Nicole Hollows, former CEO of Macarthur Coal Limited and the first female chair of resource industry lobby group The Queensland Resources Council, recently shared tips form her successful career in mining at the International Women`s Day lunch at Toowoomba Golf Club.
This is a must read article for women looking to get into a career in mining with links to jobs for women in mining.
Mrs Hollows is a regular lead speaker at women in mining networking events across Queensland, due to her inspirational career in a traditionally male-dominated field. But this is rapidly changing, said Mrs Hollows. Not only that, but mining careers for women offer a lot of flexibility and support if you`re willing to do the work.
Mrs Hollows, who went from working as a tax accountant to CEO of one of the most successful coal mining operations in Australia in less than seven years, is a poster-child of what women can achieve in the field of mining, even with no previous experience in mining.
Macarthur Coal Limited was first listed on the ASX in 2001 at 128.5 million, and by 2011 was taken over by Peabody Energy for 4.9 billion when Mrs Hollows was CEO.
The diversity of the mining industry provides a huge job opportunities for women. Mrs Hollows also said there`s opportunity for women working in almost any related field� to move across to mining, such as she did, from finance to coal mining.
There are also a growing number of support networks for women employed in mining across Australia, such as:
They offer support and regular networking events, awards and information for women either already working in mining or moving across from other disciplines.
Perhaps the most positive message from Mrs Hollows around jobs for women in mining and for women thinking of moving into mining and resources sector is the flexibility it offers for those who are willing to work hard and do the job well.
Mrs Hollows said that although mining has traditionally been a male-dominated industry, this is changing. She said the emphasis should always be on getting “the best person for the job”�, but that women need to be aware of the tendency to undersell their strengths. And since it`s an industry which offers a solid career path and plentiful opportunities for growth for those women in mining, or who look to seek mining jobs in the future.
Mrs Hollows was Chief Financial Officer in 2007 when she went part-time as she had just become a new mother. When MacArthur Coal Limited was sold to Peabody in 2011, 21% of their workforce was female, and a great representation of those were women in senior management positions, making it one of Australia`s most progressive mining companies in terms of gender equality.
If you`re a woman looking to pursue a career in mining, why not enquire about how you could transfer your current skills to a role in the lucrative mining industry in Australia by calling Industry Pathways on [email protected]. They have a team of female advisers on-hand to answer any questions you may have about mining jobs for women.
Reference: Women In Mining – Information around mining jobs for women with career opportunities
