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Mining for Oz in Oz? (self.IWantOut)

submitted ago by movingon11

I was floating around the interweaves this evening, and came across some things that reminded me of a possibility I never really dived in to - moving to Australia and working for a mining company. I hear the money is retarded good, and they are always hiring.

My question is could I do it, as an American with no college degree? I have all sorts of certifications in firefighting and emergency medical care, for what it's worth. Anyone have experience with this?

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[–]RussianBearNinja 5 points6 points ago

I don't know if you've seen this thread already, but it give a quite a bit of information about mining in Australlia.

[–]movingon11[S] 1 point2 points ago

Quite informative, but I am still a bit unsure on where to start looking for actual jobs. I certainly don't qualify as an engineer or geologist, are there any avenues I should be aware of for more entry-level type positions? Or even safety related positions, as I am qualified for that type of work.

[–]EthicalReasoning 2 points3 points ago

minimum wage in australia is over $15 an hour and the AUD is worth more than the USD. there are actually very few minimum wage jobs though, so the least you'd likely make would be $18-$22 an hour. there is a labor shortage in AUS, you won't have trouble finding well paying work, but avoid the three major cities because cost of living is on par with san francisco

[–]movingon11[S] 0 points1 point ago

Where would I go to, or who would I contact, to work in the mining industry, though? I have various life safety certs and experience in firefighting/emergency medical care, but no actual college degree. I'm trying to figure out if it's possible, or if anyone has done it before and can shed light on the matter?

[–]EthicalReasoning 4 points5 points ago

finding a job is the same as anywhere else, papers, craigslist, local listings, etc

if you're under 30 you can get the 1 year working visa, which can be extended to 2 years with minimal effort. fairly easy to go from there.

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/

[–]jesusmcpenis 1 point2 points ago

The Australian equivalent of CL is Gumtree.com.au When I was down there I found some farming jobs through there and also sold my car when it came time to leave.

[–]RiskRegsiter 0 points1 point ago

check Here ... Mining companies hire direct from overseas and would probably help quite a bit with the visa process if you are someone they are keen on. With less skills it would be easier to get over here and get a job perhaps.

[–]sa_neasy 1 point2 points ago

I too, have heard about this and would like to hear more.

[–]RiskRegsiter 1 point2 points ago*

If you want to get decent money in mining with limited skills, you are going to have to go live at the mines.

EDIT: also look at the other thread listed below, plenty of information to get you going. If you have fire fighting and emergency medical care, you may be able to come over and get another job in a city. I'm pretty sure ambo's (ambulance staff) are on our skills shortage list, and a combination of your skills would be perfect for SES (State Emergency Services) which are always looking for people and do some pretty cool shit like helicoptering into floods to save people etc...

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