Virgin Trains Recruitment

[Up_Tilt_390]

Just a few questions I need answered for me so I can know how or what I'm going to do. A vacancy has recently came up for weekend work as a CSA for Virgin Trains at Liverpool, and I have been wondering about applying for it.

I assume because it's a Fixed Term contract that it is for the Christmas period, but I've heard that railway HR departments are very slow and could take up to three months to respond. Is this true?

Secondly, I know it's fixed term, but these contracts can sometimes become permanent, though I am unsure. I would go for a fixed term contract to get some work experience, as this doesn't look like a role where I need much work experience and may be a good start. I have a holiday I can't cancel or reschedule because it's all paid for and booked, so I need to know how long they take.

But this brings me to the next question. Some of you may know that I wish to become a train driver in the future, with Virgin ideally of course, but I am not picky and will go for anyone. However, I am unsure how VT even recruit anymore.

My understanding is that they're so prestige and seen as the "premium" TOC that they can expect to get all drivers they need by transfers of qualified drivers, and so never recruit trainees. I have some doubt on this though and have heard some times that they recruit internally. Can someone clear this up for me?

So really I just want to know how long they take to respond, whether I couldn't apply because of my holiday, and if VT do only poach from other TOCs for drivers, or if they do in fact recruit internally? Thanks.

 

[Iskra]

I got a vacancy alert about this today. The impression I got was that it was purely weekend work, and that virgin are essentially treating it like a zero hour contract.

All experience is good experience though, and it pays a lot better than a similar role in a non-railway environment.

 

[plastictaffy]

So why don't you just apply anyway? If they take three months to get back to you, so be it. They know when they want people to start. Seems to me like you're talking yourself out of the job before you've even applied.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

So why don't you just apply anyway? If they take three months to get back to you, so be it. They know when they want people to start. Seems to me like you're talking yourself out of the job before you've even applied.

Sounds like yes, but it's just the fact that if they start training during a time of my holiday then it can't be done, because this holiday was booked long before I joined the forums or expressed interest, and now it's all planned and paid for there isn't much I can do.

What if they get back to me before my holiday anyway? What should I do? Can I turn down or not get back to them or do I have to respond? I don't know how job applications and that work you see, I'm new to this working thing cause I'm only nineteen. Having said that, what if I just said I'm not prepared to give up holidays? That might be the thing that does it in for me, so I want to be able to get the job, I just want to know if I can do it. I didn't book the holiday, so I can't do much as I've said.

So really what should I do if they get back to me before my holiday, and if they don't how long should they take to get back to me? Any set time period?

 

[plastictaffy]

When's your holiday booked for?? Are you going out of the country?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Personally, if I'd applied for a job that I really wanted, and they wanted me to start while I was on holiday, and it was either start then or not at all, I'd cancel the holiday. As you previously stated, NOTHING in railway HR departments moves quickly. I imagine you'd hear nothing for at least a fortnight after the closing date, if at all. From application to starting, you'd be looking, at a conservative guess, 6 to 8 weeks at a minimum.

When I got the job I do now, I applied in the August, got tested and interviewed in the September, then a medical at the end of October, with a start date at the end of November offered, which I couldn't do due to notice requirements, so I started in the February.

 

[Up_Tilt_390]

When's your holiday booked for?? Are you going out of the country?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---
Personally, if I'd applied for a job that I really wanted, and they wanted me to start while I was on holiday, and it was either start then or not at all, I'd cancel the holiday. As you previously stated, NOTHING in railway HR departments moves quickly. I imagine you'd hear nothing for at least a fortnight after the closing date, if at all. From application to starting, you'd be looking, at a conservative guess, 6 to 8 weeks at a minimum.

When I got the job I do now, I applied in the August, got tested and interviewed in the September, then a medical at the end of October, with a start date at the end of November offered, which I couldn't do due to notice requirements, so I started in the February.

Yes, my holiday is out of the country, and is due in December, which I imagined was the time Virgin needed CSAs cause of the packed trains with Christmas shoppers. Your story actually helps though, so I'll have a good think about this because I would like to do the job, but it kind of gives a bad image if I say I can't sacrifice a holiday for training which might fall in December. I'll sleep on it.

 

[Leebob34]

Sometimes we all have to make sacrifices for the things we would like to have .for the sake of losing one holiday and getting into the rail game ,for me it's a no brainer. You just need to think of the bigger picture as in you miss one holiday ,but you get the job let's say, now your foot is in the door and there be plenty of time for future holidays going forward . Anyway best of luck whatever you decide