Ahhh, The million dollar question. And the answer is… hard work and determination!

Not what you were hoping for? Well, let me tell you ladies and gentlemen an aspiring doctor doesn’t begin 6 years of study at university (leaving a hefty hecs bill i might add) then do around 5 years of placement to eventually earn around the same money you could earn in your first year as a dump truck operator at one of the several Australian mining companies without a whole lot of Hard work and Determination! To add a little more perspective, they are equipped with a doctorate and save lives and you have a generic induction and cart around dirt. Now that being said lets talk about how you can fulfil your dream of working for a mining company.

Although bigger mining companies in Australia (BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, Xstrata, Anglo American, etc.) do offer positions for no-experience mining jobs it is very important to be cunning and keep an open mind about mining employment. Although with the big glossy face of the Australian resource industry, the larger Australian mining companies are not all there is and definitely not your only option for gainful mining employment within the industry.

Often the smaller contractors that provide labour and services to the mining companies are overlooked as a viable option for mine jobs. These contracting companies can vary  in size from a one man band to hundreds of employees providing services ranging from geotechnical survey data retrieval to camp cleaning services and often provide a pathway into the mining industry by the sheer demand for workers that is placed on them by the mining companies. Also, they often have a lower percentage of staff retention due to employees leaving for perceived greener pastures elsewhere, in turn providing opportunities for people such as yourself to get a chance at a mining career.

Mining contractors also are more willing to take on workers without mining experience if they have the qualifications specific to that particular contractors area of service to the mining industry, so a little bit of research and time spent qualifying yourself with a generic mining induction can be a big help. Also if the particular mining contractor is still of a smaller size then it may pay to drive out to their place of business and shake someone’s hand (preferably the boss) and introduce yourself. After all its who you know not what you know.

The reality is that most employees of the bigger Australian mining companies are former employees of the smaller mining contractors and after years of working on a particular mining lease were given an opportunity to apply for a position to work directly for the mining company.

The reason mining companies in Australia often recruit in this fashion is because that particular mine worker has been indoctrinated with the culture of that particular mine over a period of time and is more likely to make a seamless transition between employers as opposed to someone who has worked for a mining company or contractor elsewhere.

Also, a mining company will often pay for all the tickets that are needed to work at their site so it makes sense to pick someone they don’t have to retrain and who has a track record of loyalty to their employer.

Although you may not have to spend years at university to become a miner it must be said that the salaries, conditions and lifestyle that come with a fruitful career in the resources industry are not a prize for the ‘lucky’ few but rather a reward for the hard work and determination of those who were willing to do what is necessary.