server

barback

software engineering manager

restaurant manager

production supervisor

MTA Metro North Railroad

Underpaid and underappreciated department. Pay is good BUT with overtime which the new regime is trying to cut as much as possible. As a bottom level signal employee you have the same qualifications and responsibilities as a foreman in other crafts and even more yet we are not compensated for it in our standard hourly rate because of the lack of the fancy title of "foreman." The culture is of ridiculous mis-management, operations rushing your work to keep on-time performance at the detriment of safety, having a safety department that solely exists to catch people and put them out of service. Very discipline based culture instead of correcting mistakes by educating. On top of everything you need to know to pass the 4 phases of signal training (in which you have 4 written exams that require a minimum score of 90$, there's a practical exam in the simulator room that requires a 100% passing score) you need to be roadway worker qualified PLUS the roadway worker in charge exam, operating rules qualified, physical characteristics of your territory which was dumped on us after being grandfathered in for decades, train approach warning qualified (another new and very stupid course that was designed by managers who don't have a clue about maintenance of Way work), an upcoming recertification on signal, and countless other new things that get dumped on us. If it wasn't for the pay and benefits as well as time here, I would have left a long time ago. They expect everything from signal yet don't want to pay us our true value. This is a very stressful job when you have failures due to MTA mismanaged the infrastructure forever. Find another department but even then, the culture of the entire railroad has fallen off a cliff and continues to get worse.

A typical day at work as an intern is a dynamic experience filled with diverse tasks and opportunities for learning. Each day brings new challenges and responsibilities, offering a chance to gain valuable insights into the professional world. Throughout the internship, I've learned to navigate various aspects of the industry, from honing technical skills to understanding the intricacies of team collaboration. The management team has been supportive, providing guidance and feedback that has significantly contributed to my growth. The workplace culture is collaborative and fosters an environment of open communication, making it easy to approach colleagues with questions or ideas. The hardest part of the job is managing tight deadlines and multitasking, but this challenge has helped me enhance my time-management skills. The most enjoyable part is the sense of accomplishment that comes from contributing to meaningful projects and being part of a team that values creativity and innovation. Overall, the internship has been an enriching experience that has shaped my professional development positively.







As a recent retiree of Metro-North Railroad, and one of the first female conductors hired in its and Conrail's history, I have experienced the best and the worst this company has to offer. My days were long (both in the management and the crafts) with job quality (hours, days off, accommodations, ability to earn) growing - only to plummet again. But I have retired with a wonderful pension that enables me never to have to work again - if I don't want to. My co-workers on the operations level were some of the best in the world; management, unfortunately, has become, unfortunately, a black hole of political hacks. If people want a mindless yet well paying job and are willing to follow rules blindly - whether appropriate or not - then this is the job for them. I do warn however that unless a candidate has a political connection (think management person) it will be a very difficult job to get.

A good place to work if you want to get a lot of experience, due to the amount of work, and the limited number of resources. Not so good if you don't handle stress too well. However, some of the management can be too hands on to make this statement absolute.

A majority of the co-workers are great, however, there are a large number of individuals that show up to collect their pay checks, and continue to get away with it.

The hardest part of the job is balancing the workload with the time in the day. And now that our department is Unionized, it isn't always clear what I am allowed to do.

I most enjoy working with the users, evaluating their requests, gathering requirements, designing the system, development (although this is now forbidden due to union rules). All the techy stuff ,basically.

Started working for the railroad in 2004,found the people there nice to work with. Started in the M of E department, working on trains' hvac . Learned some stuff there that I really didn't get a chance  to work with in school. In 2013 I transferred to the utilities department in  grand central terminal N.Y.C ,where they have 4 electric  centrifugal York chillers with a  total 2700 tons. The people there a great ,had some exposure to big equipment. Worked with different crafts and contractors in the plant to convert old plant to new. Management is fair at the railroad, never had a problem. What I found enjoyable there is that information that you know gets swapped around for other co-workers information wich makes the work day a lot easier for everyone.

Enter all delays in a computer database after confirming the reason for the delay with the Chief Rail Traffic Controller.
I learned that all delays, regardless of reason are taken seriously by the management of the company, all delays are reported along with the reason and sent to all levels of management multiple times a day.
My manager are excellent and very supportive of  their personnel of any issue that arises during the course of the day.
Management and my coworkers are supportive and helpful in the completion of the tasks at hand.
Weather and mechanical problems on the train lines quickly turn each day into a very difficult day, as delays mount quickly.
When the reason for each delay is similar, such as scheduled track work for example.

Working at Metro North affords many opportunities for advancement internally, you just need to approach it as such. Within a decade I've advanced from an entry level position to one of the more coveted non management positions. Management positions are not out of reach as long as you apply yourself. The pay and benefits are fantastic but there is always room for improvement, that's what our unions are for. The relationship between lower management and employees is relatively stable with many capable individuals making decisions, but some in those positions are questionable. Overall day to day operation is handled well by both sides. I have my bad days and good but overall I wouldn't hesitate to suggest pursuing a career here.

What is the best part of working at the company?
It was a an opportunity to work of a well established organization with a great retirement package. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The constant change of schedule of the Rail Traffic Controller is very stressful. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment is high paced and sometimes very volatile and a bit toxic. The Union culture is not very friendly to new employees. 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
It was full of constant training procedures and learning new policies. It was also hard for me to get along with the more tenured employees since I was not a member of the Union. I was made to feel like an outsider and a rookie.

This is a great job to have once you have worked in the field for a while . Ideal age to start here is probably at 30 yrs old then retire at 62 . You go in do your job and have good attendance you will have plenty chances to move up in the company especially as an electrical technician. Pay is steady a little less than prevailing wage but generally no layoffs for skilled trades and some locations have more OT than others . You get excellent health care insurance and can make a good living providing for your family . It is shift work but there are opportunities to get to days with varying days off . I.E. Tuesday, Wednesday rest days . Weekends off is just timing and you may keep them in vacation relief job . I got vacation relief job right after training .

Working for this company as an intern has been an excellent experience. Specially since I am very interested in working for a transportation services company. My boss is the best mentor I've had, very easy-going, comprehensible and trustworthy.

Hardest part of the job has been working on tasks that I've never done, learning the new software and having to communicate in English, even though I am fully bilingual. I have definitely learned a lot of Corporate Compliance and my communication in English has gone from good to excellent.

I really enjoy my job and learning about Internal Controls and how different departments should work to have a better and functional company.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Server 2 salaries reported	$30.00 per hour
Barback 2 salaries reported	$35.00 per hour
Software engineering manager 1 salary reported	$125,000 per year
Restaurant manager 1 salary reported	$67,000 per year
Production supervisor 1 salary reported	$80,000 per year

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