My Alternate Career

[PhilliesPhan2013]

I am currently an 18 year old rising college sophomore. My ultimate career goal is to become a physician (hopefully a neurosurgeon), but with medical school acceptance rates currently below 50%, it is wise to have back up goals. One of my back up plans is to become an engineer for SEPTA's Railroad Division. Since I am the type of person to plan for things years in advance (I was planning for college when I was in middle school), I am officially starting this thread!

By 2017, I should have taken my MCAT, applied to medical schools, taking steps to finish up my senior year in college, and know if I was accepted into any of the medical schools I plan to apply to. If I fail to get into at least one medical school, I plan to apply for a position in SEPTA's Railroad Division. This way, I will be able to stay in Philadelphia, build up some career experience, and work for my favorite railroad. After a year or two, I would most likely re-apply to medical school; however, if I find that I like working as a SEPTA engineer, or if I like SEPTA as a company, I might try to get into upper management or leadership positions with my degrees (I will double major in Biochemistry and Business).

I have a few questions concerning SEPTA's hiring practices:
-Firstly, does SEPTA hire engineers off the street or would I have to start out as a conductor? If so, how long does it usually take to get promoted to an engineer?
-Would I be a good candidate? So far, I have held a clean driving record since I received my license at 16; I have had nine months of working experience at Kohl's when I was 17, and I am about to begin a new job as an RA in August; I have no criminal history, and; I have an extensive knowledge of SEPTA's Regional Rail network.
-Is it true that the people doing the hiring look down on foamers? I don't see myself as a foamer, but yet I can tell you a lot of history about SEPTA's 13 lines, former Pennsy and Reading operations, and of the Commuter Tunnel and RailWorks projects, so other people call me one haha!
-Do I have to know every detail of the NORAC rules for SEPTA's tests?

Thank you!

[trackwelder]

an engineer, especially for septa, is not a job for a very young person. you'll have to start out as an assistant conductor for at least a year to eighteen months, followed by over a year of training. top rate pay is good, but starting out really sucks, and it takes many years to get top rate, and the hours for new guys REALLY suck. if you want to be an engineer, you should have fun in your twenties first, because nobody wants to pilot the midnight train on saturday night.

[RCman2626]

Typically SEPTA does not hire engineers off the street. They recently hired engineers 'off the street' but the employment requirement was that they had to hold a current engineer certificate from another railroad. Coming in off the street on the RRD, expect to work as an Assistant Conductor (they call them Engineer/Conductor Trainees now) and collect fares. You'll be out there doing that for up to 2 years (but sometimes less if they really need engineers). Once you are one of the chosen ones, you'll enter the training program which lasts about a year. SEPTA has one of the most grueling training programs in the area. Like any other railroad, you have to really keep your head in the books to stay afloat and get through it all. Some people have it, other don't. If you fail out of the program, you lose your job.

SEPTA's employment tests have nothing to do with the railroad. They are all personality based. You cannot study for them. NORAC will not really come into play until you get selected for the training program. If you have college degrees, they look for that for management jobs.

Overall, its a good job if you live local and the start locations are somewhat convenient to get to. If working in this area is something that isn't very important, I'd shoot for Amtrak. They do hire engineers off the street, but chances are you will not work out of Philadelphia because of your low seniority. You will be commuting to New York to start there every day. You'll hear this a lot, the railroad is more than a job...its a lifestyle.

[NorthPennLimited]

Prepare to work on-call for years.....With Wednesday off.

Then someday, when your lucky, you can hold some crappy 3rd shift job or relief job with Tuesday and Wednesday off.

That will last 15 or 20 years until you can hold a daylight job.

If you like working horrible hours, holidays, Christmas, weekends, and missing birthdays, dates with girls, weddings, etc......I say go for it

[askclifford]

Where are you going to school?
There's plenty of stipend (they pay you to go to school) masters degree programs for biomed that you should be able to gain acceptance to if you do not gain acceptance to medical school.

[Quinn]

Prepare to work on-call for years.....With Wednesday off.

Then someday, when your lucky, you can hold some crappy 3rd shift job or relief job with Tuesday and Wednesday off.

That will last 15 or 20 years until you can hold a daylight job.

If you like working horrible hours, holidays, Christmas, weekends, and missing birthdays, dates with girls, weddings, etc......I say go for it

Sounds like my line of work, and that's television!

[MariusP]

Serious question: how do you apply and what are some basic requirements? I work in the biomed field as well in research. I'm used to working 10-14 hour days at odd hours, so that doesn't bother me. However, the job is, for me, very stressful and doesn't afford much (if any) stability. I'm an avid fan of railroading, but worry if I do make such a drastic career change I wouldn't be seen as having any experience.

[NorthPennLimited]

Go to US railroad retirement board website and search for jobs.

Basically all you need is a clean drug test, good eye sight and good hearing. The railroad hiring you will teach you everything else. ( CSX, NS, or NORAC book of rules, equipment handling rules, signal rules, safety rules, hazmat rules, etc)

If you are a moron with a clean drug test, they will probably skip conductor training and put you right into the management training program.

[PhilliesPhan2013]

Thank you, everyone! Useful information all around.

Where are you going to school?
There's plenty of stipend (they pay you to go to school) masters degree programs for biomed that you should be able to gain acceptance to if you do not gain acceptance to medical school.

In 2015, I will be attending either Penn State or University of Maryland. I am currently attending Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, PA. I have considered the master's degree option. If I don't get accepted into medical school, I will either get a Master's in Biochemistry or Organic Chemistry, or get my MBA.

Typically SEPTA does not hire engineers off the street. They recently hired engineers 'off the street' but the employment requirement was that they had to hold a current engineer certificate from another railroad. Coming in off the street on the RRD, expect to work as an Assistant Conductor (they call them Engineer/Conductor Trainees now) and collect fares. You'll be out there doing that for up to 2 years (but sometimes less if they really need engineers). Once you are one of the chosen ones, you'll enter the training program which lasts about a year. SEPTA has one of the most grueling training programs in the area. Like any other railroad, you have to really keep your head in the books to stay afloat and get through it all. Some people have it, other don't. If you fail out of the program, you lose your job.

SEPTA's employment tests have nothing to do with the railroad. They are all personality based. You cannot study for them. NORAC will not really come into play until you get selected for the training program. If you have college degrees, they look for that for management jobs.

Overall, its a good job if you live local and the start locations are somewhat convenient to get to. If working in this area is something that isn't very important, I'd shoot for Amtrak. They do hire engineers off the street, but chances are you will not work out of Philadelphia because of your low seniority. You will be commuting to New York to start there every day. You'll hear this a lot, the railroad is more than a job...its a lifestyle.

I will definitely look into Amtrak as well. I like SEPTA because of its locality; however, it would be very cool to operate a Regional or Acela!

an engineer, especially for septa, is not a job for a very young person. you'll have to start out as an assistant conductor for at least a year to eighteen months, followed by over a year of training. top rate pay is good, but starting out really sucks, and it takes many years to get top rate, and the hours for new guys REALLY suck. if you want to be an engineer, you should have fun in your twenties first, because nobody wants to pilot the midnight train on saturday night.

You got that right! I definitely do want to enjoy my 20s since they only come once!

[scotty269]

I will definitely look into Amtrak as well. I like SEPTA because of its locality; however, it would be very cool to operate a Regional or Acela!

I bet that you'll lose the "cool" factor after sitting in silence for a few hours, watching trees pass you by.