What is it Like Working with a Bunch of Guys?

When I tell people that I work for a class one railroad, and that I do it in a construction capacity, I get a lot of different reactions.  Many people want to know “do you work with a bunch of guys?”  Yes I do, as a matter of fact, women represent only about 1% of the signalman for CSX, and that number probably isn’t much different for other class 1’s.  “What is it like to be the only girl?”  This is what everyone wants to know, be it from concern, disdain or just plain curiosity, they want to know what it is really like to hang out with a bunch of guys all day.  So below I have listed some differences and commonalities of being around guys all day.  

The Differences

Get used to poop - For some reason guys are fascinated with feces.  They describe it, discuss how they feel before and after, and sometimes even plan their next one! A strong stomach is sometimes required.

They talk about Girls, a lot - This isn’t like when I was 14, at a slumber party talking about that one particular guy I liked, and we all giggled and gossiped.  Men love women, all of them, all shapes, all sizes and all parts.  Every women we pass gets a once over, and we will probably drive around the block again just to check out the girl jogging without a bra on.  The first time one of the guys said “wow she has a sexy back” I said “Crap! Now I have to worry about what my back looks like?” He said “Nah, we like all parts”

They Spit! - Oh how I wish I could change this one, guys must have extra salivary glands or something because most of them spit, and many of them do it every 5 minutes. If they also chew tobacco then you can add bottles of chew spit left everywhere to the mix.  If you can’t tell this is the one I have the hardest time with.  Look at women, talk about poo but for the love of all things holy, please stop spitting everywhere!  

They tell Dirty Jokes - I don’t think this one is any big surprise, guys tell jokes about sex, it goes with the loving women thing.  If you don’t have a sense of humor, and a pretty dirty one at that, you probably should steer clear of working with a bunch of guys.  

The Commonalities

Guys Gossip - That’s right guys gossip, and many of them are worse then a bunch of old women in hair salon. I guess that’s why they have barbershops, so they can talk about us just like we talk about them.  Some of them are down right drama queens, worried about who is doing what, who is working where, what Jim said to Bob and so on.  

Guys have Feelings - I have no idea who started this myth, but guys do have feelings, and some days I think they are more sensitive than most women.  If you cheat on your guy, he is going to be hurt, if his Mama dies, he is going to be sad.  They may not react like most women, but they feel just as deeply as women.  If he finds out you cheated he may go get drunk or beat the guy up instead of keying your car, but he is still hurt.  You may not see him cry about his Mama, but he will.  

Guys are Afraid of the Dark - Ok not all guys, but some are and some are afraid of snakes, some are afraid of spiders, some are afraid of bugs, I think you get the picture.  Guys love to act all tough and make fun of a girl for squealing at a bug, but I have seen grown men that have served in the military do the same thing.  Don’t let them fool you, guys have phobias to.  

    Really guys are just people, I like some and I don’t like some.  Some of them are good to work with, some of them hide when the shovels come out.  Some of them are smart, some of them not so much.  Everyone has good traits and bad traits, we are all human.

My conductor class from 2008

5 Tips to get Hired on a Railroad

 

"How do I get on with the railroad"?  "I applied but I didn't even get an interview".

When I tell people where I work, one of these two things is usually the next thing out of their mouth. There isn't really some strange trick, nor do you have to be the brother of the president to get hired, but there are a few things that you can do to up your chances of getting a job with a railroad company.

There are a lot of different positions that major railroads offer, but most people are asking me about transportation, track or signal jobs.  Here are a few things you should know about these jobs before applying for them. Too often I see people get hired only to run the other way once the work actually begins. Railroading is not for everyone.  If you get called to an interview, the presenter will tell you this while also showing you all of the wonderful things that you will get if you are lucky enough to be chosen for the position.  Lets skip the cool video and smiling faces and get the bad stuff out of the way.

Railroading is 24/7/365

Time to go to work Timmy

If you don't want to work on your birthday, anniversary, Christmas, Easter etc., this job may not be for you.  In any one given year it is unlikely that you will have to work all of them, but you can bet that you will have to work some of them and you won't always know which ones.  If you work in transportation you do not get holidays. If you work in the track department and a train falls off the tracks on Christmas morning, open your gifts quick because you are going to work. If you work for the signal department and Gary the gate runner gets hit at a crossing on his way to Grandma's house for Thanksgiving dinner, tell your family to save you some pumpkin pie because you are going to work.  This is how these jobs work, you will get called in the middle of the night, when you are at a movie, when you are just getting in the car to go on that long planned date with your spouse.  So if you are looking for a predictable 9-5 type job, this job probably isn't for you.

Come rain, snow, sleet or hail...

Drowned Rat

In case you haven't noticed, railroading is also a mostly outdoor job.  If it is raining, you will get wet.  If it is snowing you will get cold and wet.  While most of the time we do try and take the weather into consideration, trains have to run and they need track and signals to do it so if you are working in these types of positions, there will be days that you resemble a drowned rat.

It's dark out at night.
This fact doesn't seem to register with some people until they are standing in the middle of the national forest at 2am trying to find a broken knuckle.  There are places in this world where there isn't a lot of light pollution, and railroads run through these areas.  If you are afraid of the dark, this job probably isn't for you.

Night Grinder

If you read through those 3 paragraphs and still think you would like to work for the railroad here are 5 tips to get you started.

1. Double check your online application.  Many times someone who is qualified will slip through the cracks because they have forgotten to check a box somewhere on the online application.  Go back through and double check that you have completed each section, answered all of the questions and that the box you have checked, is the box you meant to check.

2. Brush up on your basic skills.  Most applications require you to complete a basic math and reading test before being hired. If you are like me and have forgotten most of the rules of dividing fractions you can go to a site like this one to get a little free practice before you take the test.  Yes, I know it is for kids, but anyone that has seen "Are you Smarter than a 5th Grader" knows that kids are better at this stuff than adults. 

3. Highlight outdoor or on call work on your resume.  As I said in the beginning of this post, this work is mostly outdoors and mostly on call.  If you have held positions in the past that have required you to work outdoors or on call make sure the person reading your resume can find that information easily.  Google even has a resume builder that can help you show off your skills. 

4. Discuss the job with your family.  The interviewer is going to ask you about this, he is a railroader and he knows that this job can be very tough on families.  Have a serious discussion with your family about how they will feel about you being gone a lot, on holidays and on short notice.  If you have already had this discussion with your family you can be confident when you discuss the topic with your interviewer.  Family issues are the number one reason people quit the railroad, showing your interviewer confidence in this area can be the difference between getting hired or not. 

5. What have you done for safety?  Safety is a big deal on the railroad, too many people get hurt or die doing these jobs, so you can bet that you will be asked this type of question.  Before you go to your interview think of ways that you have contributed to safety in your past positions and practice telling a short story about it to a family member or friend.

Good luck with your endeavors