Working for Metro North

Engineers get hired out of other crafts, not specificly trainman or conductor. I stated as Electrician and MofE foreman before heading to ChooChoo High in GCT.
MNCR has its own training facilities for all crafts.
to hire out on MNCR in any craft try here:
https://as0.mta.info/mnr/html/resume/intro.cfm
for what they are hiring go here:
http://as0.mta.info/mnr/html/employment ... osting.cfm

you need at least 1 year in other craft to be able to transfer.

People are hired as trainperson or whatever and promoted to Conductor.
There are no more firemen on Metro-North.
Now this one is old and maybe the policy has been changed more
recently but engineers used to be hired or transferred from other
departments by application but before they did that, they gave preference
to experienced engineers from other railroads.
Most railroads today give first preference to experienced and licensed
engineers from other railroads before they hire others. Some other
railroads only get their engineers from the ranks of conductors and some
even require the newer conductors to accept promotion to engineer as a
condition of continued employment.
I know Amtrak gives first preference to certified engineers from other
railroads, freight or passenger and I rather think that they get most of
their engineers in that manner.
Noel Weaver

Engineers as far as I know are not hired off the street. You can visit the MNRR site for job postings. I suggest if you want to work for them take any position available and work from within. (ie. coach cleaner, janitorial, ticket seller) good luck.