Miz860 wrote:I have a question. What time did you leave the hiring session. I have a very very important meeting the same day as a hiring session I was just invited too. The meeting starts at 1:15pm
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If memory serves me (and its been a long, long time since I hired out), don't count on getting out by 1:15. If its done the way it was traditionally done, they start with a long spiel about the railroad, the life, what is expected of you, the physical requirements. This takes most of the morning. Then its various tests of mental, math, and recognition skills. AFTER lunch, they call out the people they would like to verbally interview. I don't think one can count on getting out by 1:15. If you are really interested in this career, then you need to set aside the entire day for it. Railroading is NOT a mere "job"; it is a profession, a vocation, a life-changing experience that is unlike the "ordinary" "job" as people usually see it. The railroad wants you and your attention totally for the next 30+ years. It is a lifestyle that absorbs your entire existence, the way you AND your family live, the way you act and even TALK. Therefore if you are looking for a "job" or a 9-5 gig where you have "other" interests that are more important, I wouldn't even attend the interview! It is, however, a VERY good living both in the present and in retirement and it IS worth pursuing. Blow off the interview, and you *may* never get another chance because the interviewers might see your absence as a lack of sincerity, and as one who is.......well, "looking for a job" they'll bail on when the going gets tough!
If you decide this is for you, then be sure to be there at the appointed time. Show up (if the interview is at 8 AM) at 8 naught one, and the door will be slammed in your face with a curt, "You're late. Thank you for coming" SLAM! Then it will be LOCKED & and you are done!
I am not exaggerating! When it is said that railroading is unlike any other work you will do, they are not kidding!!!!
And it starts at the entry door to the initial interview.
I don't say these things to discourage you. I hope it helps you decide if railroading is for you. Only you can decide whether a fantastic career is more important than your "meeting". I wish you the best.
Gadfly
retired, Norfolk Southern