“Unskilled mining jobs”, that’s what the advert said in the local paper. Are these types of mining jobs still available and is it true what we read in the newspapers?
Can these types of ads be for real or are they just wasting your time?
Are there still unskilled mining jobs in Australia?
The answer to that question is Yes, there are unskilled mining jobs still being advertised on the mining jobs boards and sometimes in local/regional newspapers.
These jobs can sometimes be classed as ‘entry-level mining jobs’, you just have to know where to look and how to go about applying for these jobs.
As usual, you have to be aware of so-called online scams of various kinds and every precaution ought be taken before spending any money. The best advice is to stay away from any ads that ask you to pay money in order to start an unskilled mining job.
About 12 months ago when mining in Australia was booming, lots of websites appeared and made promises to unskilled people in return for a payment of some sort.
Today, ‘scammy’ websites seem to have melted away from the internet so it is a more trustworthy place to search for unskilled mining jobs than it was 12 months ago..
One of the best ways to find out if the unskilled mining jobs being advertised are real or not, is to make your application through well-known and trusted mining jobs websites and mining jobs boards. Another way to apply for jobs in the mines that ask for unskilled people is t0 apply directly through the mining company or recruiter’s website.
Keep an eye out for unsolicited mining job emails
Unsolicited emails are emails that have been sent to you without your authority, from people and companies you don’t know. More than likely, these emails are an attempt to scam you. These types of emails should be treated with extreme caution.
Those highly-skilled people behind the scams/SPAM can use legitimate techniques to find out what you search for online and send targeted emails to your inbox. Sometimes, these emails can be difficult to tell from the real ones. So the question is, how can you tell which one is for real and which ones are fake?
The best way to check if an email is legitimate or not is to look at the return email address. You can check if it matches the company name or not. What you must do next is delete all of the email messages that you suspect may be ‘dodgy’. The main thing to remember is ‘never’ click on a link to a website or open an attachment as a virus could be lurking inside an unsolicited email.
It’s always a good idea to install an email SPAM filter which can identify SPAM and stop the emails from getting into your inbox. For example, the GMail SPAM filter is excellent and not only removes any SPAM placing it into a SPAM folder, it will also keep a record of the server IP address the email was sent from and quarantine future emails from that IP address. This is high-level protection for a small investment which is usually about $50 a year for a single email account.
Mining companies will hire unskilled workers
If you don’t have a specific skill as such, and you’re looking for a job in the mines, you should familiarise yourself with the mining companies in your State. If you don’t know which mining companies are operating close to where you live, or perhaps you want to work a FIFO job, then you need to take a look at our list of Australian mining companies.
Some of the larger mining companies in Australia are Fortescue Metals Group, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton, however, there are so many more that you’ve probably never heard of before.
In the coal-rich areas of Queensland, especially the Bowen Basin, there are loads of smaller ‘junior’ mining companies who are operating sizable mines, as well as developing exploration plans to open new mines. In 2014, there is a massive push by mining companies to increase their productivity. As this new focus gathers momentum, there could be an increase in advertisements for unskilled mining jobs advertisements.
For most people who are unskilled and are looking to get a job in the mines, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on mining industry news. You can also keep tabs on the mining jobs boards like SEEK, Indeed, CareerOne and iMINCO and sign up for mining job alerts. You have to carefully select the right category on the jobs board to only receive the unskilled mining job opportunities, or you will get notifications for jobs you can’t apply for.
Times have changed in the mining industry in Australia. Unskilled mining jobs are not easy to find and there is a lot of competition in this area. When you think about it, it makes sense that it may take some time to find one of these positions – so the best advice we can give you is to stick at it.
Here’s what to do next!
If mining companies aren’t hiring at the moment, all is not lost, as this is a perfect opportunity to think about up-skilling and starting a mining training course. Given your past work history, you may already have some skills and experience that Australian mining companies are looking for. The trick is to realise what you have in terms of work experience that might be transferable to mining and use it to your advantage.
Here’s an example to consider.
For people who may have worked in the construction industry, there are better than average opportunities to find unskilled mining jobs, even though they may have a trade qualification. Often one of the best ways to get into a mining job is to start at the bottom and work your way up.This can be a challenge for a lot of people as they find it hard to deal with the fact they are already qualified and can’t see past that.
Trade qualification can also be transferable to the mining industry, so even though you may apply for unskilled mining jobs, your trade qualification will really help you get noticed by a mining employer.
It`s always much easier to find a job in the mining industry if you have some previous training behind you. RII qualifications, for example, will look good on your job application.
RII Competencies are nationally recognised Australian Qualifications that have been specifically developed for the Resources Infrastructure Industry.The reason the RII qualification is important is that a person has been deemed to be competent in a field of expertise and can be trusted to perform the job to a high level of care and standards.
As is the case with many adverts for unskilled mining jobs, when dozens of applicants apply for a handful of jobs, it makes sense that mining companies and recruiters will more than likely favour people who have a trade or mining related qualifications.
To sum up, ads for unskilled mining jobs are, for the most part, genuine. Mining companies and recruiters in Australia may be looking for potential employees who can be trained to do the job to their exacting standards.
There is a new outlook in the mining industry in 2014 where mining companies are looking for people with transferable skills or someone who has recently completed a mining training course.
In these cases, previous work experience in a mine is not needed to qualify for an unskilled mining job.
