Working in Australia

[BigDiesels]

Can anyone give me any leads and/or advice on looking for work in Australia? I am hoping to get a company to sponsor me for my visa, etc.

My experience is in mine maintenance (mech and elec) engineering, mine maintenance planning, supervision, Reliability Centered maintenance and 6 Sigma.

Any maintenance managers on here? ;-)

Thanks for any advice or information.

 

[simonac]

good luck try infomine but to work in australia you need citizenship or a visa that only the compagny that hire you, can make an application for...and dont want to bash it more but compagny dont want the asle :beatsme...

 

[Hendrik]

You're best off to email some of the personnel departments of mining outfits, they will let you know if you're skills are in demand and how to go about getting a working visa.
Google Oz mining companies to see what you can find
http://www.hogan-mining.com.au/?G1
http://www.miningreference.com/html...ngCompanies2&gclid=CP2sndKq2KACFYQtpAodyisZCg
http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/peopleEmployment.jsp
http://www.newmont.com/
Best of luck mate.
BTW can you drink copious quantities of beer?

 

[CatMatt]

BTW can you drink copious quantities of beer?

Can you also handle 40+ Degree Heat??

 

[Hendrik]

Can you also handle 40+ Degree Heat??

Closer to 50+ out in the Sun, when you are changing that tire on the dumpy

 

[Rally_Action]

I agree with the other Aussie guys on this thread.
You'll need to be able to handle the heat and how remote most of the mines are. These days most mines make you wear long sleeve shirts and long pants even in the height of summer in the 50 degree c heat.
You'll probably also need to be able to live in a camp. Not many of the WA mines at least are near a town or city.

The Gorgan Gas project may also be worth looking at. Again Google it to find out more info.

Most Australian companies want residents, citizens or correct work visas. In saying that, I do know of a few Fly In/Fly Out overseas workers.
Depends on the company, the expertise of the worker, the shift the company will put you on and how desperate they are for staff with your skills.

 

[Squizzy246B]

There are specialist personnel firms who are tasked by the mining companies to bring skilled labour to the resources sector. Rio Tinto use them all the time. These companies will get you through all the red tape with the Visa's etc.

However, be very very careful. What you need to ask is what happens when the economy takes a dump and you are the first fired and then your Visa gets cancelled. I know of many foreign engineers and the like who vested everything in getting to Australia, the mining companies where screaming for them, then Bang...overnight it all ends in tears. Rio Tinto laid of 6000 workers in one hit last year, BHP laid off more, and maintenance was the first to go.

I'd advise asking the difficult questions before jumping in.

 

[nextdoor]

Closer to 50+ out in the Sun, when you are changing that tire on the dumpy

And of course the most important one, wear a fluro vest!
I hear that the SAS has to wear them to do covert ops so they wont stand out.

 

[BigDiesels]

Thanks for all the info guys. Yes, I can handle the heat and all the PPE required. We don't get +40 here in the Elk Valley, but Southern Saskatchewan does. Drinking copious amounts of beer is also not a problem, basically a pre-requisite for engineering school.

It does seem that I will need to get the Visa first, as most companies will probably take a lesser skilled candidate over the red tape and expense of sponsoring someone from overseas.

I also appreciate the insite on the volatility of the labour market. Obviously the internationals would be first to go...mining is so cyclical that I will have to time it right, if I can get in at all.

Thanks again, and I welcome any more advice.

 

[KMM4x4]

You're best off to email some of the personnel departments of mining outfits, they will let you know if you're skills are in demand and how to go about getting a working visa.
Google Oz mining companies to see what you can find
http://www.hogan-mining.com.au/?G1
http://www.miningreference.com/html...ngCompanies2&gclid=CP2sndKq2KACFYQtpAodyisZCg
http://www.bhpbilliton.com/bb/peopleEmployment.jsp
http://www.newmont.com/
Best of luck mate.
BTW can you drink copious quantities of beer?

Thanks for links. Very interestingly!