How we actually read your CV
Most bus companies, train operating companies and station teams are not hunting for mileage totals or a list of penalty points. They want to know: can you do this job, can you get to the depot, and will you turn up. Keep it to two pages. Use reverse-chronological jobs with month and year dates. Write in plain English.
Name the role you are going for
Put a one-line target at the top: “Trainee bus driver — Manchester”, “Station assistant — Leeds”, “Customer service — Elizabeth line”. If you are applying as a trainee, say trainee. A lot of people apply to qualified PCV or qualified train driver vacancies with no relevant ticket or route knowledge. That is an auto-skip, not a “hidden licence category” issue.
Location beats a polished summary
Early starts, late finishes and split shifts are normal. Recruiters check whether you can realistically get to that garage, depot or station. Put your town or borough, not your full address. If the vacancy is 90 minutes away with no mention that you will relocate or already travel that way, it usually dies there.
Show the work, not the vehicle spec
Operators do not need “12-metre double-decker, 35,000 miles a year”. They need evidence you have done similar work: public-facing service, cash or ticket handling, safety briefings, lone working, or keeping a timetable. Retail, hospitality, care, security, warehouses and previous bus/rail jobs all count. Three short bullets per job is enough.
If you already hold Category D, CE or a PHV badge, put it once under a short “Licences & checks” line. If you do not, do not fake it — apply to trainee or customer service vacancies instead.
Leave points and medicals off the CV
Do not list endorsement codes, “0 points”, CPC card expiry, DBS dates or D4 medical dates unless the application form asks. Those are pre-employment checks after shortlist, via a DVLA share code, occupational health and DBS. Putting them on a CV does not get you an interview. Hiding a ban or a lie about a licence will lose you the job later.
Finish the operator’s form
For train operating companies especially, the online form, eligibility questions and tests matter more than the PDF. Incomplete applications, wrong vacancy, or a CV that contradicts the form (different job titles or dates) get binned. Match the job advert language only where it is true.
What actually gets skipped
The real reasons applications go nowhere
- Applying for a qualified driver vacancy when you need a trainee or customer service route.
- Living nowhere near the depot or station, with no note that you can cover the hours.
- Missing dates, overlapping jobs, or a CV that does not match the application form.
- No contact number, or a wall of text with no job titles a recruiter can scan in 20 seconds.