amdg w/o experience

I'm 18 with a year of college complete, wondering if anyone in my situation has had luck with amdg? I can't fill out the online application because one of the initial q's before you can even start your application asks if you have a degree or a min of 3 yrs full time emplyment after high school so i am automatically disqualified. I was planning on going to an interview session coming up late this month but am starting to have some doubts now. It gives a phone # to call if you dont' meet these, so im defiantely going to go ahead and talk to someone this week. I'm hoping 5 yrs of part time employment and a yr of college will help me out here. I also have a sqeaky clean record. I know there's some other young guys who have gone through amdg w/o meeting those requirements, just wondering if there's anything else ide have to go through or what kind of question's they might have for me?

Thanks,

John, as you have probably heard or read the railroads usually try not to hire young guys like yourself for fear that it will be too overwhelming. Hours, shifts, outside in weather etc.

Supposedly AMDG is not charging now in an attempt to get more people.

As you have also probably heard we can't get enough people around here....and most of the ones we get are older guys who will probably only last about 10 years, if that.

As for the lack of full-time experience and your age, I'm sure if you mention your brother that may help......at least with the CSXT people. Good luck

Thanks for the reply. Hopefully they are hurting bad enough to over look that stuff. If all else fails with AMDG I'll most likely give NARS a shot. If I get through that course I think I'll have a decent shot here and may have a little extra help then with my brother if I don't have to go through AMDG. I'll get ahold of someone at AMDG and see what they can do, they have 3 interview sessions in either Springfield or Worcester coming up in the next couple weeks so that shows there still is quite a demand for newhires. I'll keep posting on teh progress in case someone else is dealing with a similar situation.

Thanks again

Don't sit on your behind any more than you need to, every class that goes before you is more guys/gals that will be ahead on the roster.

AMDG isnt charging now?

AMDG's class starting on Monday in Albany is supposedly free and it did not fill up as of today, so this could continue but who knows? Also following up on my own question, as far as AMDG goes, you cannot even fill out an application w/o at least 2 yrs of experience (school or full time employment) after hs, it says 3 on their app, but you should be ok after a little over the phone convincing. Just be able to back up what you are saying because inexperience is definately working against young guys like myself here and they might check you out. I would like to thank everyone on this site especially CSX Conductor for their support and advice on this forum.

Jedijk88 wrote:AMDG isnt charging now?

That's right, they finally realized that only buffs will pay, lol.

Seriously, it is very scary...the type of people they have been getting. They can't seem to find many reliable or attentive people. Many of these people that do stick around are old guys in their 50's (no offense), which will only act as a temporary fix until they retire in a few more years. There is even one guy around here that had his knees crushed by a machine at his old job causing him to be forecd-out on a disability, but he paid the class and they hired him. This is a very good example of how being a "nice guy" doesn't always cut it. He is very nice, willing to work, but slow at learning everything, and like I said has the bad knees, which will probably catch up to him.

Hopefully the new freebie classes will draw in some more good people, but we'll have to just wait and see I guess.

CSX Conductor wrote:

Jedijk88 wrote:AMDG isnt charging now?

That's right, they finally realized that only buffs will pay, lol.

Seriously, it is very scary...the type of people they have been getting. They can't seem to find many reliable or attentive people. Many of these people that do stick around are old guys in their 50's (no offense), which will only act as a temporary fix until they retire in a few more years. There is even one guy around here that had his knees crushed by a machine at his old job causing him to be forecd-out on a disability, but he paid the class and they hired him. This is a very good example of how being a "nice guy" doesn't always cut it. He is very nice, willing to work, but slow at learning everything, and like I said has the bad knees, which will probably catch up to him.

Hopefully the new freebie classes will draw in some more good people, but we'll have to just wait and see I guess.

With a little luck, you'll survive long enough to be an "old guy." It's amazing how the concept of "old" changes as one ages beyond.....puberty.

After 12 hours in snow and sleet with aching bones I feel older, lol.

What I meant to say is that the school is looking at things the wrong way. I have been told that the school was instructed by CSXT to hire more older people (say 50 years +) just so they will not collect as much when they retire. That sounds rather silly, doesn't it? Why not accept more people in their 20's/30's who will possibly be able to give the company 30+ years like the old-heads did.

CSX Conductor wrote:After 12 hours in snow and sleet with aching bones I feel older, lol.

What I meant to say is that the school is looking at things the wrong way. I have been told that the school was instructed by CSXT to hire more older people (say 50 years +) just so they will not collect as much when they retire. That sounds rather silly, doesn't it? Why not accept more people in their 20's/30's who will possibly be able to give the company 30+ years like the old-heads did.

We're railroaders, not human-resource generalists. Who's to say their reasoning isn't more cold-hearted? In addition to not collecting the max r.r. retirement benefits, what's the odds of some/many of them not living/working long enough to collect any $?

CSX Conductor wrote: I have been told that the school was instructed by CSXT to hire more older people (say 50 years +) just so they will not collect as much when they retire. That sounds rather silly, doesn't it?

That's railroad management for you. Look at the woes of GM and Ford, due in part to the large number of retirees whose pensions / benefits they claim they can't afford.

Yet, somehow, those companies can justify insane salaries, yearly bonuses that could support dozens of families, and the ever-present golden parachute for simple figureheads.

I thought RR retirement was a federal program (basically a social security program for railroaders). If so it shouldn't matter to the RR how old the new hires are.

you think that is bad..... do some google searches for IMRF, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund. We pay so much and our municipal employers pay the other half. After 7 years we are vested and can draw out after 8 years of service. 35 years to retire I think for maxing out.... either way... just research it on the deficit.... some of these guys didn't pay as well into the fund as we young guys are and lots of employees are retiring. IMRF is required for anyone who works over a set limit of hours in the year, who works for a public school, state office, agency, county or city municipality.

I forget how many million it was short last year.... and we are just now getting to the baby boomers.