TRYING TO GET ON BNSF

I AM TRYING TO GET ON WITH BNSF, SO FAR I HAVE APPLIED FOR SEVERAL POSITIONS AND ONLY OFFERED 1 INTERVIEW FOR A TRACK LABOR POSITION AND DID NOT GET IT. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET ON AS A CONDUCTOR BUT AM NOT SURE WHAT ALL IT TAKES. I AM A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR AND HAVE APPLIED FOR MANY DIFFRENT POSITIONS THAT THEY HAVE POSTED JUST TO GET ON THE RR. WELL, I DID SEE THAT THEY POSTED A CONDUCTOR POSITION TODAY ON THE WEBSITE FOR KANSAS CITY KANSAS. I APPLIED AND SURE WOULD LOVE TO GET IT SINCE IT WOULD BE ONLY 1 HOUR NORTH OF MY HOME. IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVISE I WOULD SURE LIKE TO HEAR IT.

First off stop yelling. Second, if you want to get hired out in KC as a conductor go to NARS. Yeah, yeah a lot of people will argue but out of the 16 guys I hired out with last January, 15 of us were NARS grads.

A lot of NARS grads in KC are already waiting for positions to open up in KC.........

My question is WHY is it so important to be in train service? I'm not getting on your case; it is simply a question. Why not take the track maintenance position and see how you like it. Sometimes it is easier to get hired/transferred from WITHIN the company that it is to get on "cold turkey." After all, if you establish a good employee record in one department, it gives you an "edge" and many companies are good at transferring people to new jobs and crafts. That's how I got into the clerks craft many years ago. I hired in as a laborer and then got cut off after 3 years. (Southern Railway) I had a good work record and (not to brag at all), but was known to the supervisors as a good, willing worker.
They offered me a relief clerk's job at the SAME facility off the furloughed list and it happened to be "single-point" seniority so no line of road clerk could bump me. It was a temporary position, but allowed me to work as a vacation relief clerk about all year. When something came open, the Chief Clerk at the yard called me one day and told me to "pack my bags, yer going to McDonough, GA to train as a Line of Road clerk"! I did not refuse and, as a result, I had a long career on Norfolk Southern.

Consider this: While you are turning down jobs, you could be accruing retirement credits and vacation days in craft that (sometimes) can be rolled into the new craft (depends on the union and job rules that apply to the new position.) Next, you MAY shooting yourself in the foot without knowing it as the SAME employment people that offered the positions you turned down might be the SAME people offering the new job as well. They may, or may not, remember you and skip over you thinking you are not a serious candidate. TAKE what's offered if you are serious about working in the railroad industry. If you are one of those "foamers" that just thinks he "wanted to work on the railroad" all his life" and you just GOTTA work with 'them thar trains or bust', you might want to forget about it. There is FAR more to the railroad industry than "choo choos and brave engineers" (or conductors).

If you think being in T & E service is some sort of easy job where you just sit and ride the train, better think again. Railroad work is TOUGH work if only for the crazy hours, disruptive lifestyle, and WORSE, the horrific pressure that RR workers face from many managers who are looking to run you off if you look at them crooked. Most any railroad job is not exactly a free ride! Depending on the company and the people in charge, you may find yourself being put on the ground for the least infraction--things YOU might think don't mean beans. But many railroad employees, particularly in T & E service carry what we called "whammy" on NS; IOW, employment insurance that pays why you are out of service--also was called "run-off" insurance. It ain't no easy life. Just ask the other guys and, of course, your mileage may vary. If you are truly willing to put up with ALL the railroad offers(?), then go for it! If you get into T & E service on the first try, GREAT!
If they offer you something, TAKE it now and try to transfer later. That's MY advice (well, you DID ask!!!!) LOL!

Good luck whatever.

Gadfly
retiree--Norfolk Southern Corp

PSNOUS wrote:A lot of NARS grads in KC are already waiting for positions to open up in KC.........

And we're waiting on you.....haha!

dirtbrother wrote:

PSNOUS wrote:A lot of NARS grads in KC are already waiting for positions to open up in KC.........

And we're waiting on you.....haha!

I'm ready and willing............

When the BNSF sent me to engineer class at Overland Park KS the teachers said the railroads in the KC area look for NARS grads. I guess its like a prereq. I started in MOW as a track laborer just to get my foot in the door. I was 19, had to start somewhere.

Gadfly makes several a good points. You can get into almost any craft type job, and after one year, request a craft transfer. You'll start over on the seniority roster, but you'll be working and more importantly, a known entity with the carrier. Plus, at least on BNSF, if you craft transfer, you'll go to the top of the roster for your class. Not bad having 8 - 15 guys under you right off the bat, guaranteed!

scooter321 screamed...

"I AM TRYING TO GET ON WITH BNSF, SO FAR I HAVE APPLIED FOR SEVERAL POSITIONS AND ONLY OFFERED 1 INTERVIEW FOR A TRACK LABOR POSITION AND DID NOT GET IT. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO GET ON AS A CONDUCTOR BUT AM NOT SURE WHAT ALL IT TAKES. I AM A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR AND HAVE APPLIED FOR MANY DIFFRENT POSITIONS THAT THEY HAVE POSTED JUST TO GET ON THE RR. WELL, I DID SEE THAT THEY POSTED A CONDUCTOR POSITION TODAY ON THE WEBSITE FOR KANSAS CITY KANSAS. I APPLIED AND SURE WOULD LOVE TO GET IT SINCE IT WOULD BE ONLY 1 HOUR NORTH OF MY HOME. IF ANYONE HAS ANY ADVISE I WOULD SURE LIKE TO HEAR IT."

To quote Brick Tamland in Anchorman,

"I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE YELLING ABOUT!"

and...

"LOUD NOISES!"


But seriously...

I believe this conversation would better be served in the Employment Forum. Although, before I kick it over there, let me point out something I think most here have overlooked...

this sentance...

"I AM TRYING TO GET ON WITH BNSF, SO FAR I HAVE APPLIED FOR SEVERAL POSITIONS AND ONLY OFFERED 1 INTERVIEW FOR A TRACK LABOR POSITION AND DID NOT GET IT."

So, apparently scooter321 has attempted to hire on with a different craft, but was able to secure a position with the track labor pool.

My question for you, scooter, is if you've tried to hire on with another craft besides the track and labor division? How about a hostler? Yes, it's like being a gas station attendant (pumping gas and washing windows), but at least you get to "drive" a locomotive. I would also think that your heavy machinery expertise could be used in the shops, working the overhead cranes, forklifts, etc. As others have pointed out, it would be a foot in the door for you to move elsewhere in the company.

Have you thought of dispatching or another "desk job," or are you not interested in such a position? Might be another "back door" to use to get eslewhere in the company.

Perhaps his CAPS LOCK button was on when he typed his resume too....

If you want it,stay after it!
I applied to three hiring sessions before getting on.
The railroad operates under the no rhyme/no reason philosophy.
I have seen the people they hired before me and I don't get it.
And yes BNSF will hire non-Nars people-don't let anyone tell you different unless the job is posted that way.

Good Luck!!!

No rhyme, no reason. That seems to be the philosophy behind BNSF's hiring practices.

I put my app in and was snapped up within three weeks. After the various testing and interview processes were done about two months had elapsed since my application. But others, within my class, had been putting in their applications for years! Some were NARS and some, like myself, were off the street.

Some, in this last class, were offered class dates early in the year, then cancelled just days before the start of the class, after they already had quit their jobs! Only a few were allowed to start a class toward the end of the year.

So, ya' never know, just keep applying.


Good Luck......


..

I musta been lucky (or unlucky depending on your point of view). I applied to Southern by letter and received in return a form letter, 'Thank you for your interest in Southern Railway System. We will keep your resume' on file and will notify you if something becomes available............." And I thought, "Well, that's the end of that!"
Nope. About 3 months later, I received a letter from Personnel that there was to be a hiring session in Charlotte, NC and it told me all the details. If I wished to apply for any of the positions, show up promptly at 8 AM. I did. There were 5 jobs available, and 80 people in that room that day! It took the whole day as the hiring people did everything to whittle it down with disqualifications on height, weight, colorblindness, drugs, visual acuity and aptitude. At the end of the day I was the LAST name called to interview for a job as a Frog Shop laborer. This meant getting filthy dirty, hot, grimy days in box cars and gondolas loading track material, HARD, grueling labor! And an Extra laborer at THAT--not even a regular job. But I was fed UP with the job I had and I could make more $$ working with SR PART of the time than I could FULL time on my old job. After 3 years, I was working as a Relief Clerk, then as a Line of Road Extra Board Clerk, trading my grimy dungrees for decent casuals and and "office" jobs----even serving as an Agent and Mobile Agent. It was quite a come-UP from a laborer to an Agent, eh? Those kinds of "promotions" sometimes take eons! LOL!

So that's my point and advice to the people who are serious about working in this industry. I can't help but smile (and be a bit cynical) at the "foamer" types that gush and drool over T & E jobs as if there's just NOTHING else that will do! While they are griping about not getting hired as a conductor, they may have passed up a job as a signal maintainer, or a car peck, or a machinist, or a diesel mechanic, or even a dispatcher! Hey, IMHO, I LIKED working 7 to 3:30 and going home to a REAL Saturday and Sunday weekend to the hugs of my little daughter!

Gadfly

I used to work for the NS too- ("Railroad work is TOUGH work if only for the crazy hours, disruptive lifestyle, and WORSE, the horrific pressure that RR workers face from many managers who are looking to run you off if you look at them crooked. Most any railroad job is not exactly a free ride!"- Gadfly) this is exactly true- those who are not genuinely serious about railroad work, and even some who are (myself) will be thrown out without a second thought. the railroad doesn't have time for people out enjoying themselves. it's very serious, dangerous, and focused work. not for everyone. Oh, btw- track jobs are great, not to be overlooked

Maintenance of way is a good place to start. Also, look into carman spots. BNSF (if that's who you're dead set on working for - there are other railroads, just saying. ) usually lists theirs as railcar apprentice (carmen) and various mechanical (shop laborers, etc.) And if you have diesel engine experience, you could apply for diesel dummy spots. Those are all good positions and KC comes up alot in those areas for all the railroads that run through there, or at least it seems like they do.

I know a couple of guys in operations that started out elsewhere, but they were also willing to relocate. Hell, I got interviewed for and offered a carman spot with BNSF after years of trying for operations once I finally realized it wouldn't be so bad not to be train crew right away. If KCS hadn't offered me a conductor spot a couple of weeks later, I'd probably be a carman in Trinidad now. Anyway, try it out. It's cheaper than choochoo u, anyway.