Norfolk Southern Hiring Process

Sounds just like the Army! So it's a mental game.Seriously though, it sounds like you have to eat it pretty good for awhile until you get broken in a bit and learn the system.

bretylium wrote:Sounds just like the Army! So it's a mental game.Seriously though, it sounds like you have to eat it pretty good for awhile until you get broken in a bit and learn the system.

You'll eat it your whole career, how much is up to you. You can try and play the system or you can just do your job like you're supposed to and stay out of the cross hairs of the officials. This place can be stressful if you let it. I choose to do my job and go home without stirring the shit around, dont screw around trying to learn the system...

I didn't know the NS gives 8 months of training compared to CSX which is around 4 months with 25% of that classroom at the REDI in Atlanta and not hands on OJT. I know the UTU tried to get a brakeman position reestablished for a minimum of one year which would make better sense. You can shove all the rules you want on to someone if they can't apply it to practical application it's meaningless. That unfortunately is the CSX way. When you make someone learn 500+ miles of railroad (multiple subdivisions) with every industry, yard ect... in 2 1/2 to 3 months they get promoted and look like deer caught in headlights.

Well, a big Mea Culpa is in order.....seems I confused Dewoc19 with another poster who was "tempted" to cheat on his mileage to McDonough and was advised against it. It was NOT Dewoc19, and I went off prematurely and unfairly on him. To Dewoc19 and the entire board I offer sincere opologies!

GF

A gentle bump for the NS thread. Anybody have any scoop on conductor hiring for Atlanta or Macon? Both have been posted since early this year. Has anybody been to a hiring session for either location since January? Any clue on the frequency of hiring sessions for those locations or the hiring outlook for either through the end of this year?

Hey guys Im about to apply to NS as a Conductor.

Does anyone here have any tips or good info that would help me?

It would definitely help. Pretty excited to start a career on the railroad.

I hope my two speeding tickets don't effect it.

tell them how important safety is to you!!!! if you want the job, you preach about safety, how all you care about is working safe, going home safe, have a safe working history (if you do)

speeding tickets shouldnt affect you as long as you put them on your application and dont lie about them, you lie, you dont get the job.... simple as that!!!

rustyshackleford wrote:A gentle bump for the NS thread. Anybody have any scoop on conductor hiring for Atlanta or Macon? Both have been posted since early this year. Has anybody been to a hiring session for either location since January? Any clue on the frequency of hiring sessions for those locations or the hiring outlook for either through the end of this year?

Have heard they are looking to hire a bunch of people for Atlanta (as recently as 1 month ago). Ran through training at McDonough with 1 guy out of Atlanta, its a big Yard and they supposedly need people. Macon may have positions and Valdosta had a few open.

Sting2703 wrote:Just applied to NS conductor position in Secaucus, NJ. Anyone know anything about the hiring process and or what to expect?

Thank you

Sting2703

The only thing I can tell you is, why NS has you sit through an entire day telling you about the company, and than give you a test at the end is ridiculous !
They tell everyone, once the test is done, it will be graded ! If your name doesn't show up on the sheet outside the door after all tests are graded, after waiting
30 minutes to 45 minutes while management goes and has lunch, to come back, is a waste of peoples time ! They oughtta give ya the test in the beginning and if you pass,
than boast about the company ! It is ridiculous to have to waste peoples valuable time if you don't pass the test !

If you get hired, goodluck ! It seems that you are slave to being on standby waiting to get called and they can send you to whatever location they want to and you
have to be ready within 90 minutes of them calling you ! Also, if you go to training in Georgia, you get reimbursed mileage for driving, but can't fly, that's on you
if you decide to fly down to Georgia. Have to rent a car then. Goodluck !

bretylium wrote: Have heard they are looking to hire a bunch of people for Atlanta (as recently as 1 month ago). Ran through training at McDonough with 1 guy out of Atlanta, its a big Yard and they supposedly need people. Macon may have positions and Valdosta had a few open.

I work in NS Atlanta IT and I've heard this as well. I've put in an application for a conductor position here and have approval from my manager to transfer, just need HR to get around to it I guess. I was hoping that they might be quick about it considering I'm already an employee, but NS is a slow beast.

I applied in early October for a non-union position in Illinois. I got an email in late October for the online test. A week after that, an email came to schedule a phone interview later that week. I had a really good conversation with the hiring manager in Atlanta and one other manager from the Mother Ship. Soon after an email arrived asking me to call HR and get travel arrangements made. I called and had flight and hotel reservations within 2 or 3 days. They didn't delay at all - I thought very professional and efficient. I flew out two weeks later and interviewed. I didn't like my performance in the interview, but I'm pretty hard on myself in general. So that was the 14th of November. How long does it take them to get back to you with an answer either way? I've heard they call either way or they call if they are making a conditional offer and email if not. I'm sure the Thanksgiving Holiday doesn't help the timeliness of the process and I've heard from NS folks that they are quite slow on the turnaround. I have email addresses for a couple of the interviewers, when should I fire an email off and ask for a status, if I should at all?

I had an offer within 5 days. I have heard you will get an offer for drug test/ physical within 5 days if they will hire you right away. Otherwise you are on a wait list or not hired at all...I am in month 3 of training right now for conductor.

I am considering applying for an NS conductor position. I have no experience, and willing to go anywhere. But I see NS has like 30,000 listings for conductors, and many of these have been up since the beginning of the year? Any suggestions on where to apply? Should I submit an application everywhere? Is there a particular location I have a better chance of being hired at? I have 5 years military experience if that helps me get hired somewhere.

Chicago has a lot of spots I hear, Atlanta is big and Savannah/Macon also. Things are slow in OH right now. Conway Yard in PA is busy most of the time, Bellvue OH will be expanding its yard signifcantly in the next few years, good place to chase work with seniority.

Chicago dont have squat right now, out extraboard had to get extended from 37 to 50 cause its so slow right now, guys only getting out 2 days a week.... they are gonna have to furlough soon cause its getting ridiculous, i also heard that Roanoke furloughed 300 guys, now is not a good time to get into the railroad, or at least with NS, guys with 8 months more seniority than me are being bumped back to the extraboard. like i said, they had to extend our extraboard by 13 guys cause when people were getting bumped off their jobs they had no place to put them on the extraboard cause it was full, they either needed to extend it or the guys with least amount of time were gonna get furloughed