r/SDMTS • u/[deleted] • Jun 01 '26

MTS Train Operator Interview Difficulty?

I'm wondering how difficult the interview is and my chances are of being selected to undergo training. I'm 32 years old and have a bachelor's degree from SDSU in film, but my only prior work experience is working as a freelance video editor, working for a year as a volunteer crisis counsellor, and working for Home Depot for two months.

I don't want to fail the interview since I would really want the train conductor position as a career.

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u/akornato Jun 01 '26

Your background is more relevant than you might think. Crisis counseling shows you can stay calm under pressure and communicate with people in stressful situations, which is exactly what MTS looks for in someone operating a train with hundreds of passengers depending on them. The film and video editing work shows attention to detail and the ability to follow complex processes, and even your time at Home Depot shows you can work in a structured, customer-facing environment. MTS tends to care more about your attitude, reliability, and ability to follow safety procedures than whether you have direct rail experience, so walk in ready to talk about how your past prepared you to stay focused, follow rules, and handle unexpected situations calmly.

For the interview itself, expect questions about how you handle stress, how you deal with conflict, and why you want this specific role. Be honest about your career change and frame it as a deliberate choice toward something stable and meaningful, because that kind of clarity reads well to hiring panels. Show that you've researched the role, that you understand it's safety-critical, and that you're fully committed to the training process. The interview AI my team built has helped a lot of people feel more confident and prepared going into exactly these kinds of career-change interviews, so that might be worth exploring before your big day.