Genre: Instruction

How to get a start in the (booming) mining industry There is so much talk at the moment about the "white hot" mining sector and the "boom" in WA and Qld. As a result of saturated media coverage on the matter in the "non-mining" Australian states, we receive constant enquiry from people trying to get that start. Firstly, it is not that easy, there is not an out of control boom as such and mining companies are being very careful with how the spend their money right now. They are also very careful with who they hire, their equipment is often sophisticated, expensive and takes certain skills to operate well. Additionally, the mining sector has a very strong safety culture (despite what the media will have you believe) and good companies will also screen for people with the right safety attitude. That said there ARE thousands of excellent opportunities for people to get into this exciting sector right now and so here are some very basic tips, for someone with little or no experience just wanting to get that break: If you have any sort of mechanical background or are from a farming or related industry then highlight this when applying. People that have worked in remote environments or have some mechanical training or aptitude inevitably have more to offer and have been proven to succeed in the mining sector. If you are prepared to relocate, then taking the risk (and it IS a risk) and moving to a regional area such as North Qld, the W.A. Goldfields (Kalgoorlie etc) will usually give you a head start over someone trying to land their first job from a capital city. Be prepared to do anything. With no experience, you have no track record to demonstrate so your best chance is to prove you are a good worker, after which time (presuming you ARE a good worker) other opportunities will quickly open up for you. If you can get some sort of certification through a night class at one of the many excellent TAFE (and like) courses now, this does two things. 1.) it shows you are serious and 2.) it will give you a basic overview of a certain field of work (being a pit technician supporting a Geologist for example). If you know someone, ask them to refer you on and ask them to give you a positive recommendation. Once again, with no demonstrated track record and probably little in the way of relevant referees, referrals are often viewed as good sources of new staff because hiring managers assume the person making the referral will usually only do that if the potential new employee IS also a good worker otherwise their own reputation is damaged. Keep it simple. The opportunities are there. Look at each knock back as another test and keep at it. Every so often check in with someone already in the industry or a trusted advisor who can assess what activity you have done and propose modifications to your approach as appropriate. These comments are intended to be general in nature. For a more detailed overview refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section of the MPi web site. Mining companies dont hire carefully. They take anyone. Its just the agencies that tell you that. Ive worked in mining for 22 yrs. Anonymous @aplleby I agree but the companies that don't hire carefully loose out in the long run and many companies learn the hard way. Samwise I gather that if you've worked in mining for 22 years, that it was a different story for you when you first started out in the mines. Nowadays, yes, I have an understanding of what the Mining companies are looking for and it is harder for people with no experience to get into the mines. Some companies will take on greenies as their learning capacity has not been tainted with set procedures and practices and they can be taught the way the company would prefer them to conduct themselves. But generally, they would take someone with experience over someone with no experience. If they have called up all the mining recruitment agencies and are still coming up dry, they will start to look at other people. They won't just take "anyone" as you say. They will still be looking for people with good attitutes and work ethic and atleast an understanding of the mining sector. Case and point buddy Abeckman9 Ive been applying for over a year now heard nothing back yet abeckman9@gmail.com email me with more info if you can please kannadiide Aldhoux {kenneth} i ,there my name is Kenneth Aldhoux ive a apply a position as field assistant and i heard nothing yet so please im still available .thanks Mark_1988 Can you get a job in the mines without a licence? As a t/a or labouring? What about if you relocate? Anonymous @Mark_1988 relocating to a town like Kalgoorlie can help your chances as Mining companies are more willing to take on people with no industry experience as Drive in drive out vs fly in fly out. Anonymous Guys here is the link to our FAQ's page on our website. It has loads of good info and links to other websites to help out if you currently have no mining experience and wanted to get into the industry. What is MPi LIFE? "MPi LIFE" is a lifestyle blog that is written for mining employees, FIFO workers and mining industry partners across Australia. The blog is written by the Workforce Division of Mining People International (MPi). Commenting Policy The editors of MPi LIFE aim to promote constructive debate about topics affecting people within the mining industry, by presenting thoughtful ideas in a way that respects a wide range of views. We welcome all respectful comments free of personal attack, however we reserve the right to remove any comments that we think are offensive or not supporting the ideas we look to promote.