How to get a mining job with no experience

Advice from a mining recruiter

I have worked as Recruitment Officer for a mining company and thought I’d share a few pointers in relation to getting a job in the industry, and what companies will look for when hiring. It is a tough industry to break into, so be prepared for lots of knock backs, but don’t give up “Be proactive and maintain a positive attitude.”

Too often people believe that working in the mines is “easy money” – they are wrong!

AtlamGroup staff stock photo

What are the entry-level FIFO mining jobs?

The term entry- level mining refers to having no experience within the mining industry. You may have years of experience as a trades person, machine operator etc but if you have never worked in the mining industry, you are considered entry-level or New to Industry. Click here for the latest entry level jobs or click here for dump truck traineeships.

  • Nipper
  • Apprenticeships & Traineeships
  • Drillers Offsider
  • Sample Preparation Assistant
  • Trade Assistant
  • Labourer
  • Sentry
  • Floorhand
  • Cleaner/ Housekeeper/ Utility Worker
  • Dewatering Crew
  • Security
  • Chef/ Cook
  • Gym Instructor
  • Laundry Attendant
  • Hospitality Allrounder
  • Grounds Person
  • Bus Driver

Tips for getting that first FIFO role

Transferable Skills: Get experience working for contractors, mining service providers, and recruitment agencies will help you to gain relevant experience and transferable skills and you’ll also make new connections – ‘ it’s not what you know, it’s who you know’

If you know people in the industry, utilise them, that’s your foot in the door!

Have a realistic understanding of your current skill set and experience – What do you have to offer? You’re not going to get a high paying FIFO job with no experience. You will have to start at the bottom and work your way up!

Shutdown work : If you’ve got a trade, get into doing shut down work on & off over a 6 month period. These roles might range from labourer/TA to fitters and electricians. This will really support your application when it comes to applying for roles, it shows you’ve already had exposure to the rosters, the FIFO lifestyle, the long hours and extreme weather conditions, and that you aren’t high risk from a turnover perspective.

Move to where the jobs are! Living in a town close to the mine will make you more appealing to companies. Even with no mining experience you’ll have a better chance if you live close to the mine. Keep in mind the price of rent can be expensive in these areas so this is to say you need to do your research about the accommodation before you pack up and move!

Tickets & Training

We see many people getting unnecessary tickets and doing training courses. Research the role you are applying for, before jumping in and doing pointless training. What will be more valuable is safety awareness, relevant experience, a positive attitude, and team work skills – Think Transferable Skills.

If you are applying for a Dump Truck Trainee position, the company will train you to operate the dump truck. You will not need to do the dump truck training course. A dump truck training course is not an industry-recognized qualification, therefore it gives you no advantage when applying for these entry-level positions. Think about it…. You can’t learn to operate a car in three days, let alone a dump truck.

You can’t buy experience

Depending on the role you are applying for, the most commonly required tickets/ license are:

Have you considered you’ll be working 12 hours shifts, day and night and the extreme weather conditions? It can get up to 45-50 degrees and the work you’ll be doing is incredibly labour intensive. You need to consider that not all companies will offer you a flexible 1:1 or 2:1 roster, sometimes you may be away for 4 weeks at a time (28days on/7days off.) No sympathy will be given from you supervisor if you’re finding the work too hard or the heat too hot – so please do your research!

You need to be prepared to miss those special moments, your child’s first words, father’s day/mothers days with your kids, your mums 50th birthday and sometimes even the birth of your first child.

Although you have personal commitments, mining companies have a business to run and you will not always be permitted to take time off as you please, especially if you’re FIFO.

The statistics of employee turnover within the industry is absolutely huge – a whopping percent coming from those whom have resigned due to personal circumstances (family).

Do your research

Should you be contacted for a phone interview: Always do your research on the company. You will be asked what you know about the company and the role – It’s not a good look if you say “I dunno, you’re a mining company aren’t ya?” And When asked “what attracted you to apply for the position?” Do NOT respond with “Nothing really, I just wanna get me foot in the door with mining, I’ll take any job going.” Immediately this tells the recruiter that you do not have a long term goal. We want to know that you’ve done your research, and you want to gain a position within the company and work your way up.

Company’s value longevity – We hate knowing that you’ll jump ship for an extra dollar for any old position. Imagine how impressed they’ll be when you can give them a quick brief on what their company does, what you know about the role and why you’d love to be a successful candidate.

CV – Make sure it is professional and easy to read. Do not put your photo on there, do not include your DOB and do not disclose your nationality – however, if you are a 417, 457 applicant – its always helpful if they know up front for immigration purposes.

I hope some of the information above helps, mining is such an exciting industry to get into and I wish you all the very best with your application processes – don’t give up!!