Southeastern is hosting a recruitment open day on 12 August, highlighting a variety of roles available in Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells and Tonbridge – from platform staff to ticket offices.
During the day, there will be a rare chance to learn about the great rewards of working on the railway and meet some of the station staff who keep the region’s railways running, including station supervisor Samantha Pike.
Samantha, 32, started her career in retail, but despite years in customer-facing roles, she felt something was missing.
“I just wasn’t getting the fulfilment I wanted out of a job,” she said. “It was a friend who worked on the railway who encouraged me to apply. I’d never really thought about it before. No one in my family had worked on the railway and didn’t know much about it but I decided to give it a go.”
Samantha, who lives in Tonbridge, joined Southeastern in 2020, working on the platform and dispatching trains at stations between Hastings and Hildenborough.
“I love to travel and I loved the variety,” she said. “Every station is different, and there’s always something to learn – from working in a ticket office to helping people with mobility restrictions to get from ‘a’ to ‘b’ as easily as possible. It has been incredibly rewarding.”
Now, as a supervisor, Samantha draws on her broad experience to manage station operations, support colleagues and ensure passenger journeys run smoothly.
“Once you’ve got your foot in the door, there are so many avenues,” she said. “Whether you want to work on stations, train crew or go into admin or management, the railway really is full of opportunity. I’d love to become a train driver one day, but right now I’m enjoying where I am.”
Her advice to job seekers, especially those stuck in roles that don’t feel meaningful, is simple: “The world of work can be tough, but in the railway, we have fantastic colleagues, it’s well-paid, it’s structured and there’s real room to grow. If you make the jump, the world’s your oyster.”
Demand to join Southeastern is growing exceptionally quickly, with more than 30,000 job applications in the last year alone, compared to just over 14,000 the year before.
Alongside a rewarding and dynamic career, benefits of working with Southeastern include competitive salaries, a final salary pension scheme, unlimited free travel and a comprehensive training scheme.
Those interested in finding out more can pop into the Southeastern Open Day at Tonbridge Castle on 12 August anytime between 10am and 3pm.
