Hi there. I'm applying for a job. It's my first time and I have to write a CV. (Resume for Americans) does anyone have any tips?
Also, any tips for writing a cover letter? Obv, I'm planning on getting in with a TOC. (On-board customer service role) but I don't share what unless I'm allowed. Let me know if that helps.
I would've contributed something meaningful but it's a British TOC, so my inputs might do more harm than good... So best of luck with your application. That's all from my side
There's a friendly group at the link below who will be well placed to advise on the specific role. It may already be covered there. https://www.railforums.co.uk/forums/railway-jobs-careers.122/ General advice, keep it brief and relevant, and show how your experience is related to the role, giving specific examples. And do note that they won't be interested in the fact you have an interest in railways.
If it's a job on the railway, to emphasise the point above under no circumstances ever let on that you are any sort of enthusiast or "play" with trains (model or virtual). It does not generally sit that well with managers (even though they are probably huge cranks themselves).
Once you’re in it’s a different matter. When I applied for a job in the Diagramming Section at Paddington in 1983 I had an interview with the famous “Colonel” Alan Sweetnam (RIP many years now) who had a fearsome reputation and zero tolerance for enthusiasts. I managed to get through the interview and landed a job in the Supplementary Diagramming section where more than half the staff were enthusiasts to some extent or other, same on the Permanent Diagramming sections. To be fair to understand traction and train crew planning you absolutely needed a grounding in the basics anyway. There was a lot to learn without having to also comprehend the difference between a Class 47 or Class 50, steam or electric heat, good geographic knowledge including route availability and maximum haulage capacity.
At least in my country (Czech Republic), the railway is extremely understaffed on every position that either works outside or has 24/7 operation. I'm pretty sure they take prettymuch anyone who doesn't look like some kind of low-life. Besides having basic requirements like having basic knowledge of working with electricity for some positions. Since I clearly had the easy way in, I don't really know if my CV was any good but the general idea would be to not make things up. Just write everything about your professional knowledge, interest and personality traits. btw. I've been working as a Security Equipment Technician since March. Should be able to look after some signals and switches pretty soon.
Make it short. It´s called "resume" afterall. No HR is reading through a novel. They just don´t have the time (and will!) and send it straight to the bin. Don´t invent any fancy formats, keep it on *.doc or *.pdf: AND: If you´re applying for a big company, most probably you´ll have to deal with their AI algorithms they´re using for screening and pre-selection. So, make sure the right tags are in your job application. Place some keywords from your job relevant experience. Don´t forget to mention volontary works for the common good, if applicable. Some guidance in the links below: https://www.jobteaser.com/en/advice...-the-algorithm-that-s-going-to-screen-your-cv https://resume.io/cv-templates Don´t pump any money to these sites: Having their examples, you can do it on your own (and you should, since you have to defend what you wrote) If you make it to round 2, the first verbal interview, just be yourself. Be authentic! Don´t try to guess what they want to listen to. They might provoke you with some questioning. I know I wouldn´t have anybody in my teams who can´t defend his stances. Explain what attracted you to the job offer/description. Research the company you´re applying to beforehand. And prepare some questions YOU have to them. After their interview you come forward with them and listen carefully to the answers. At this point you should be able already to feel the chemistry and/or synergies. That should avoid frustrations on both sides. Money talks are never the first instances to discuss. Leave that for later. But when it comes to this point, be reasonable but firm with your salary expectations. If you claim to be proficient in other languages, be prepared to get tested. Hope this helps and Good Luck!
XD loved that! Thank you. Sadly I don't have any previous job experience but I have done some volunteering so I'll try and make that clear. Hopefully it goes well. Will I know if my CV doesn't get accepted? What are the chances I will get an interview? Thanks btw. I'll take all advice in and try and do my best with this.
If you have prepared yourself decently, that includes your CV, then just relax. You´ll be fine. There might be rejections but don´t give up at the first attempt. It might have been for the better (you might find out in hindsight, trust me) The fact that you don´t have a previous job experience doesn´t mean necessarily a down side. I have recruited team members for my teams (Software DevOps) looking for exactly that. Because they´re fresh and without addiction habits. They are the best out-of-the-box thinkers. So, you´re not inexperienced, you´re "open minded". Make that an asset! And if this company is looking for a 25-year old professional with a 30-year experience in 5 different industries, being fluent in 10 languages, don´t bother to apply anyway. You don´t wanna work for these guys, it´ll be a frustrating experience for everybody involved. Will I know if my CV doesn't get accepted? A serious company with a decent HR will at least notify the reception of your appliance. After a few days (weeks) at minimum they`ll inform you that "at this time we are screening for more candidates to be considered" OR "your application has been received and has been made available in the company´s data base for further consulting" ...... something like that ...... and you´ll know you won´t get an interview at the moment. What are the chances to get an interview? Well, I think all depends on how your appliance and CV impacted, meaning what´s the percentage of priority job requirements met. After sparking interest you should then get call (or notification) from the recruiter in charge and that´s when you´re in Round 2 to have a F2F or video meeting scheduled to learn to know you better. And you take it from there .... Again: Relax and Good Luck!
The last interview I had on the railway before retiring, which was basically in house applying for your own job under reorganisation, was not at all conventional. You were given situations and asked to describe examples from your own experience as to how you resolved the issue, including how you would persuade people your plan was the correct one. No specific Rules and Regs or similar, tell me about yourself type of questions. For someone whose experience was largely more conventional interview style, most strange.
Good luck writing CV and applying for a job is a pain in the... You wrote before you've already sent the resume, but I'll give my humble tips anyway as you may find them useful. From my experience, it's good to keep it brief and well-structured (it's actually called "structured resume" in my country). It's supposed to help the company to filter out people who don't fit the job at all and to help you get invited to an interview. I'd start with your details such as name and contact information, then your education. Since this is your first CV without prior job experience, you should try and focus on your other skills, any courses you have completed, diplomas if they are relevant to the job etc. The fluff you write along with your CV is also super important - I have no idea what it's called in the UK, it could be translated as an accompanying letter. This is the first thing the HR person will read, you want to entice them to open the CV. This needs to be tailored to the company and the position you are applying to, there is not a standardized answer. For the interview itself, I cannot stress this enough - RESEARCH AND PREPARE. Look up commonly asked questions during the interview, prepare your answers and practice. But you also need to be authentic and yourself, do not even try to answer with cliché answers those people hear ten times every day. You are going to be stressed out, but the interview should be used to that. It's also very important to be polite and mind your body language. Lastly, I'm going to recommend this youtube channel that helped me a lot to get the job I have now. These are videos from a person with 20+ years of experience as a recruiter and has some very good tips in his videos. Look at the most popular tab and look for videos related to job interviews. https://www.youtube.com/@ALifeAfterLayoff/videos
I wouldn't if i were you. It's very easy for companies to tell now with a.i being such a big thing. Not sure what you work as but I'll be surprised if it worked.
Not sure if I’m the best to give tips, but a few things I’d use would be; Any educational grades if theirs passes/or higher, include them, anything else maybe not or just the ones that are only 1 level down (for England when I was there that would D/3 Grades as C/4 is pass) Anything like prefect I wouldn’t include on a job CV, College or Uni application probably yes but not job. another is grade titles, I have a degree but it has quite a fancy long title, I use the longer title as it’s sounds better imo; short title - “insert name here” Degree, Grade: 2:2 long title - Bachelor of Science Degree in “insert name here”, Grade: Second Class Second Division With Honors (2:2) other tips I would give is for the personal qualities section of a cv, include things like Enthusiasm or adaptable to working independent or as a team, also to change this section so it better matches each job you apply for, don’t make it to long, things like hobbies you can save for the interview if they ask, as I don’t think they would care as much what activities you do after work. also try to find things to ask them in interviews and make it clear that you’re satisfied and understand everything said well, (should help to distinguish that you/anyone wouldn’t be seeming like a liability/clueless if you know what I mean) don’t forget any work experience or volunteering no matter how little, little is better than skipping that whole section. (Trust me I Completely understand that’s a difficult one for a first job, almost as bad as them jobs what need experience but to get the experience you need experience…)
Keep it simple and to the point. Name and address and contact details at the top. A short paragraph about why you want the job and how you suit it. Then into your work experience or voluntary experience you have. List the skills you learnt, focusing on the ones that would be appropriate at a TOC (safety, customer service etc). Add a line or two explaing what you did. All job pages contain all the keywords they want to hear so go through the job page and highlight the key words and make sure they are in your CV. You'll see things like 'passion for customer service' or 'attention to detail' come up regularly. If you don't have any work experience- get some. Either by volunteering (preferable) or taking a job at a local shop etc. After this you can put your education, just grades. You can add any other qualifications too if perhaps you play an instrument etc. Then you need to put what you enjoy in your spare time. Keep it short but interesting. Mention sport, places you like to visit etc. Make yourself sound like a well-rounded human being. You can end with 'references available upon request.' I'm sure you have a few people who can write you one if you needed it. This should be done in no more than 2 pages of A4. No pictures, no jokes. Just short and very sweet. Save the CV for other jobs but make sure you tailor it to the job you are applying to. NEVER use a generic CV. Good luck
