CN Rail Conductor Employment: I Can't Get Hired

I tend to disagree with some of the reasons given. If the background checks were that detailed, almost nobody would be working for the railroad. It's not all saints out here.

Your problem is your spotty work history plain and simple. They want people that they feel are ready to work the demanding hours that this job requires. They look at your application and see that huge gap and quickly throw it in the garabge.

The background checks are pretty through - but think about it. As a conductor, you are entrusted with millions of dollars of merchandise in your train and yards on a daily basis. You handle thousands of cars of poisonous, nasty chemicals. You have access to the insides of many industries. You have to follow their rules and federal regulations. No we aren't all saints out here - but if you're 100% criminal or crazy - this ain't the job for you.

If you think their hiring practices are that bad and unfair - I'd seriously think you should maybe look elsewhere for work.

Which is why I said his work history is the main factor. Most 100% crazy people, to use your term, don't hold down regular jobs where they have to follow rules and all the other stuff you said. The rest of what you said about the haz-mat is a given, any sane person want's to handle that with care because they know that their own lives are on the line.

Good points from all of you. Thanks for this. Makes lots of sense. I guess that's it. Live and learn I suppose. I was offered a job as a Plumbers Helper for $20.00/ HR to start and an asphalt paving job at $25.00/ HR in the past week. I'll go one of those routes. Thanks for your advice fellas! Have a good weekend and play safe out there.

newbie123 wrote:Good points from all of you. Thanks for this. Makes lots of sense. I guess that's it. Live and learn I suppose. I was offered a job as a Plumbers Helper for $20.00/ HR to start and an asphalt paving job at $25.00/ HR in the past week. I'll go one of those routes. Thanks for your advice fellas! Have a good weekend and play safe out there.

Don't get me wrong, I miss the RR, like I miss EMS, but both had terrible hours, now I work an average of 41-42 hours a week set schedule, almost every weekend off, I get to be a first responder inside the plant (Factory work)

I don't make as much money, but I am home, I can make plans, and I know when I am going to work next. Benefits are still good, including profit sharing which RR's don't normally offer.

I did some digging and found the files I wanted to find.

The guy that was at the interview session with me was found guilty of 2 counts of Class 4 Felony-Unlawful Use of Firearm

He stayed through the speech about the background check, and then to the interview. These people are clearly thinking they can cover such things up.

But anyways good luck in what you chose, who knows maybe they will call you later, like UP did, then you either will like the taste and life, as I did the first few months, until one of the managers treated me so badly on my first trip into his yard, which I had no map of, or anything, and expected me to be out switching his yard, while the conductor rode the car back into the yard, unable to watch me.

newbie123 wrote:I just completed an interview at CN for Conductor. I blew away the career battery tests and blew away the switch tests. I'm 38 years old. I was never a Conductor but always wanted to work for CN. I didn't get the job, just like the last time and the time before that and the time before that.

In 2005 CN was so short they were taking everyone who applied. Now that traffic has slowed down and the hiring they've done, CN can be a little more picky with who they hire. I know if I applied to CN now instead of 3 years ago with the experience I had at that time I wouldn't get the job.

BTW, if you think CN is hard to hire on with, you should see CP. I applied for a job with CP earlier this year, and was still rejected being a rules qualified conductor.

ENR3870 wrote:

newbie123 wrote:I just completed an interview at CN for Conductor. I blew away the career battery tests and blew away the switch tests. I'm 38 years old. I was never a Conductor but always wanted to work for CN. I didn't get the job, just like the last time and the time before that and the time before that.

In 2005 CN was so short they were taking everyone who applied. Now that traffic has slowed down and the hiring they've done, CN can be a little more picky with who they hire. I know if I applied to CN now instead of 3 years ago with the experience I had at that time I wouldn't get the job.

BTW, if you think CN is hard to hire on with, you should see CP. I applied for a job with CP earlier this year, and was still rejected being a rules qualified conductor.

I reapplied to CP a couple of times and yes they are worse when it comes to being picky. I used to work for CP and even though I left CP in good standing, I still didn't get the job. I was told later that they don't take back rehires. Don't even get me started on the women at HR over there- that's a whole new thread. Oh they interview "rehire applicants" just to look good and the law requires employers to give "everybody" a chance, but in the end it's the finger. I just shrugged my shoulders at their "finger" and moved on without a care. I would have gone to CN anyways if I was still with them and CN offered me a job for more money, better training, better facilities and benefits. But that's all history now, I'm moving on and am not looking back. Them and I are through.

newbie123 wrote:I just completed an interview at CN for Conductor. I blew away the career battery tests and blew away the switch tests. .

Ok maybe a dumb question but what is the career battery and switch tests?

To answer one of the initial speculations, you'll probably have much worse luck dealing with NASA and FBI HR as they are part of the intentionally slow and inefficient bureaucracy. CN is just being slow in the unintentionally slow private market. Lol, I felt you deserved more information on that aspect.

newbie123 wrote:I just completed an interview at CN for Conductor. I blew away the career battery tests and blew away the switch tests. I'm 38 years old. I was never a Conductor but always wanted to work for CN. I didn't get the job, just like the last time and the time before that and the time before that. How come they don't tell you where you went wrong and where you can improve so you can get hired the next time? With all of the horror stories I heard about human resources, what the hell does a guy gotta do to get on with CN- if he doesn't know anybody? Aren't they screaming for people? Later I find out that young boys, fresh out of high school, get hired on. What's up with that? I also read flurries of HR horror stories on the internet about how tonnes of people were rejected. I was told that Conductor school doesn't guarantee you a job with the Class 1 railways and I would get far better results knowing a strong employee with the CN railroad. How??? I don't know anyone on the CNR. Any advice? Should I blow $9000.00 on a Conductor's course to show how serious I am about the job only to get snubbed by someone at HR anyhow, based on oodles and oodles of such horror stories? Maybe I'll get better results if I apply for a position at NASA or the FBI.

Several observations from a former hiring manager in the aviation industry. First of all, if you convey the same attitude in your interviews that seems to run through your posts, you'll never get hired. You seem to think that you're somehow entitled to the job, and that simply isn't true.

You ask what they don't tell you where you went wrong and where you can improve so you can get hired the next time? There's a real simple answer to that. You've done or said something that makes them NOT want to hire you. Why in the name of holy fubar would they tell you how to get hired when they've already decided (apparently repeatedly) that they DON'T want to hire you.

The simple straightforward answer here is that they are having no problem filling the slots in their classes and they haven't hired you. And they're probably not going to hire you either.

hmm..this thread is interesting. I remember applying for a conductor trainee position for CP when i was 19, passed their tests, went to the interview and never got a call back. Applied for a railcar repair job 4 years later with my automotive degree and they sent me an e-mail saying thanks for applying but we can't offer you an interview at this time. Now I just applied for a conductor trainee position again, so we'll see what happens. I wonder if I'll have to attend a hiring session again or if i'll just have to go to the interview. Oh, I'm almost 24 and have a completely clean record, never been arrested, never done drugs, except for smoking cigarettes, no dwi's, clean work history, only thing on my record would be a speeding ticket from 4 years ago.

steamguy wrote:
Several observations from a former hiring manager in the aviation industry. First of all, if you convey the same attitude in your interviews that seems to run through your posts, you'll never get hired. You seem to think that you're somehow entitled to the job, and that simply isn't true.

You ask what they don't tell you where you went wrong and where you can improve so you can get hired the next time? There's a real simple answer to that. You've done or said something that makes them NOT want to hire you. Why in the name of holy fubar would they tell you how to get hired when they've already decided (apparently repeatedly) that they DON'T want to hire you.

The simple straightforward answer here is that they are having no problem filling the slots in their classes and they haven't hired you. And they're probably not going to hire you either.

No worries. I don't care anymore. They can keep it. No sense applying somewhere you're not wanted. Cheers.

Dear CN railway workers:

I have an interview this coming tuesday. and I was wondering."What is the switch test about, and how do i study for it and what do i study on"? Pleas if someone can help me please help????

Sincerely,

Drew

Drewsj wrote:Dear CN railway workers:

I have an interview this coming tuesday. and I was wondering."What is the switch test about, and how do i study for it and what do i study on"? Pleas if someone can help me please help????

Sincerely,

Drew

The switch test is an 18 question test you have to take after getting interviewed. You get 25 minutes to take it and must get at least 7 questions right to be considered, even if you did really well on your interview.

Essentially, it shows a diagram of two tracks, a locomotive, some rail cars and a caboose. It might look like this:

LOCOMOTIVE - A - B - C - D - E - CABOOSE

The test will ask you to rearrange the train. For example, rearrange it so the train looks like:

LOCOMOTIVE - A - C - D - E - B - CABOOSE

The test will ask how the minimal amount of times you must uncouple a car, switch tracks, move the locomotive forward or move the locomotive backward.

In all, it's all common sense and problem solving. I didn't study for it and didn't even know what it would entail. I used up all 25 minutes and still had 2 questions left I had to guess on. However, I did pass and was offered a position with CN as a brakeman.

Also, just to help you out Drew, I remember all of the interview questions and their exact order, if you just want to get a feel for the interview. I can't guarantee they'll be the same questions:

01.) Why are you interested in working for CN?

02.) What do you think is the most important characteristic to have on the railroad?

03.) Have you ever worked in extreme weather conditions?

04.) How would you define “safety?”

05.) Say you observe a situation in which a co-worker is behaving in an unsafe manner. What do you do?

06.) How important is punctuality to you?

07.) Say a fellow brakeman you work with a lot is showing up late for work. What do you do?

08.) What is your experience with working irregular hours or on call?

09.) What kind of people do you find most difficult to work with?

10.) There are many other applicants out there for the same position. Why should we hire you?