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Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster resume example

A resume for a Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster needs to show the work itself: coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Day to day that means work like this: signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals; confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

  • Conductor
  • Freight Conductor
  • Railroad Conductor
  • Yardmaster
  • Train Master
  • Trainman
  • CTC Operator
  • Car Chaser
  • Car Dispatcher
  • Car Distributor
  • Car Spotter
  • Centralized Traffic Control Operator
  • Dispatch Manager
  • Engine Supervisor
  • Freight Trainperson
  • Motor Boss
  • Outbound Manager
  • Outbound Operator

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

  • Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals.
  • Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.
  • Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices.
  • Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes.
  • Direct and instruct workers engaged in yard activities, such as switching tracks, coupling and uncoupling cars, and routing inbound and outbound traffic.
  • Operate controls to activate track switches and traffic signals.
  • Keep records of the contents and destination of each train car, and make sure that cars are added or removed at proper points on routes.
  • Arrange for the removal of defective cars from trains at stations or stops.
  • Direct engineers to move cars to fit planned train configurations, combining or separating cars to make up or break up trains.
  • Inspect each car periodically during runs.
  • Review schedules, switching orders, way bills, and shipping records to obtain cargo loading and unloading information and to plan work.
  • Confirm routes and destination information for freight cars.

20 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

  • Signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Receive information regarding train or rail problems from dispatchers or from electronic monitoring devices, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
  • Receive instructions from dispatchers regarding trains' routes, timetables, and cargoes, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

  • Automated equipment identification AEI software
  • Bourque Data Systems YardMaster
  • Freight reservation software
  • Inventory tracking software
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Office software
  • Microsoft Outlook
  • Microsoft PowerPoint
  • Microsoft Word
  • Positive train control PTC systems
  • RailComm DocYard
  • SAIC government services and IT support software
  • Softrail AEI Automatic Yard Tracking System
  • Softrail AEI Rail & Road Manager

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

  • Adjustable wrenches
  • Automatic container locks
  • Bridge plates
  • Cable sheath cutters
  • Car pullers
  • Desktop computers
  • Intercom systems
  • Laptop computers
  • Locking ratchet wrenches
  • Mainframe computers
  • Personal computers
  • Portable bar code scanners

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

  • Automated equipment identification AEI
  • Bourque Data Systems YardMaster
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft PowerPoint

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

  1. 01Coordination
  2. 02Monitoring
  3. 03Speaking
  4. 04Critical Thinking
  5. 05Active Listening
  6. 06Judgment and Decision Making
  7. 07Time Management
  8. 08Operations Monitoring
  9. 09Complex Problem Solving
  10. 10Operation and Control

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

  • Public Safety and Security
  • Transportation
  • English Language
  • Education and Training
  • Law and Government

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

  • 86%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
  • 8%Post-Secondary Certificate, awarded for training completed after high school
  • 6%Associate's Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster do?
Coordinate activities of switch-engine crew within railroad yard, industrial plant, or similar location. Day to day that includes work like signal engineers to begin train runs, stop trains, or change speed, using telecommunications equipment or hand signals and Confer with engineers regarding train routes, timetables, and cargoes, and to discuss alternative routes when there are rail defects or obstructions.
What skills should a Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster put on a resume?
O*NET rates Coordination, Monitoring, Speaking, Critical Thinking, and Active Listening among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster list?
Software recorded for this occupation includes Automated equipment identification AEI software, Bourque Data Systems YardMaster, Freight reservation software, Inventory tracking software, and Microsoft Excel. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster work?
O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Conductor, Freight Conductor, Railroad Conductor, and Yardmaster. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster need?
In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 86% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Railroad Conductors and Yardmaster role?
No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

  • No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
  • This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
  • Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.