online test.

 

[juniorred]

With respect if you actually believe that driving a bus is similar to driving a train you might as well compare neurosurgery with being a miner. Their only link is with the word "driver". The job is completely different; more passengers, responsible for more equipment, technical knowledge required, rules and regs, distances, communications, track knowledge and more safety rules, regs and procedures than you can shake a stick at and not one aspect of it transferable from the Highway Code and car driving test!

The money certainly is the biggest factor once you get into discussions in the rest rooms. Some folk totally hate the job but stick it for the money that it brings and end up a slave to the shift pattern. Some even claim they could never cope with a job that pays less as they're mortgaged to the hilt or just in the habit of spending.

Be aware of what you're getting into, money really isn't the best part of the job and if you can't stand the hours, the tedium, the grime, the dirty crew rooms, the tedium, the same routes, the holdups, delays, tedium, engineer abuse, passenger abuse or the tedium then you're gonna be depressed a long time!

Funnily enough everything you just mentioned is the reason why I think it's a similar role. There's obviously going to be some difference but just because you're carrying more passengers doesn't mean that the responsibility is less on bus drivers.the shift pattern is the same and I'd even say it's worst on the buses ( earliest start 4.30am latest finish 3am). Everything you said in your last paragraph is the samething bus drivers face.

 

[Legzr1]

Actually its not easy to interpret someones attitude from a small bit of typed text, not like having a face to face conversation. So I can understand that you maybe think I have a bad attitude or I am cocky but I can guarantee that's not the case.

I am a control room operator on a North Sea oil platform, I am constantly monitoring process variables:- pressure, temperatures, volumes, flow rates. Rectifying any anomalies or potentially dangerous situations immediately within company procedures. All this needs to be done primarily for safety reasons, as I have the potential all shift to cause another Piper Alpha and secondly if I shut the platform down it costs the company stupid amounts of money for every hour we are not producing so there is a certain amount of pressure. So if I had a bad attitude I can assure you the OIM would not let me take control of the platform and I would not have been promoted to that position.

All I said in my opinion the CV's were not looked at thoroughly but I would not have expected them too with 15000 applicants and thats why I mentioned earlier I hope I wasn't sounding bitter.

Being confident in your own abilities does not mean you have a bad attitude.

Maybe you need to look at your own abilities before criticising me, are they looking for someone who gets sweaty palms from the pressure of doing a small online test.

Get back to me when you've had to deal with 27 leaves on your platform.
Let's see how you cope then shall we?

 

[Choochoodriver]

ANYWWAYYYYYYYYY.....

Anyone know if they are doing their "pizza sifting Saturday" again today...?

 

[Spankthemonkey]

I presume the optimistically scheduled assessment day for the 8th November has been postponed. I'm still pretty sure there'll be no more than 30-40 people each day on those 10 assessments. So, guessing slightly, but assuming the 15,000 applicants have been sifted and reduced to 1000 people sent the online checking tests, if you get in the top 30-40% score you'll be on an assessment day. Makes me feel a bit happier.

Then it's some Virgin group exercises and interviews, then all your psychometrics, the MMi, medical, there's still a massively long way to go!

 

[Brian88]

I'm thinking they might have only sent tests to borderline passes. Maybe I'll get a straight invite to assessment. That's optimism