MN Assistant Conductor Hiring

Does anyone know if MN has a set time for reviewing applications and resumes for the Assistant Conductor position?

I applied last August, about how long does it take to get a response? Thanks for any info that may help.

sometimes a year sometimes less and sometimes longer.
not kidding either.

Keep sending your resumes to MN. If you send only one and don't follow it up, it'll be tossed out after a month or so. Remember, the squeeky wheel gets the grease!!!

That's exactly what someone else in Metro-North said to me, to keep on top of the status of my application, and to apply for different jobs. He said that getting in is the hard part, but once you're in you can move up to different positions.

I called the H.R. office to check the status of my application, the woman said that the application stays in the system for a year and that I would have to re-apply again in August. She said hopefully by then I'd hear some kind of reply. She was probably just being polite, but either way she got my hopes up.

I thought maybe they review applications only during certain times of the year.

You got the standard answer. Yes, techically all resumes are on file for one year. But if you send in only one, it will get buried by all the other resumes!! Take my word for it, keep sending in your resume at least once a month!! That's how I got hired some 20 years ago.

Does MetroNorth have the same ugly policy as the LIRR, come in once a week for testing, etc. for three months prior to actually being compensated?

No. Actually MN is quite good. Once you get called in for an interview, you should make it, unless you've got a bad record. Even then, unless you're a hardened crimminal and you're honest with them, you should be hired.

One tip..............

Take any opening they offer you. You can always transfer to the craft that you like within a year.

It can be a slow and painful process, but its worth it. Keep in mind over 3,000 people applied the last time the assistant conductor position was advertised on the railroad's website. You go through several "hurdles" to get in. First, ya gotta get called for the test (and pass it.) If you pass, you're thrown into a pool of available applicants. When the time comes to start preparing a new class, a very thorough background check will be done on you. If you've sneezed in the past 20 years, and its been documented, they know about it
If the background and employment and credit history all check out good, thats usually grounds to bring you in for an interview. If you pass the interview and physical abilities test, you go into another pool of available applicants. When the next class rolls around, and they select you, you go see the railroad physician for a full physical, and voila, you're in training.
You kinda have to find a happy medium with employment.... If you call too much, they get cranky. Usually the first week of the month is a nice time to call and say "Hey there, I sure am interested in gettin a job with you guys, any word yet?"...This way your file is pulled up and atleast it keeps your name in their head.
Good luck

My friend who has been a Conductor for the last ten years took him over 4 years to hire out. He says if he had to do it again he would have hired out in a different craft and then transfered. They hire within before they hire off the street. You may want to apply for as many positions as possible.

MNCR will not take paper resume's, only way to apply is tru the website.
update your application is said to move it to top of pile.

http://as0.mta.info/mnr/html/employment ... osting.cfm

Thanks to all for the help and suggestions.

I already applied for a couple of other positions. I'll take whatever they give me just to get it, and I'll definetly call back to the HR office every once in while. The sooner the better, but I guess all good things come with time.