My graduate job search continues this time with.........

chuxn2005 · Post by **chuxn2005** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 6:50 pm

do you need a degreeto start working on the railway's, I personally thought GCSE's or A levels would be good enough"

Cheers
Andy

jamestcc · Post by **jamestcc** » Fri Jun 30, 2006 8:36 pm

It depends on the role really, as I'm going for trainee/operational manager roles with EWS/Network Rail and both state they want graduates who have a degree.

I guess that 'lesser' roles would require just GCSE's/A levels

James

chuxn2005 · Post by **chuxn2005** » Sat Jul 01, 2006 7:45 pm

Cool, Cheers James

andrewtoplis · Post by **andrewtoplis** » Sun Jul 02, 2006 7:41 pm

Having just got a job with LU, I believe what you really need is life experience...during the recruitment process I barely mentioned my degree at all. All the questions were competency based

jamestcc · Post by **jamestcc** » Mon Jul 03, 2006 10:49 pm

Yeah I know, my interview on EWS last week was mainly on competency based questions (with some reference to my dergree).

How's the job getting along on the LU?

James

jamestcc · Post by **jamestcc** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 10:14 am

Hey everyone, quick upduate....

Network Rail: Had the assessment centre down in Watford (Croxley training centre), went well, crossing fingers and everything else for the phone call on Monday morning saying I have the job!!

The thing is that I was told that all of the assessors would meet after all of the canditates have left the builiding so I could have been chosen for the job already (and not know about it!).

Waiting for my train back home at Watford Junction was a intresting time, saw about 10 Pendo's race past me, saw a whole load of freight go through (more than I see in a year in a few hours!), one of the Pendo's I saw had a crow stuck on the front of it (ouch) and one pendo had its rear coupler showing

The journey back was even more intresting, was on a pendo that was going to Wolverhampton where I would change to Macclesfield, that was the orginial plan....

I got into Birmingham International with the train making great time, saw the Royal Train parked up...I guess her Maj was at the NEC, heard the doors of my train shut as per normal......then again...throught nothing of it.

Then on the approach to BNS the PA came on "we are now approaching Birmingham New Street, due to a problem with the doors, we have to terminated the train on safety grounds" (doh!)

Got off at BNS and saw the train I would have got at Wolves was on time into BNS which was fair enough....the time came...no train, PA came over at BNS

"The Virgin Voyager due at platform 5B has been delayed, a replacement service is on its way into New Street and should arrive at 20.35, Virgin would like to...............(we all know the sorry message)

Train got in at 20.40 and with been up for 16 hours non-stop, I was just pleased to get on!!!

Anyhow, let you know if I've got the job or not,

btw, my choices for station I would like to work at that I put down at the assessment centre was 1. Manchester Piccadilly 2. BNS 3.Derby 4. Doncaster

James

chuxn2005 · Post by **chuxn2005** » Sat Jul 08, 2006 12:20 pm

Good luck mate.

andrewtoplis · Post by **andrewtoplis** » Sun Jul 09, 2006 9:48 pm

Best of luck James, hope you get the good news as I did. I start on Sept 11th BTW.

jamestcc · Post by **jamestcc** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:49 pm

Cheers

I phoned Network Rail today and they said they let me know in the next couple of days....fingers crossed

James

chuxn2005 · Post by **chuxn2005** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:32 pm

Mine are crossed for you too matey

jamestcc · Post by **jamestcc** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 9:04 pm

Thanks chuxn

Keelar001 · Post by **Keelar001** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:24 am

allypally wrote:
jamestcc wrote:Hey all, quick update:

I've have got my University course mark and its is a 2:2 which is something I'm pleased at.

Freightliner: Got a rejection letter through the post today

EWS: Had a interview with them in Doncaster today and it went well and should hear back to see if I'm through to the assessment centre in a few weeks.

During the interview, I was told that I will be trained to be a train driver (if needed to incase of shortage of drivers at any one time) and the assessment centre will involve the knowledge of the sights and sounds of working in a freight train and I am wondering if anyone here has any advice about driiving a freight train and if there are any links to a website that has all of the signs and signals that drivers go by??

Also I'm going to go back to my MSTS and drive a load of EWS's around to get use to the basic controls again!!

James
Forgot MSTS, just let em teach you how to do it, it's veeery different so I'm told.

Use BVE if you want an inkling about train handling - MSTS will teach you nothing useful!!

There speaks the shunt driver....

jamestcc · Post by **jamestcc** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 5:32 pm

Hey all,

Got an letter from Network Rail today and I was turned down after "a hard decision to choose successful canditates".

Thanks for all your support and kind words, apart from my EWS application, route into the UK railways look to be closing.

Going to carry on with my current application, my current employers said that they could give me a 6 month contract after my European journey next month.

Starting to run low on railway companies I haven't applied for!!!

Network Rail/EWS/Freightliner/First/Arriva/National Express (for MML), it would have been great to start my business career in a fast pace highly competitive TOC market but ain't that way (unless someone knows of a job going for a business management graduate in one of the TOC's, let me know.

Thanks 4 all your support,

James

allypally · Post by **allypally** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 6:19 pm

If you are having problems with graduate management positions may I suggest an alternative?

Go for lower down operational positions. You have a degree in transport related stuff, proving your noggin ain't full of sponge, or possibly cheese. If you have the right work ethic, you will move up very quickly. You'll also pick up valuable operations experience.

andrewtoplis · Post by **andrewtoplis** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:40 pm

That or wait a year. I was the only LU grad to come straight from Uni, all the others had at least one if not three or four years of 'life experience' which is what they were looking for in a way. It all helps to answer those competency questions they keep asking. Dont ever give up though.