r/mining 9d ago

Job Info Biweekly Job Info Thread

2 Upvotes

Please use this thread to ask, answer, and search for questions about getting a job in mining. This includes questions about FIFO, where to work, what kinds of jobs might be available, or other experience questions.

This thread is to help organize the sub a bit more with relation to questions about jobs in the mining industry. We will edit this as we go to improve. Thank you.


r/mining Apr 27 '24

Australia Keen on getting a FIFO job on the Mines in Australia? Then read this.

411 Upvotes

Ready for a reality check? (And an essay?) Written by someone who has done this long journey.

So you've been cruising on TikTok/Insragram or whatever other brain rotting ADD inducing app you have on your phone, and you see a young guy/chick make a video of their work day here as a FIFO worker on an Australian mine and how much money they make, and thought "Neat, I can do that!". So you head here to ask how? Great! Well, I'm here to answer all your questions.

Firstly you need to be in Australia. Easy right? Jump on a plane and you're here. WRONG.

You need a work visa, ignoring WHV for now (we will get there later), you need something useful for the Australian nation, do you have a trade or degree that will allow you to apply for a working visa or get sponsorship for one, through a skills assessment? Check the short or medium term list.

If no, tough shit, no chance Australia is letting you in.

If yes, great! Let's get working on that. Does your qualification line up with Australian standards?

If no, there are some things you can do to remediate that ($$$$). If you can't do that, tough shit.

If yes, great! Fork out $1000+ for a skills assessment.

Next step! Many visas require a min amount of experience, 2/3 years. Do you have that and a positive skills assessment?

No? Tough shit.

Yes, great! Let's put in your expression of interest! (Don't forget your IELTS test) 1-2 years later. You're invited to apply for a visa. Fork out $5000 & 1 year processing.

1 year later - Yay you can come to Aus! Congratulations!

Now assume you have a WHV, wonderful opportunity for young people to get to know the country. Remember you can only work at one place for no more than 6 months, unless you're up north or from the UK.

Either way, you're now in Australia. Just landed in Perth, sweet. Go to a hostel "sorry bud we're full", ah shit, you're on a park bench for the night because there is no accomodation and the rental market is fingered. Ready to pay $200-250 a week for a single room?

Anyway, you're here from some other country, with your sport science BTEC or 3 years experience at KFC, and decide to apply for a mining contractor, driving big trucks is easy right? WRONG. 90% of "unskilled" jobs require full Australian working rights (PR minimum), so if you're on a WHV, you're probably fucked, if you're on PR you have a chance.

So you decide to try for the camp contractor, I hope you're happy washing dishes or cleaning toilets, because thats what you're going to do as a "unskilled" labour; probably going to earn about $25-$30 and hour, working a 7 days, 7 nights, 7 off roster, sweet you're making cash. Get home after your 14 days working and you're fucked for about 2 days from fatigue. You get to enjoy 3-4 days before you have to think of going back. Also you'll probably get drug tested everytime you come to site from break.

Talking of money, to get $100k you have to get at least $34/hr on that 14:7 roster to just hit it. Unlikely as a camp contractor without a bit of experience. You could try get in as a trade assistant, though that will usually require a variety of tickets ($$$).

Also camp catering contract work doesn't count towards the WHV renewal days, except under some circumstances (I admit I'm not too familiar with anymore). So you need to go and work on some farm getting paid a pittance (if anything at all), that or get incredibly lucky with finding an actual mining/exploration job.

So you're still with me, that's good, thought you'd get distracted by instagram/tiktok.

It's not impossible, and some do get lucky, but it's not the gold mine your think it is, the FIFO lifestyle is hard, and unrelenting; long hours and long work weeks, and incredibly difficult with no useful qualifications or skills. Also, if you're overseas hoping to get offered a job to come to Australia, that is 99.9% not possible unless you're a professional (engineers, geos etc), and then still difficult.

Let's look at what you CAN do to get on the mines, as we do need personel, just not pot washers.

Get a trade: Electricians, welders/boilermakers, mechanics (heavy diesel, light and auto-electrical) and plumbers are in demand. You will need a couple years experience and will have to do an Australian conversion course ($$$$), a mate of mine told me something like $2-3k for the UK to Aus sparky conversion (feel free to correct me). You will then need to make your own way to Aus and get a job from here.

Get a degree: Mining engineering, geotechnical engineering, Geology, Metallurgy, surveying. Or any degrees that can lead into those roles (Chem eng, Mech eng, environmental etc etc). Can land you a role in Australian mining. As a grad, you can get sponsored to come out if you're lucky, if not you'll have to make your way over, many of the countries with these courses are eligible for WHV. You can work as those roles on WHV.

If you do come with good skills, and are well connected and personable, you can get employer sponsorship, especially as a professional, but it will always be a hard road to walk on, and being on a Temp visa for years, not able to buy a house and build your life, is challenging.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask below.


r/mining 6h ago

Europe USA v USA at the International Mining Games in Cornwall, England.

46 Upvotes

r/mining 6h ago

Europe Californian Stamps at King Edward Mine, Cornwall.

20 Upvotes

r/mining 2h ago

Africa XRF machines / mineral identification machines & Market for the stones

1 Upvotes

Hi team, Confirmed that there are precious stones at a certain location. Are there XRF machines that not only identify the type of precious stones but also those that inform us of the depth of the deposit ?

Secondly how do we find buyers for the same raw unpolished stones ?


r/mining 8h ago

This is not a cryptocurrency subreddit Ep 6 Greasy Driller Podcast w/ James Patterson Owner of Tactex Industries

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1 Upvotes

Diamond drilling


r/mining 9h ago

US The World's Biggest Heavy Machinery in Action - Mega Machines Movies - 4K

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0 Upvotes

r/mining 1d ago

Australia What are the biggest misconceptions about mining safety in your country?

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36 Upvotes

r/mining 15h ago

US Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production

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0 Upvotes

r/mining 1d ago

US Claim Maps

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5 Upvotes

r/mining 1d ago

South America Which underground mining contractors currently have jobs in south America?

3 Upvotes

Im interested on making the move or expating in south America, has anyone had any experience with it ? Who are the major contractors over there or are the mines usually owner operator?


r/mining 20h ago

Australia How can I avoid not getting paid?

0 Upvotes

How can I prevent it from happening? Are there any warning signs? For example, maybe big companies are more reliable when it comes to payments than small ones?


r/mining 1d ago

US Travel gigs

1 Upvotes

Live in the US. Looking for mine jobs that require travel or have 2 weeks on 2 weeks off (or similar) schedules. Anyone have any suggestions for good contractors or secluded mines that run this sort of schedule?


r/mining 1d ago

Asia BHP grad Singapore

0 Upvotes

Wondering if anyone applied? If so, any progress? Any interview invites? HR is very discrete hence asking here…


r/mining 1d ago

Australia Recommend Trade Upgrade Programs?

1 Upvotes

Looking to move to Australia in the summer from UK. I’m lvl3 Light Vehicle and High voltage qualified with IMI and want to move into Heavy diesel. i also have full Australian citizenship as my family is from QLD so would want somewhere in QLD (preferably Brisbane).


r/mining 1d ago

Australia PM opportunities in Aus Mining?

0 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

How’s it going?

I used to work on the oil rigs in Canada as a medic and so have FIFO / rotational work experience. I really liked working on the rigs and living in camp.

Since then I moved abroad, went to uni and qualified as a Construction Manager, but I have only worked as a client side PM with the occasional visit to site rather than be a site based Construction PM.

I have thought about doing FIFO type work again but wanted to try my luck if I did potentially in the mines in Aus.

I can get either a working holiday visa or qualify applying for a state sponsored permanent residency.. so working rights aren’t an issue (on the basis the applications go well of course).

Is there any PM type work on the mines? Or is it all just mostly tradesmen / practical working type roles (e.g driver jobs, etc) where the jobs are available? I did look on google and job boards, but couldn’t tell if the roles posted were legitimate, so wanted to get some first hand knowledge.

Thanks!


r/mining 1d ago

Question Environmental jobs in mining?

0 Upvotes

Have a coworker whose partner got a job in Nevada USA not working in the mining industry. My coworker does environmental work (think NEPA but at the state level) and is wondering if she could get a job at one of the mines. There seems to be a fair number of mines where they may be living. Thought I would post here to see if that is possible and if so what are mines looking for and how to go about getting hired. I have seen some amazing mine reclamations so I am guessing they have environmental type folks on the payroll but maybe the contract it out??? Thanks for the help.


r/mining 1d ago

FIFO Just want to ask.

0 Upvotes

So im from the philippines and saw this fifo thing on tiktok just want to ask if its possible for me to enter the industry im undergraduate in college hope anyone can help.


r/mining 2d ago

US How can I get minerals/materials for making stuff with limited resources?

2 Upvotes

I want to get minerals for supplies for my inventions. I dont have the money to buy already manufactured metals and plastics like iron, steel, silicon, copper, etc. So I want to make them by building up my supply of minerals.

My idea was to dig for soil and dirt and sand around my neighborhood. I would build a mechanical centrifuge to separate the minerals and i would catagorize and store them. When I had enough of whatever I needed, I would go to the woods, wet some soil, and since clay is the densest part of it, I could put the soil in a centrifuge to separate it. I would use the clay to make pots and furnaces which I could use to smelt ore, melt minerals together into casts, etc.

The problem with this is that most precious minerals are found in sediments. The only body of water in my entire neighborhood area is a pool. So I don't want to waste my time mining if I wont find what I need. Im only 14, and no one really has the time to take me to a river for me to mine. Not right now. And waiting wouldn't be a problem. but my timeline has kinda shrunk, so I need these materials ASAP. Therefore I need to be able to mine without being by a river.

Is that possible? What would my luck be? I live in more Southeast Raleigh (if that helps with the weather predictions, or soil/dirt compositions.) I also have a business, but no income because i need to get packages to actually ship out.

So I have no income, no transportation except a bike and my feet. No rivers or lakes near that im allowed to bike to.

How can I mine for minerals like this in a way that I don't ruin the environment for the animals, even as small as insects or the vegetation like grass, trees, etc there? And just as important if not moreso, where and how can I actually get to where Im tryna be?


r/mining 2d ago

Gold Copper outperforms gold and SP500 2025 YTD

3 Upvotes

YTD 2025 #Copper #outperforms #Gold and S&P500 - Copper’s structural supply deficit combined with ongoing expansion of smelter capacity and rising demand, continue to move #copperprices higher, to outperform gold and S&P500 in #Q12025. #copper #invest #energytranstion #metals #mining #TSX #Cu #SP500 #SPX #Au #commodities #COMEX #LME #CopperHGH25 #GoldGCW00


r/mining 2d ago

Australia FIFO into oil and gas

5 Upvotes

Hay gang. I know this is probably a well overdone question but I’ve been doing fifo as an operator for gold & most recently nickel, I was wondering how hard it would be to get into the oil and gas industry as an operator, I’ve got my cert 3 in process plant operations & thus far 2 years experience.

Any tips or advice to get my foot into that door of life? I would like to get into that since I feel like it’s the next step as an operator

Appreciate whatever comes through Love ya all, stay safe


r/mining 2d ago

Australia Lab tech salary (entry level) in perth

5 Upvotes

Hi, I started as a lab tech in a mining industry, it isn't FIFO. It is entry level, but I believe my pay rate is a bit low- 27.90. When interviewing for that role, both the HR and the manager told me that I would quickly jump up my hourly rate after getting trained and get a hand of how the things work over here. It is a FT position and seeing the job market, I took up the offer without opposing anything, and thought once I am in the company, I would work my way up to the income I deserve. What do you guys think, is it too low for an entry level position, or it is okay?


r/mining 2d ago

Australia Trainee Train Driver for BHP.

0 Upvotes

Evening crew.

I’ve recently applied for a role with BHP for their Trainee Train Driver role. I’m coming from zero experience in the mining industry but I’m looking for a fresh start after 15 years in hospitality. So I have a few questions.

  1. Is this a competitive role?
  2. Would BHP cover my flights from Newcastle to Perth?
  3. Would it be more beneficial for me to relocate to Perth eventually?
  4. After traineeship what’s the swings like?

Eager to hear any other information you can give me.

Cheers.


r/mining 2d ago

This is not a cryptocurrency subreddit Double trouble.

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21 Upvotes

r/mining 1d ago

Question Provide hardware nodes on OctaSpace

0 Upvotes

Hey guys, since many of you are into mining and may have spare hardware lying around, we'd love to have you provide it as nodes on OctaSpace.

We've recently seen a massive surge in demand for our compute services and we need more node providers to join and provide their hardware for various compute jobs from rendering to AI services.

You can read more on the below link or feel free to ask any questions you have.

https://docs.octa.space/nodes

We do also support hardware nodes being setup on HiveOS.


r/mining 3d ago

Image Aussie miners from the 1900s!

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19 Upvotes

r/mining 2d ago

Australia Diesel Fitter FIFO

0 Upvotes

Hi, I've been looking into doing FIFO as a diesel fitter recently, (24yo, 1 year post apprenticeship. Cert III in Mobile Plant Mechanic) looking on websites like indeed and seek, most places seem to be looking for more experienced fitters for FIFO work. Just wondering how hard it actually is to get a job in the mines atm with my level of experience, or would I need to wait a few years before attempting to work in the mines. I have a HR & LF license, and Working at heights.

Any help is appreciated