Waiting for dmi with southern

[EmGreen92]

Hi
I'm hoping someone may be able to help!
I applied for the trainee train driver position with southern in January GTR 1326
& was invited for an assessment day on March 9th that I passed. However it has been 2 and a half weeks and have not heard anything from them regarding the dmi. Would this be normal as I know thousands of people have applied?!
Thanks

 

[andys495]

Hi

I'm hoping someone may be able to help!

I applied for the trainee train driver position with southern in January GTR 1326

& was invited for an assessment day on March 9th that I passed. However it has been 2 and a half weeks and have not heard anything from them regarding the dmi. Would this be normal as I know thousands of people have applied?!

Thanks

Em,
I passed my MMI but I to have now ground to a halt waiting for a medical appointment. Don't read into it too much as I've noticed quite a few times that other applicants seem to move at a different pace compared to others at different times. There isn't any set pattern to it. For example, others that passed their MMI a short time before me got their result a lot quicker and have already had their medical. I can only assume it's to do with the courses and as one course is filled with students they turn their attention to the ones coming up behind. I know there's a course in April so perhaps when they switch their priority from that to the next course then things will move along a bit. [emoji846]


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[EmGreen92]

Em,
I passed my MMI but I to have now ground to a halt waiting for a medical appointment. Don't read into it too much as I've noticed quite a few times that other applicants seem to move at a different pace compared to others at different times. There isn't any set pattern to it. For example, others that passed their MMI a short time before me got their result a lot quicker and have already had their medical. I can only assume it's to do with the courses and as one course is filled with students they turn their attention to the ones coming up behind. I know there's a course in April so perhaps when they switch their priority from that to the next course then things will move along a bit. [emoji846]


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Hi Andy,
Thanks for replying! Congratulation on passing your mmi, once step closer now!
Okay that makes sense! i guess they are very busy with the amount of applicants they have had for the job too!
The waiting game is the worst!

 

[Tomnick]

I wouldn't read too much into the delay or worry about it at all. My experience of railway HR departments is that they're generally very understaffed and chaotic, and rarely get anything done quickly! Two weeks isn't long at all by their timescales. As above, they're probably concentrating on getting some pushed through for an earlier course, and they'll turn their attention back to you once they've sorted the others out .

 

[EmGreen92]

thanks guys
literally just had an email about booking the interview this afternoon!

 

[Tomnick]

Excellent - congratulations and good luck .

 

[andys495]

thanks guys

literally just had an email about booking the interview this afternoon!

Em,
Excellent!! And I had one for my medical! See what I mean?!


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[dazzayid]

Well let's hope I get an email tomorrow giving me a course start date

 

[andys495]

Well let's hope I get an email tomorrow giving me a course start date

Dazzayid, I seem to be one step behind you in this process. I assume they've said you could be on the April course? What happened after your medical? Do they tell you you've passed, which course your likely to be on and you'll get an email on x date confirming it? I'm just trying to work out what the process will be? Ta


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[dazzayid]

Dazzayid, I seem to be one step behind you in this process. I assume they've said you could be on the April course? What happened after your medical? Do they tell you you've passed, which course your likely to be on and you'll get an email on x date confirming it? I'm just trying to work out what the process will be? Ta


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I could of been on April course but I need a replacement for my current job first so have to wait for next course. They do tell you there and then if I pass but I'm internal so don't know if hat makes a difference. I have not heard anything from HR since the medical so not sure what's happening now. Guess I just wait and see.

 

[andys495]

I could of been on April course but I need a replacement for my current job first so have to wait for next course. They do tell you there and then if I pass but I'm internal so don't know if hat makes a difference. I have not heard anything from HR since the medical so not sure what's happening now. Guess I just wait and see.

As posted before, I was told the next course after April could be June/July. I have my medical on the 18th so this would be good.
Thanks for the insight and good luck with your situation. I might even see you on the course?!


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[dazzayid]

As posted before, I was told the next course after April could be June/July. I have my medical on the 18th so this would be good.
Thanks for the insight and good luck with your situation. I might even see you on the course?!


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I have heard there is one in June, hopefully it is June as I'm on holiday in October so need to get rules and traction out of the way before October

 

[andys495]

I have heard there is one in June, hopefully it is June as I'm on holiday in October so need to get rules and traction out of the way before October

[emoji106]


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[king_walnut]

Just had a DMI at Brighton if anyone has any questions ..

 

[EmGreen92]

Just had a DMI at Brighton if anyone has any questions ..

Hi king_walnut
I have booked my dmi at Brighton too! Decided to wait until may 17th though!
We're there many questions asked along the lines of 'name a time when you have been in an emergency situation' or were they mainly tell me what you know about the company?
How did you think your went? & did they tell you when you will find out if you passed the interview?
Thanks Emma

 

[Cactus]

Ive finially got my DMI at norwood train crew depot but having trouble finding the place, all i get when i enter the postcode is selhurst engineering depot on tension road, is that it?

 

[king_walnut]

What do you know about the company
Why do you want to be a driver
What challenges do you expect a driver to face

Name a time you had to deal with an unexpected situation
Name a time you worked well as part of a team to achieve a goal
Name a time you had to deliver some bad news
Name a time you went the extra mile to help a customer
What is your proudest achievement
Name a time you had to produce a piece of work to a high standard
Name a time you had to verbally address a group of people
Name a time that a manager has given you negative feedback, what was it and what was the outcome.

Those were my questions, however they said that they have a pool of about 25 questions and they pick 8 out of them .. so things might well be different for you.

I was surprised, because everything I've read about the DMI on these forums suggested it would be a lot different to what it was. I joined the company as an RPO 3 years ago and many of the questions then were the same.

They said they'd be in touch in the next 2-3 weeks, and if I'm successful I can book my MMI. From what I can gather, this is much more intense. You really get hammered on your answers and it's a test of your resilience just as much as it is the quality of your examples.

Hope this helps. With any luck you'll be my future driving colleague!

 

[andys495]

What do you know about the company

Why do you want to be a driver

What challenges do you expect a driver to face



Name a time you had to deal with an unexpected situation

Name a time you worked well as part of a team to achieve a goal

Name a time you had to deliver some bad news

Name a time you went the extra mile to help a customer

What is your proudest achievement

Name a time you had to produce a piece of work to a high standard

Name a time you had to verbally address a group of people

Name a time that a manager has given you negative feedback, what was it and what was the outcome.



Those were my questions, however they said that they have a pool of about 25 questions and they pick 8 out of them .. so things might well be different for you.



I was surprised, because everything I've read about the DMI on these forums suggested it would be a lot different to what it was. I joined the company as an RPO 3 years ago and many of the questions then were the same.



They said they'd be in touch in the next 2-3 weeks, and if I'm successful I can book my MMI. From what I can gather, this is much more intense. You really get hammered on your answers and it's a test of your resilience just as much as it is the quality of your examples.



Hope this helps. With any luck you'll be my future driving colleague!

I had my DMI at Brighton a month ago and I didn't get asked some of those questions. I wasn't asked the public speaking one or the manager feed back one. Some of the others were also worded slightly differently and I'm sure I didn't have that many either. I think you can guarantee the first couple will always be asked.


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[mmbeak78]

Agree that the DMI is not what I was expecting either - I spent hours and hours doing company research, only to not be asked a single question regarding it!
The DMI felt fairly relaxed though and the the interviewers let me take my time to reply to all the questions. I was told the interview would take about an hour, but ended up closer to two hours.
I had my MMI with a different TOC and found that to be pretty relaxed too - so long as you give clear, detailed information without waffling, you'll be fine

 

[king_walnut]

I had my DMI at Brighton a month ago and I didn't get asked some of those questions. I wasn't asked the public speaking one or the manager feed back one. Some of the others were also worded slightly differently and I'm sure I didn't have that many either. I think you can guarantee the first couple will always be asked.

How long was it before you were told how you'd done? Maybe I was given a couple more questions because I'm internal.

 

[dazzayid]

How long was it before you were told how you'd done? Maybe I was given a couple more questions because I'm internal.

Internals can be asked different questions as we should already know stuff about the company. My DMI took about 3 weeks before I was told the outcome and I received a phone call to book the MMI, think if your unsuccessful they normally email you.

 

[andys495]

How long was it before you were told how you'd done? Maybe I was given a couple more questions because I'm internal.

Like you I was told that I would hear within 2 weeks but that it could be longer. However, I received a phone call only 2 days later telling me I'd passed and a date for my MMI was arranged. I had that about 2 weeks later.


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[EmGreen92]

What do you know about the company
Why do you want to be a driver
What challenges do you expect a driver to face

Name a time you had to deal with an unexpected situation
Name a time you worked well as part of a team to achieve a goal
Name a time you had to deliver some bad news
Name a time you went the extra mile to help a customer
What is your proudest achievement
Name a time you had to produce a piece of work to a high standard
Name a time you had to verbally address a group of people
Name a time that a manager has given you negative feedback, what was it and what was the outcome.

Those were my questions, however they said that they have a pool of about 25 questions and they pick 8 out of them .. so things might well be different for you.

I was surprised, because everything I've read about the DMI on these forums suggested it would be a lot different to what it was. I joined the company as an RPO 3 years ago and many of the questions then were the same.

They said they'd be in touch in the next 2-3 weeks, and if I'm successful I can book my MMI. From what I can gather, this is much more intense. You really get hammered on your answers and it's a test of your resilience just as much as it is the quality of your examples.

Hope this helps. With any luck you'll be my future driving colleague!

yes that really helps thank you!
I guess ill jut prepare for as many questions as possible!
when answering the 'Name a time' questions, did you use the star method & go in to a lot of detail?

 

[tracerboy]

They said they'd be in touch in the next 2-3 weeks, and if I'm successful I can book my MMI. From what I can gather, this is much more intense. You really get hammered on your answers and it's a test of your resilience just as much as it is the quality of your examples.

Hope this helps. With any luck you'll be my future driving colleague!

On this note I found my mmi a walk in the park compared to the dmi. My mmi was complete within 25 mins if that all questions answered and even made me change a question to better describe a task I complete like a train driver.

If you are much longer than this then you are not telling them what they want to hear and they will start digging deeper. At no point did they really expand on each of my answer I gave. I passed only 4 weeks ago so must have done something right lol.

 

[EmGreen92]

On this note I found my mmi a walk in the park compared to the dmi. My mmi was complete within 25 mins if that all questions answered and even made me change a question to better describe a task I complete like a train driver.

If you are much longer than this then you are not telling them what they want to hear and they will start digging deeper. At no point did they really expand on each of my answer I gave. I passed only 4 weeks ago so must have done something right lol.

I hope you don't mind me asking but what example did you use for describing a task similar to a train driver. I am struggling to think of a good example I can go in to detail with?

 

[tracerboy]

My current job is security van driving based so alone by myself for 10 + hours so it was quite easy for me to expand on this. I also used to drive high reach fork lifts again with minimal contact with other people during a shift, if they don't like one of your answers they will ask to change it.

Make sure to mention being well rested drug and alcohol free for a shift etc always goes down well, just keep thinking safety, communication to passengers etc and you will be fine.

 

[king_walnut]

yes that really helps thank you!
I guess ill jut prepare for as many questions as possible!
when answering the 'Name a time' questions, did you use the star method & go in to a lot of detail?

Yep. So for the question about completing work to a high standard, I had to do it almost every day as an RPO when I was filling out MG11 reports (presentation of evidence to a court) but I made sure to use one specific time I did that, starting from when I met the specific passenger, what his offence was and how I wrote that specific report out.

They didn't really prompt me for expansion on anything I said, so I'm hoping that's a good sign. Of course I could be delisional but I hope not hahaha.

 

[ninhog]

I hope you don't mind me asking but what example did you use for describing a task similar to a train driver. I am struggling to think of a good example I can go in to detail with?

Someone else's answer can't be your answer as you'll be questioned on it, which is based on your own personal circumstances.

What jobs have you had before?

 

[EmGreen92]

Someone else's answer can't be your answer as you'll be questioned on it, which is based on your own personal circumstances.

What jobs have you had before?

Oh yes I did realise that, I just wondered what type of example they wanted as I haven't done anything like driving a train!
The only jobs I have had are working in a pub for a few years and I currently work as a beauty therapist! :-/

 

[andys495]

Oh yes I did realise that, I just wondered what type of example they wanted as I haven't done anything like driving a train!

The only jobs I have had are working in a pub for a few years and I currently work as a beauty therapist! :-/

Driving on long car journeys can be adapted into a good example. Doesn't have to be anything fancy.


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