Why wasn't I hired at UP?

With all the talk to UP being short handed I thought I'd get a job with them for sure. Me and my buddy put our applications in at the same time. I have 5 years experience with a RR out east and am NORAC qualified. He has no experience at all. We both applied for conductor positions via the UP web site.

3 months later his application is accepted and I get a dinky card in the mail "thank you but we are seeking other qualified persons who meet the positions available".

What kind of bs is this?

The same thing happened to me 5 months ago for a track laborer position. I'm a heavy equipment operator. I called their employment office and the person told me she didn't know why I wasn't called for an interview.

yea I hear you...they def. are not in a hurry to hire. 3 months to get a call back is insane!

carajul -
I'd heard of a similar situation awhile back with NS. An experienced railroader was declined, while an applicant with no experience was accepted. The rationale (if you wanna call it that) was that NS felt that "re-training" the experienced man would be more work than training the inexperienced one. How's that for insane?

One thing I've learned in the job market...I can't control other folks' craziness. I've lost a few jobs to less experienced workers, and I've landed jobs for trivial reasons (like coincidentally having gone to the same highschool as the interviewer).

I wish you luck.

[deleted]

I totally agree with Urban...........they want to mold the newbies just how they want them.

Also, being qualified on Norac Rules doesn't help.............Union Pacific is not a member, don't they have their own operating rules and signals, Just like Metro-North, and CSX (except for former Con-Rail)???

Afterall, NORAC stands for Northeast Operating Rules Advisory Committee !!!

They also hire the new employee at 75%, and then 5% the next 5 years saving them @ $52,000. based on 68500 per year. UTU and BLE contracts usually have provisions about prior railroad coming in at higer rates. If you have 5 years prior sevice with another carrier you will be at 100%

Think back, did you ever get into trouble, taken out of service, argue or
refuse to do something, cross up authority, how was your attitude, how
was your attendance and a host of other questions that they probably
asked your former or present railroad employer?
Maybe they did not like what they heard, your record travels with you,
this has been a tradition in the industry.
My guess is that MAYBE there is some dirty linen involved sometime,
someplace in the past.
I was told that many years ago, possibly all the way back to the old time
boomer age, the railroad would always give someone a service letter if
they requested it upon leaving. The service letter was on good quality
paper and if the watermark showed a bird with a broken neck, that was a
black mark and you should not be hired.
Today, such is done by phone calls, E-MAILS and computers for the most
part.
Noel Weaver
PS If you have ever had a reported injury, your paperwork and your
application and records will be very closly checked.
If you have ever been injured and hired an attorney, it is not too likely
that you will ever be able to land another railroad job again.

I would go with the Experiance Conductor over an untrained one so I wish you luck.

AmtrakFan