Virgin trains job?

[Joshrowlands]

Hi, I'm 19 and have a massive interest in trains and the rail network for months I've wanted to work on the railway.

I applied for a job at Virgin trains (CSA stoke station) 4 weeks ago the vacancy is now closed and it says my application was submitted and They haven't yet gotten back to me to tell me whether I've been successful or not.

Because I have a strong knowledge and passion about the rail network and trains my application forms were spot on and I spent well over 45 minutes on them, I applied for an apprentiship with Virgin trains a few weeks before and got invited for an interview (however due to money it just wasn't suitable for me). But i assumed with them liking my previous application maybe they'd like this one which was even better?

Anyway I was just wondering has anyone ever applied for a job at Virgin trains or work at Virgin trains so have been through this process? I know no company is obliged to tell you if you've been unsuccessful but I've seen somewhere on a previous forum that 99% of the time Virgin do let you know if you've been unsuccessful and someone even said it can take 5/6 weeks to get back to you even if you are successful for an interview? Anyway if anyone knows of this or has ever been unsuccessful/successful please let me know?

 

[theironroad]

I've a pending application with vt as well, not csa though and haven't heard anything yet.

These things usually take time to process and with the Christmas, new year holidays intervening means that it will usually be slower too.

My only advice would be is to be patient for a couple of weeks.

 

[Joshrowlands]

I've a pending application with vt as well, not csa though and haven't heard anything yet.

These things usually take time to process and with the Christmas, new year holidays intervening means that it will usually be slower too.

My only advice would be is to be patient for a couple of weeks.

Yeah I'm taking in account Christmas and new year, the vacancy closed on the 10th, I'm just really hoping on this it would be the start of working my way up to where I wanna work on the railway even just knowing if I was unsuccessful. But I guess no news is good news thanks anyway. What position have you applied for?

 

[scouseyb123]

I work for Virgin Trains and I love them

 

[455driver]

HBecause I have a strong knowledge and passion about the rail network and trains my application forms were spot on and I spent well over 45 minutes on them,

I applied for a qualified driving job and spent well over an hour and half on it, 45 minutes isnt very long!
Oh, its only your opinion that your forms were spot on.

 

[jamess115]

I applied for a qualified driving job and spent well over an hour and half on it, 45 minutes isnt very long!
Oh, its only your opinion that your forms were spot on.

I would echo this sentiment.

With the competition for a driving job, you really want to be pulling out all the stops at application stage. With all the research, literature, mind maps etc.. I have taken up to 2 days on a single application. However, it is a balancing act as many companies like to pull vacancy early.

Good luck.

 

[TomHaley]

As above, I spent a good couple of hours on my trainee driver application. I guess the important thing is how you've answered though more than anything - all said and done, the only people that can say if it's spot on or not are the ones looking over them. All the best with your application though, hopefully you'll get the answer you want.

 

[Joshrowlands]

As above, I spent a good couple of hours on my trainee driver application. I guess the important thing is how you've answered though more than anything - all said and done, the only people that can say if it's spot on or not are the ones looking over them. All the best with your application though, hopefully you'll get the answer you want.

Yeah I don't get why everyone's having a competition on how long they spelt on their application form. I actually had a problem with mine something to do with cookies so after spending like 45 minutes on it I had to create a new account on their website and fill it out all again so in the end it actually took me 2 hours but like you said it's about how you answered the questions and the amount of passion I shownt for the vacancy I personally think it was worthy of an interview and yes I know that it's only my opinion that my application was good but to be honest I never blow my own trumpet but I will on this occasion but thank you Tom anyway you too
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I work for Virgin Trains and I love them

Please tell me it's as good as it seems, I'm dying to work for them and any tips would be great in case of an interview, private message me if you prefer?

 

[Pepperami]

Why do you want to work for Virgin Trains above any other TOC?

 

[Joshrowlands]

Why do you want to work for Virgin Trains above any other TOC?

There's many reasons, I know people who work for them and it seems like they're all friends and have a great time, they have my favourite trains (pendolinos) there's just something about Virgin I can't put my finger on its like the king of the railway, plus they operate the most Trains in and operate both my local mainline stations (Crewe and Stoke) I would die to work for them

 

[CC 72100]

There's many reasons, I know people who work for them and it seems like they're all friends and have a great time, they have my favourite trains (pendolinos) there's just something about Virgin I can't put my finger on its like the king of the railway, plus they operate the most Trains in and operate both my local mainline stations (Crewe and Stoke) I would die to work for them

Just remember, at a CSA level, you're tied to the franchise and not the company who runs it.... who's to say that after getting a job with Virgin (West Coast) that somebody else comes in and takes over the franchise, running it with a whole different philosophy.

Not trying to be a killjoy or somebody to put a damper on your ambitions, but you have to think of this, this is why Pepperami asked.

 

[Joshrowlands]

Just remember, at a CSA level, you're tied to the franchise and not the company who runs it.... who's to say that after getting a job with Virgin (West Coast) that somebody else comes in and takes over the franchise, running it with a whole different philosophy.

Not trying to be a killjoy or somebody to put a damper on your ambitions, but you have to think of this, this is why Pepperami asked.

Yeah I get that but I suppose I've got to start somewhere and CSA is like the bottom of the chain, I'd be happy to work for any TOC but I'm just hoping on Virgin, I check and apply for Northern rail, London midland quite regularly, just nice to have ambition I suppose

 

[red2005]

There's many reasons, I know people who work for them and it seems like they're all friends and have a great time, they have my favourite trains (pendolinos) there's just something about Virgin I can't put my finger on its like the king of the railway, plus they operate the most Trains in and operate both my local mainline stations (Crewe and Stoke) I would die to work for them

please please please please keep things like " it's like king of the railway" and those other reasons you gave for wanting a job with virgin to yourself and think of better reasons should you ever want to work on the railway!

1- that just makes you sound desperate! keen and ambitious is one thing that's attractive to an employer but desperate doesn't always come across well!

and 2- please do a bit more research, and i'd say lower your expectations else you could be in for disappointment if you truly believe virgin are " king of the railways"......

there are plenty of Toc's out there that are equally as good if not better to work for than virgin!.....and even if you do consider them to be of lower standard than Virgin you wouldn't stand a chance of working for THEM with the reasoning you have given above let alone a company you see as the elite!.......don't be suckered in by fast trains, celebrity passengers, trains with antlers and X men insignia and thrill seekers on the board!.......

my advice to you is to sort out what your priorities are and what your true motivation to work on the railway really is.....because if you don't or you stick with what is above, a manager or member of HR who's only been out of school a year would see through what you have written above mate never mind one's who've been there done it and seen it all!

the jobs you are looking at have vasts amounts of responsibility attached to them!.....and i really don't mean to sound harsh mate as it's not my style.......but it's about bringing a sense of maturity to the job even if you are a young lad.......but with all due respect you actually sound younger than a 19 year old if that makes sense!?........please don't take that the wrong way mate!

 

[455driver]

Leave the lad alone eh, he has fallen for the Virgin PR machine hook, line and sinker!

 

[Minilad]

Lets face it. He isn't alone in that!!

 

[455driver]

Unfortunately not!

 

[red2005]

ha yes!! they're persuasive lil bleeders ha

 

[455driver]

Because I have a strong knowledge and passion about the rail network

But you didnt know what happened to the franchise in 2012?
Um!

 

[theironroad]

I applied for qualified driver but, even for that position competition is tough and I don't expect much to come of it.

It's good that josh is keen, but I'd agree that it is possible to go ott, Vt are just the current holders of he licence to run that route and while some company loyalty is ok, I reckon it is better to be focused on serving the railway itself. Tocs come and go, managers come and go but the bricks, ,mortar, steel and ballast of the iron road continue whoever is in charge.

Good luck to everyone who has applied for a job on the railway.

 

[Joshrowlands]

please please please please keep things like " it's like king of the railway" and those other reasons you gave for wanting a job with virgin to yourself and think of better reasons should you ever want to work on the railway!

1- that just makes you sound desperate! keen and ambitious is one thing that's attractive to an employer but desperate doesn't always come across well!

and 2- please do a bit more research, and i'd say lower your expectations else you could be in for disappointment if you truly believe virgin are " king of the railways"......

there are plenty of Toc's out there that are equally as good if not better to work for than virgin!.....and even if you do consider them to be of lower standard than Virgin you wouldn't stand a chance of working for THEM with the reasoning you have given above let alone a company you see as the elite!.......don't be suckered in by fast trains, celebrity passengers, trains with antlers and X men insignia and thrill seekers on the board!.......

my advice to you is to sort out what your priorities are and what your true motivation to work on the railway really is.....because if you don't or you stick with what is above, a manager or member of HR who's only been out of school a year would see through what you have written above mate never mind one's who've been there done it and seen it all!

the jobs you are looking at have vasts amounts of responsibility attached to them!.....and i really don't mean to sound harsh mate as it's not my style.......but it's about bringing a sense of maturity to the job even if you are a young lad.......but with all due respect you actually sound younger than a 19 year old if that makes sense!?........please don't take that the wrong way mate!

I had never been on a train in my life until July 2014 and ever since then I've done extensive research to the point where I'm annoying my partner talking about it that much, don't get me wrong I know no where near as much as some people but I do have a strong knowledge in the railway and trains in such a short time considering this time 7 months ago I had never been on a train and didn't have a clue how they worked I've come quite along way.

I can understand what you're saying but I didn't put that on my application form I kept that completley professional as it should be. But someone asked me why I want to work for Virgin above the other TOC's and I answered. I'm not drawn in by fast trains and celebrites I'm quite aware that there's a lot of other trains that travel at them sorts of speeds and I don't take notice in celebrity culture it doesn't interest me so I don't know what you mean by that.

I'm quite aware I don't word my replies well it's never been a strong point of mine I just have so much passion I can never quite make it come across over the Internet but if you know me in person you'd know that this isn't some little boy interest im very interested by the railway and trains and I have watched countless hours of fly on the wall documentires I completley understand how demanding railway jobs are and it's make or brake and many people have said that but everytime I see more and more into how it is working there it would put most people off but it makes me want it more.

I'm very mature for my age and I always have been.
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But you didnt know what happened to the franchise in 2012?
Um!

As I've said I had never been on a train until I was 19 a few months ago, I do have quite a strong knowledge but there is loads I can learn yet this is a very recent interest I have. This thread has gone off topic now, all's I wanted to know is does anyone know the timing for vt's applications?

Also I haven't fell for Virgins PR, I'm very aware that they should concentrate on running trains on time a bit more and I have spent slot of money on tickets for their trains and haven't even had 1 single ticket checked but on the other hand they are a great company to work for and do offer benefits and in a way have changed travel on the wcml.

This is the problem with some people on this site because I don't know as much as you and I'm new to all of this I'm like the underdog, just leave people to it my decisions are mine I'm not harming anyone alls I asked was a simple question I don't think I deserve this haha? I've seen quite a lot of people aim on amatures on this site it's not fair.

 

[theironroad]

Josh, take it easy and chill, no one is having a pop at you.

Just go easy on the knowledge stuff.

Any toc , vt included, will teach you what you need to know and how to represent the company during you're training. Generally for a csa role, vt wold probably only expect some customer service experience and a positive attitude to learning their way. It really wouldn't matter much if you have never been on a train.

Good luck, but try to keep it all in proportion.

 

[Joshrowlands]

Josh, take it easy and chill, no one is having a pop at you.

Just go easy on the knowledge stuff.

Any toc , vt included, will teach you what you need to know and how to represent the company during you're training. Generally for a csa role, vt wold probably only expect some customer service experience and a positive attitude to learning their way. It really wouldn't matter much if you have never been on a train.

Good luck, but try to keep it all in proportion.

No I know they're not but like I said I'm open to any TOC and I'd consider myself lucky to work on any of them but I have my reasons for Virgin and that's up to me I haven't fell for PR. And yeah I know I do have customer service experience but when applying I just like to show I have a knowledge of the railway and trains that most onboard staff just simply don't care about. But thank you anyway did you ever get the qualified driver job?

 

[theironroad]

I'm in the same position as you josh, I've applied a while back and still playing the waiting game, not heard anything since my application acknowledgement email.

 

[Joshrowlands]

I'm in the same position as you josh, I've applied a while back and still playing the waiting game, not heard anything since my application acknowledgement email.

I hope you hear back soon, are you actually a qualified driver then?

 

[Jonfun]

I don't think folk are trying to slate you or put you off, so I wouldn't take it personally. I think what other posters are trying to say is that you might be a tad fixated on one thing whilst missing out on opportunities you could succeed in elsewhere - if you want to work for Virgin, good, there's no harm in having an aspiration, but they probably won't be running the route for much longer (in the grand scheme of things) and, generally speaking, a railway job is a railway job regardless of which colour uniform you wear. Aye, there's some folk who like to think they're the elite, but they're in the minority, and if you adopt that attitude from the start, you're not likely to form a positive impression with your colleagues - and teamwork is a key thing you need to be able to do.

What I'll also add is that watching fly on the wall documentaries is good for entertainment, but the reality is that you don't deal with weather stopping the job, fatalities, other big things etc every day, indeed it's very rare. What the telly doesn't show you (generally) is the frequent getting up at 0300, the repeatedly answering 'those questions' like a broken record ("Does this train go to Wolverhampton?" "Where are the toilets?" "Have you got a bin?" "Oh... is this not the train to Sheffield?"), and, just carrying out your duties several times a day, every day.

I'm not trying to put a downer on things - the railways are an incredibly good career path, and if you go in remembering to keep safe, look after your customers, and do your job right you'll get little hassle from management and enjoy your career. You'll get paid well and have great benefits, but it's worth remembering that they're there for a reason, and you're expected to be able to deal with the repetitive, normal, and irritating bits in return.

 

[Joshrowlands]

I don't think folk are trying to slate you or put you off, so I wouldn't take it personally. I think what other posters are trying to say is that you might be a tad fixated on one thing whilst missing out on opportunities you could succeed in elsewhere - if you want to work for Virgin, good, there's no harm in having an aspiration, but they probably won't be running the route for much longer (in the grand scheme of things) and, generally speaking, a railway job is a railway job regardless of which colour uniform you wear. Aye, there's some folk who like to think they're the elite, but they're in the minority, and if you adopt that attitude from the start, you're not likely to form a positive impression with your colleagues - and teamwork is a key thing you need to be able to do.

What I'll also add is that watching fly on the wall documentaries is good for entertainment, but the reality is that you don't deal with weather stopping the job, fatalities, other big things etc every day, indeed it's very rare. What the telly doesn't show you (generally) is the frequent getting up at 0300, the repeatedly answering 'those questions' like a broken record ("Does this train go to Wolverhampton?" "Where are the toilets?" "Have you got a bin?" "Oh... is this not the train to Sheffield?"), and, just carrying out your duties several times a day, every day.

I'm not trying to put a downer on things - the railways are an incredibly good career path, and if you go in remembering to keep safe, look after your customers, and do your job right you'll get little hassle from management and enjoy your career. You'll get paid well and have great benefits, but it's worth remembering that they're there for a reason, and you're expected to be able to deal with the repetitive, normal, and irritating bits in return.

Yeah completley agree with everything you've said there I think me saying I have a lot of knowledge about the railway that other onboard staff don't came off the wrong way I didn't mean it like that I just like to pride myself that I have a strong knowledge and passion about something unlike most people my age who just want to go out drinking and smoking which I don't do. I will honestly work my arse off once I get a career on the railway and I completley understand its not all fast shiney trains I think I've just come off the wrong way

 

[WCMLaddict]

Well, maybe this thread should be your food for thoughts?

You say that your application was spot on but just in this thread you had to few times clarify what you mean. I really hope that what you wrote on the form was nothing like your posts here.

Good luck anyway.

 

[Jonfun]

Heh, after a few shifts from hell if you don't already drink you'll be taking it up...

It won't do you any harm to have a background knowledge of railways, so long as you don't come across as someone *too* interested, if you get my drift. Without wanting to sound patronising, the only way I can think to put it across is this - I like my toast well done, so I turn the knob right up. But if I put it to 6 degrees of toastyness it comes out all burnt and naff, and my arm's covered in scratches from where the cat jumped at me when the smoke alarm went off. So by toning it down a bit, say, down to 4, I get a better result. Tone down the whole "OMG Virgin" kinda thing to a more professional - and simplified - level, and you'll go a lot further.

And age - it's kinda been touched on, but I got my contract the day after my 20th birthday, and I work alongside folk who started younger than me, so it's not impossible to get in young. You just need to show you're mature, responsible, and have a good understanding of customer service in difficult environments.

 

[muz379]

no harm knowing a little bit , but several people have said to me that TOC's aren't big on hiring enthusiasts and spotters . Certainly tone down the Virgin enthusiasm . Chances are the manager interviewing you might have been on the railway a while ,and whilst they are a company man and will want to see candidates have done their research about who owns the company , what routes the company operates , what the company does well , who are the companies competitors etc etc , they will also be mindful of the fact that the franchise will change hands , and the manager themselves may have worked for someone else during their railway career . Looking like you are just interested in the Virgin brand might not be your best bet .

Suppose they would rather have people they can mould and teach about the railway properly than some spotter who just wants to work around trains all day and think they knows it all already .

As for railway HR departments , they are notorious for being slow and as you have already pointed out its the Christmas period so HR people not being in an operational role will no doubt have had some decent leave so might not even return to work until Monday .Bear in mind that the number of applications received for these jobs is exceptionally high given how well the pay is for the type of work that it is and so the sifting can take a while . When I applied for my guards Job at Northern I applied at the start of september and did not hear anything till late November when I was invited to interview in mid December and started in February .

 

[carriageline]

Come on you lot , the lad is a tad enthusiastic but that isn't necessarily a bad thing!! Some of the staff I see, if they had a slightest smidge of enthusiasm you might mistake them for being alive!!

Just a few things, keep the enthusiasm to a minimum. TOCs are not always keen on enthusiasts (by there are plenty in the business trust me!). And don't focus on one TOC (I see you search regularly on others anyway)

But I agree with some of them. Most jobs are similar to each other, regardless what colour you wear! Some companies have higher morale than others, and some locations have higher morale than others in the same company!

My advice is read some of the fantastic advice this place has in regards to recruitment. And be careful with the enthusiast stuff, as Virgin (as do most TOCs) care a lot more about customer service. In reality, knowing a lot about trains won't really help you on the job.

Don't listen to the old buggers there are plenty of 'underdogs' on here, we all was an underdog at some point!