(*READ BEFORE POSTING*) Jobs & Careers Forum Guidelines

[Horizon22]

Welcome to the Jobs and Careers Forum! We hope that you find this forum valuable and insightful and enjoy reading its contents!​

We are currently recruiting for a moderator for the Jobs & Careers Forum - please see here for more details.

Topics & Threads

This forum is intended to be used for the following (non-exclusive) topics:

• Posting vacancies and jobs that you have seen advertised
• Discussing vacancies and jobs with fellow candidates, current job holders and other interested parties
• Gaining advice and asking questions about specific roles and aspects of job applications
• Wider discussions about careers and jobs in the railway industry
• Questions about obtaining work experience or to ask about a specific part of the recruitment process

Vague questions, generic posts that have already been answered or off-topic conversations may be deleted or moved to the approriate forum. Threads such as "How do I become a [insert job title here]?" or "When will X be advertising again?" are likely to be locked or deleted, especially if they have already been asked before. This includes speculative posts about positions which may or may not become open in future. Please use the "Search" function to find the relevant details.

Concerns

If you have any concerns that any thread or post doesn't confirm to the guidelines above and below, or the overall forum rules, please use the "Report" function which will flag the issue to the moderation and admin team.

Specific Jobs & Roles

Over the years, considerable focus and discussion has been about two specific roles - drivers and signallers - and discussion about the assessment and medical process. As a result, there are threads regarding these roles:

• You can find the drivers thread here. Read a beginner's guide to the process here.
• You can find the signallers thread here.
• You can find the assessments and medicals process discussion thread here.

We are working to build an FAQ in the first post of each of these threads. These are extensive threads so please read thoroughly as you may find your question already answered; utilise the "Search" function to check. Any repeat threads will be locked.

There are also two specific threads about the locations, routes and traction that train crew "sign":

• You can find the drivers thread here.
• You can find the guards thread here.

We are always happy to recieve additional contributions or make amendements; if you wish to feel free to post yourself or contact a moderator. Any repeat threads will be locked.

If you are starting a new thread about a new vacancy, please include specific information such as the company, role and date of posting in the title e.g. "Southeastern Trainee Driver - Grove Park (01/01/2021)"

Recruitment

DO NOT post here about how you find a railway job. This forum is not a listings site and nor is anyone here able to offer sponsorship for PTS or other qualifications. Threads like this are likely to be locked or deleted. Vacancies are generally posted in the following places (this is not an exhaustive list):

• Train Operating Company (TOC) or owning group (e.g. Arriva) websites
• Freight Operating Company (FOC) websites
• Network Rail careers page
• Standard employment websites (e.g. Indeed or Reed)
• Recruitment agencies that work with the railway (e.g. Ontrak)
• Civil Service Jobs (for DfT or ORR jobs)

Note that if you have a question regarding an ongoing process you are involved in, there may already be an ongoing thread regarding that vacancy, so please use the search function before posting a new thread. Anything that is deemed to be a duplicate may be merged into other already existing topics.

Railway recruitment can be incredibly competitive, especially for positions such as drivers, signallers or guards. It is well known that for certain TOCs that put up adverts for drivers, the ratio of applicants to positions can be as high as 1000:1. Please don't be despondent if you are not successful. Perseverance and the right mentality is key if you want to secure a job in the industry. Be sure to read the job description carefully and answer the questions in detail. For further information, take a look at the threads of of how long it has taken some people and the other routes people have taken.

Please do not post questions about whether exceptions will be made to recruitment rules (such as age or distance to/from the role location) if they are stated in the job advert. As mentioned, recruitment is very competitive, so you will probably be unsuccessful immediately. If you have any specific questions about any vacancy, the best people to answer it will be the recruitment team for the company you are applying to although forum members will always try to assist where possible.

The recruitment process can take months or even years to complete, especially for competitive roles such as drivers, so please be patient if you do not get immediate replies. Train companies often make use of "Talent Pools" whereby you will be successful with your application but no substantive vacancy is yet available. You will be kept "on hold" until such a position becomes available. Please discuss with your respective potential employer's recruitment team if you are in this situation.

Certain roles will have specific criteria that means they are defined as "safety critical". If you are applying for one of these roles then it should be mentioned in the job description. Succesful applicants will need to attend a safety critical medical which involves checking health factors such as colour vision, hearing, medical history, as well as a mandatory drugs and alcohol check. The roles that are safety critical include (but are not limited to): drivers, guards, signallers and dispatch staff.

If you have any queries at all, please contact the current moderators of the forum, or an admin. The moderators currently are: Horizon22​