BECOME A TRAIN DRIVER IN 2020

ABOUT THE ROLE

As you can imagine many applicants get carried away with their childhood dreams and ambitions without first establishing whether or not this is the job for them.

• Train Drivers mainly operate either diesel or electric trains.
• There are strict rules on safety for both passenger and freight trains, which drivers must follow.
• In past years there have been a number of unfortunate rail incidents and Train Operating Companies want to employ people who take safety seriously.

The word ‘safety’ should be at the forefront of your mind whilst you are going through selection. It’s the exact reason why the TOC will assess your ability to concentrate for long periods of time during the assessment day. Because if you can’t, then you will be putting yourself, your train and your passengers at risk from harm.

During your initial training course you will receive much training and guidance on the important topic of safety. The role does involve sitting down in the cab for prolonged periods of time. Before you apply you need to be certain that you are capable of maintaining high levels of concentration for lengthy periods.

THE TRAIN DRIVER SELECTION PROCESS

THE APPLICATION FORM

• The vast majority of applicants fail at the very first stage – the application form.
• The way to complete the form is to base your responses to the competency based question(s) around the qualities that are required.
• For example, you will need to provide evidence of where you can provide a high level of customer service, provide details of where you have previously concentrated for long periods of time and also when you have had to work under pressure.
• When completing the form be sure to concentrate on demonstrating the key qualities required for the role.

THE ASSESSMENT CENTRE

• There are many different elements to the assessment centre.
• These may include psychometric testing, group bourdon/concentration test, communication exercises, ability tests, ATAVT, Observational Ability tests, Reaction time WAFV and Perception Adaptive Tachistoscopic Traffic Test (ATAVT).
• The way in which to prepare for the selection assessment is to embark on an intense period of preparation.
• This means you will need to spend plenty of time trying out lots of sample tests in the build-up to the assessment centre.

THE TRAIN DRIVER INTERVIEW

• If you reach this stage of the selection process then you will not want to fail!
• The way in which you can pass the trainee train driver selection interviews is to provide EVIDENCE of where you meet the assessable qualities required for the role.
• To allow us to explain more effectively, here is a sample interview question and tips on how to answer it.

Sample Train Driver Interview Question

Train Operating Companies employ many people in different roles from Conductors to platform staff and from ticket office staff to caterers.

In fact it is not uncommon for thousands of people to work for one particular TOC. Therefore, it is essential that every member of the team works together in order to achieve the ultimate goal of providing a high quality rail service.

The recruitment staff will want to be certain that you can work effectively as part of a team, which is why you may be asked questions that relate to your team working experience.

When responding to this type of question use the following format for structuring your response:

S – Tell the interviewer what the SITUATION was that you were involved in. Make sure the situation is a genuine one and one where you took action!

T – Tell the interviewer what TASK you had to undertake and also what tasks other people did too.

A – Now tell the interviewer what ACTION you took specifically and also what action other people took as part of the team. It is advisable to say that you volunteered to take action as opposed to being told by a supervisor or a manager.

R – Finally, tell the interviewer what the RESULT was following your actions. Try to provide details of any POSITIVE ACTION you took!

For those people who want to become a train driver the selection process presents a considerable challenge. The main reason for this is simply because the competition is fierce. Having said that, the vast majority of people who apply will fail at the first hurdle, simply because they have not prepared themselves fully.

FREE BONUS

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