In the past few weeks there have been many comments on this blog from people seeking work in the mining industry. I approve all such comments. Mainly because I empathize with such people. Here are some examples of what I write of:
Hi i was wondering what is my chance’s of getting a mineing job as a driver in Western Australia with a class A tractor trailer with class z endorsments. I also live Ottawa.
Sir: i am also the mining engineer complete my bechlors degree in 2012 now please sugession me how to apply the mining engineering jobs in foreign country.
We are looking unskilled mining jobs in Canad and Australia for our Clients(job Seekers) from Indi. We are registered recruitment agency and licensed by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs Govt. of India. If any of you client in need ff unskilled workers and interested to hire them from India than contact us at devtrour21st@gmail.com Devdhar Sharma.
I do not edit–maybe I should? I post as they come in–is this fair? For I know the style of most is guaranteed to render them ineffective in achieving their objectives. I seldom answer directly–for what advice can I give that can help?
Obviously the one simple answer to all is to look at CareerMine and apply for one or more of the jobs posted there. Yet I doubt this will help those who post comments such as those I quote above. The resumes and pleas will land with hard-hearted human resource officers who will reject them on the basis of geographical distance, language skills, and competing applicants in the locale of the job.
Last night I partied with friends of my daughter and my son-in-law. One of their friends was recently fired from his job with an aerospace contractor. He has a degree in electrical engineering and a masters in management. He is forty-two and now without a job. They survive on his wife’s job as a nurse. He is looking, but no bites in six months.
The question arose: should he seek a job in the mining industry? He was reluctant. He does not want to move from the luxury of southern California to the harsh places where there are mines where his skills could be used. So I write him off. But what a loss to the industry.
The issue of jobs in mining is an example of the benefits of tribe and community. Witness what the Chinese do to buy mines and send their people to those far-distant places to work. How can the solitary individual compete? Can our Indian, Devdhar Sharma, succeed as an individual implementing western methods best out the bigger forces of Chinese tribe and community?
For the mining industry is no different from any other industry: it all boils down to what you know and whom you know. If you have not the education, training, experience, skills, and contacts, it is all of no avail. No amount of blog commenting will suffice to fill the gap, the absence of these pre-requisites.
So I will continue to approve for posting such comments. But I will continue to despair for those who post thus. Here I advise them to try the standard route of filling in the job applications from CareerMine and the many other similar sites. Get a Sharma to help. But remember that it is not easy nor guaranteed: you need the basics and need to be in the right place at the right time to get the job.
Let me know how you succeed in spite of this advice.
Some tips….
Many mining companies are international. Apply for a job at home and then try to transfer.
Go to the various government websites to find out what requirements will enable you to get into the country. Don’t expect the mining company to do that for you. Apply to emmigrate to that country and then apply for work.
Check professional association websites for any hints or tips.
Get onto Linkedin and link up with some recruiters.
Applying as an unknown person via websites/electronic media does not work. You end up in a pile of hundreds if not thousands. The US is in such a bad situation with respect to jobs that it would be difficult if not impossible to hire a foreigner. Perhaps in other countries in remote locations it might be easier.