This is not a joke - I'm looking for similar sorts of jobs ( either similar pay to what I get now with weekends off, or working weekends for lots of dough ), and I found this through jobsite....unfortunately it said there you need to live within 45mins of the depot and I'm anything from 15mins (Waterloo ) to 2+hrs ( Staines ) too far , so I thought I'd throw open this rare opportunity to everyone else ( not least cos RMT can't be accused of being a "sweetheart" union ). If anyone does go for it, good luck to you.
I don't suppose your mouth bleeds every 28 days, does it?
Mail delivery; those that can, do, those that can't, MANAGE!
This is not a joke - I'm looking for similar sorts of jobs ( either similar pay to what I get now with weekends off, or working weekends for lots of dough ), and I found this through jobsite....unfortunately it said there you need to live within 45mins of the depot and I'm anything from 15mins (Waterloo ) to 2+hrs ( Staines ) too far , so I thought I'd throw open this rare opportunity to everyone else ( not least cos RMT can't be accused of being a "sweetheart" union ). If anyone does go for it, good luck to you.
Definitely interesting but my monies on 250 people applying for every decent position. Also living 45 minutes from the depot by what type of transport... train?
OK just seen the application forms etc and got more details
I put my address in and went to select my country.... the first option was The Congo.... last option England WTF do South West Trains think I'm applying for... a station master position in Kinshasa
Its kinda strange this as once you leave RM you'll never get back in on the same terms and there no guarantee that you'll pass train training
I know what you're saying about taking the risk, I'm uncertain myself ( but I'm still waiting for FT hrs ), and to be fair, opportunities don't come up like this everyday (I'm waiting for TfL or SouthEastern to offer something similar, cos I don't fancy trying to schlep to or from Waterloo ( my nearest SWT depot ) in the rush hour, especially in crap weather. The alternative is to ask for a leave of absence or a sabbatical for 12 months...if it works out, give a week to RM, if it don't then do your time off ( maybe with an agency if you need a job, any job ), then go back to your DO and dream of what might have been.
I don't suppose your mouth bleeds every 28 days, does it?
Mail delivery; those that can, do, those that can't, MANAGE!
smokerjim wrote:I know what you're saying about taking the risk, I'm uncertain myself ( but I'm still waiting for FT hrs ), and to be fair, opportunities don't come up like this everyday (I'm waiting for TfL or SouthEastern to offer something similar, cos I don't fancy trying to schlep to or from Waterloo ( my nearest SWT depot ) in the rush hour, especially in crap weather. The alternative is to ask for a leave of absence or a sabbatical for 12 months...if it works out, give a week to RM, if it don't then do your time off ( maybe with an agency if you need a job, any job ), then go back to your DO and dream of what might have been.
I asked my DOM last year about the possibility of taking a sabbatical and he said "are you serious?" in a way that made it obvious he was just about to burst out laughing.... that was the end of that.
I have to say I'm really really tempted especially with wages including London weighting at nearly £45k fully trained, but..... as you say its a risk.
No harm in submitting an application and seeing what happens I suppose.
I've actually done the tests to get in twice. Passed everything but failed on the final interviews. Unless it's been changed since 2000 and 2005 it's a bloody hard 2 day and all full 8 hour day at that full of tests interviews and more tests.
One of our posties went to train and passed, he too was undecided at the time but was persuaded to give it a go, he was a decent bloke and at that time would have got his job back at RM with no problem. I saw him in the supermarket a few months ago................it must be ten years since he left and he said it was the best thing he'd ever done.
dvbuk55 wrote:One of our posties went to train and passed, he too was undecided at the time but was persuaded to give it a go, he was a decent bloke and at that time would have got his job back at RM with no problem. I saw him in the supermarket a few months ago................it must be ten years since he left and he said it was the best thing he'd ever done.
Oh, stop teasing!
A couple of guys at my office have left and then come back in the past.... now you only get a 'It MIGHT be possible to comeback!' and then only on a crappy 3 month contract which they can at some future point enforce part-time hours on you as they have with some of our other contracted full timers
sidewinder wrote:I've actually done the tests to get in twice. Passed everything but failed on the final interviews. Unless it's been changed since 2000 and 2005 it's a bloody hard 2 day and all full 8 hour day at that full of tests interviews and more tests.
Sidewinder: Any chance that you post what the tests involved and what the interview consisted of or anything else that might be of help to a potential applicant?
Cheers
dvbuk55 wrote:One of our posties went to train and passed, he too was undecided at the time but was persuaded to give it a go, he was a decent bloke and at that time would have got his job back at RM with no problem. I saw him in the supermarket a few months ago................it must be ten years since he left and he said it was the best thing he'd ever done.
Oh, stop teasing!
A couple of guys at my office have left and then come back in the past.... now you only get a 'It MIGHT be possible to comeback!' and then only on a crappy 3 month contract which they can at some future point enforce part-time hours on you as they have with some of our other contracted full timers
I did say it was ten years ago but several people have left and come back in recent years............it would depend on how good an employee you were I suppose.
dvbuk55 wrote:One of our posties went to train and passed, he too was undecided at the time but was persuaded to give it a go, he was a decent bloke and at that time would have got his job back at RM with no problem. I saw him in the supermarket a few months ago................it must be ten years since he left and he said it was the best thing he'd ever done.
Oh, stop teasing!
A couple of guys at my office have left and then come back in the past.... now you only get a 'It MIGHT be possible to comeback!' and then only on a crappy 3 month contract which they can at some future point enforce part-time hours on you as they have with some of our other contracted full timers
I did say it was ten years ago but several people have left and come back in recent years............it would depend on how good an employee you were I suppose.
Yes, understood but as my manager said he could recommend that a person be re-hired but his hands are tied with regards the contracted hours, pay, pension etc etc
sidewinder wrote:I've actually done the tests to get in twice. Passed everything but failed on the final interviews. Unless it's been changed since 2000 and 2005 it's a bloody hard 2 day and all full 8 hour day at that full of tests interviews and more tests.
Sidewinder: Any chance that you post what the tests involved and what the interview consisted of or anything else that might be of help to a potential applicant?
Cheers
Yes I will simplify it though. Here goes. Both times I gad at least 3 separate interviews all on different aspects. How you work, a sort of safety interview and a main interview. Also involved was a interview with what would be your depot manager. Think dim interviews you a sort of I might ormightnot like you interview. That's how I took it. The tests are a audio remember test, a text remember test, a mechanical apt test. There is more than one of all the above the first time I done them but not the second time in 2005 so it's a gamble what you get I think. Then there's a hand feet eye coordinated test. This is hard to describe unless you see the equipment. There's also a dot test which will do your eyes in and again hard to describe. It took 2 full days of tests the first time and you pass each stage till the final interview. Done this twice and still don't know what you have to say right to pass. Fail the test on anypart it's goodnight. Hope that helps in a small way. I won't skip the truth the tests were harder in 2000 than 2005 although they were similar.
sidewinder wrote:I've actually done the tests to get in twice. Passed everything but failed on the final interviews. Unless it's been changed since 2000 and 2005 it's a bloody hard 2 day and all full 8 hour day at that full of tests interviews and more tests.
Sidewinder: Any chance that you post what the tests involved and what the interview consisted of or anything else that might be of help to a potential applicant?
Cheers
Yes I will simplify it though. Here goes. Both times I gad at least 3 separate interviews all on different aspects. How you work, a sort of safety interview and a main interview. Also involved was a interview with what would be your depot manager. Think dim interviews you a sort of I might ormightnot like you interview. That's how I took it. The tests are a audio remember test, a text remember test, a mechanical apt test. There is more than one of all the above the first time I done them but not the second time in 2005 so it's a gamble what you get I think. Then there's a hand feet eye coordinated test. This is hard to describe unless you see the equipment. There's also a dot test which will do your eyes in and again hard to describe. It took 2 full days of tests the first time and you pass each stage till the final interview. Done this twice and still don't know what you have to say right to pass. Fail the test on anypart it's goodnight. Hope that helps in a small way. I won't skip the truth the tests were harder in 2000 than 2005 although they were similar.
Thanks a million for that! :) very interesting!
I think that RM has dumbed down its tests as well... first time I applied they hired a huge conference room in a hotel, must have been 50+ people there. We all did the written test. RM person came back half hour later and called 3 peoples names out.... I was thinking sad people how could you fail THAT. Anyway the 3 left the room and the bloke said the rest of you had failed but we could reapply in 6 months! Next time it seemed much shorter and easier... I flew through and here I am years later wondering if maybe it would have been better if I'd failed the second time as well ;)
Indy wrote:I think that RM has dumbed down its tests as well... first time I applied they hired a huge conference room in a hotel, must have been 50+ people there. We all did the written test. RM person came back half hour later and called 3 peoples names out.... I was thinking sad people how could you fail THAT. Anyway the 3 left the room and the bloke said the rest of you had failed but we could reapply in 6 months! Next time it seemed much shorter and easier... I flew through and here I am years later wondering if maybe it would have been better if I'd failed the second time as well ;)
I'll say....................most of them have calloused knuckles these days
Indy wrote:I think that RM has dumbed down its tests as well... first time I applied they hired a huge conference room in a hotel, must have been 50+ people there. We all did the written test. RM person came back half hour later and called 3 peoples names out.... I was thinking sad people how could you fail THAT. Anyway the 3 left the room and the bloke said the rest of you had failed but we could reapply in 6 months! Next time it seemed much shorter and easier... I flew through and here I am years later wondering if maybe it would have been better if I'd failed the second time as well ;)
I'll say....................most of them have calloused knuckles these days
