Job Advice

[Russ Smith]

Hi, just seeking a bit of advice from those who work somewhere within a bus company...

I'm 19, hold a category B drivers' license, currently studying Transport Planning at the Uni of Leeds, hoping to work in public transport planning when I graduate. I'm coming back to Birmingham next week for four months, which is a long time to not have a job for!

Was hoping for some advice on what types of jobs within transport are available. Would love to be a trainee, then qualified bus driver for the next few summers, but understand that companies would be reluctant to train me when I'd be working for just a third of the year. I've looked around but haven't found much - would anybody be able to point me in the direction of a trainee driver job, customer services worker, destination board programmer, literally anything! I'm very flexible about it all. I've had work experience before at NX, Green Bus etc., would love paid work but unpaid work experience would be great as well.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Russ

[andrew1991]

Hi, just seeking a bit of advice from those who work somewhere within a bus company...

I'm 19, hold a category B drivers' license, currently studying Transport Planning at the Uni of Leeds, hoping to work in public transport planning when I graduate. I'm coming back to Birmingham next week for four months, which is a long time to not have a job for!

Was hoping for some advice on what types of jobs within transport are available. Would love to be a trainee, then qualified bus driver for the next few summers, but understand that companies would be reluctant to train me when I'd be working for just a third of the year. I've looked around but haven't found much - would anybody be able to point me in the direction of a trainee driver job, customer services worker, destination board programmer, literally anything! I'm very flexible about it all. I've had work experience before at NX, Green Bus etc., would love paid work but unpaid work experience would be great as well.

Thanks a lot in advance,
Russ

yournxjob.co.uk for National Express but the trainee driver application is slow, you apply one month, invited for written assesment the month after, driving assesment the month after that, interview the next month, medical the month after that, then you do theory and depending on which garage you want to go to there could be a 2 - 5 month wait until you actually start the training. There's also bonding agreement with the company where if you leave within the first year you have to pay £1000 and if you leave in the second year you have to pay £500 back.

My brother just started as a trainee engineer last week, the application was a lot quicker for that.

[Russ Smith]

Ah right, cheers Andrew. Looks like bus driving's off the cards at the moment then!

[andrew1991]

Ah right, cheers Andrew. Looks like bus driving's off the cards at the moment then!

Not sure what recruitment is like with other companies though, i know arriva you need to have held a licence for 2 years

[Liverpool Street]

Diamond take on as long as you have a cat D. Experience isn't essential. Go get a D and go Diamond. I've heard they're actually quite good and pay fairly - they took on one of our members on here who recently passed and is now working for them in Redditch.

[Russ Smith]

I'll have a look, thanks Andrew.

I am considering having a look at Diamond, LS, but getting the license in the first place is a good £700/800 wasted if I don't get to use it, that's my main concern, I'll have a chat with mum and dad about that one. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[j789]

Are you anywhere near the Worcestershire side of Birmingham. Just thinking you could apply to First at Worcester (I work there) and get trained up and then transfer up First's Leeds garage during term time - I am sure they would be open to a part time driver. I guess it would be a lot of routes to learn but would give you good experience and First also have a graduate scheme so would put you in a good position for applying for that. Also, First are not as bad as some on here would have you believe!!

[Russ Smith]

Are you anywhere near the Worcestershire side of Birmingham. Just thinking you could apply to First at Worcester (I work there) and get trained up and then transfer up First's Leeds garage during term time - I am sure they would be open to a part time driver. I guess it would be a lot of routes to learn but would give you good experience and First also have a graduate scheme so would put you in a good position for applying for that. Also, First are not as bad as some on here would have you believe!!

That's a brill suggestion, hadn't even considered that! I live at the top of Rednal, with the Worcester border going through my house, the 144's well within walking distance, plus the Hunslet garage in Leeds will be a ten minutes' walk from my student accommodation next year. I'm already considering the graduate scheme with them so this would be a great start, I'll phone First up tomorrow and see what they say. Cheers!

[j789]

And at Leeds you should get to drive a nice range of newer vehicles too with hybrids, not so much at Worcester unfortunately but the streetlites should be nice and the other buses are not too bad either. I think getting your PSV license and actually being a driver will put you in a great position for transport management in the future as you will know first hand the problems faced by drivers on a daily basis, which unfortunately some people in such positions lack.

[Russ Smith]

I could never seeing myself managing something which I haven't done myself, just doesn't seem right. Yeah Leeds is incredible for its variety, the range of buses which they stick on one route in one day never ceases to amaze me

[Liverpool Street]

But from a drivers perspective, apperantly First isn't "that great" to work for. I have no idea why, but it is what has been said. Saying that, it seems drivers' will moan about any and every aspect haha (I did my fair share of moaning so I can't say much ha)

[Russ Smith]

@j789 don't suppose you have a contact number for the depot do you? The customer service and careers department told me to phone the garage directly, yet none of them have a number for it...?

[j789]

Was the number you tried 08456020121 or 0800 5877381? If not they should point you in the right direction. The
numbers I have are for the despatch office and engineers at Worcester rather than general customer service. Let me know if you get through and if not I will get the number on Saturday when next working. I can also message you an email contact if required which may be easier.

[Russ Smith]

Tried both of those, and 08450000303. I've got 0800 5877381 as well, which the telephone directory tells me is the depot's number, but it rang out twice. An email contact would be great cheers!

[j789]

That is the number given on the website too but will be a general Midlands number rather than the garage I suspect.