How to get shortlisted for the mining job of your dreams
How do you give yourself the best possible chance of being shortlisted for the mining job of your dreams? We share our best tips and advice.
How do you give yourself the best possible chance of being shortlisted for the mining job of your dreams?
If you look at the social media pages of any recruitment, you’ll see plenty of comments from jobseekers who feel they have been overlooked for mining jobs.
It’s really common to read comments like:
- My residential location is too far from the FIFO hub the company is flying from
- My lack of recent experience in the mining industry is an issue
- My lack of experience for the role I am applying for is an issue
- I am over-qualified
- I am under-qualified
- My resume doesn’t match the keyword criteria
- The recruiter or hiring manager simply does not have a clue.
In some cases, these comments may be justified. In others, perhaps not so much. Either way, these candidates are missing out on jobs.
If this sounds all too familiar to you, how do you get yourself onto the shortlist for the next mining job you go for? In this article, we’ll share our best tips and advice.
1. Focus on transferrable skills
On your resume, focus on your transferable skills from your most recent work experience. Even if they’re not mining-related, you will still have maintained, developed and learnt new skills you can take to your next role.
2. Highlight relevant experience
You may have been out of the industry for a few years but still have 10 years’ relevant experience. Show this clearly! Don’t assume a recruiter is going to add up your total years of experience.
3. Make sure the commute isn’t an issue
Provide evidence of where you have commuted from your current location to previous jobs, so potential employers know the travel is something you’re comfortable with and it isn’t a stumbling block to your suitability.
4. Use common keywords
Ensure your resume has keywords that will be picked up by computerised “applicant tracking systems”, which automatically filter through resumes. Focus on your skills and attributes, ensuring you use similar terminology to the words in the advertisement, and insert a brief chronology of your work history.
5. Mind the gap!
Unexplained gaps on a resume tend to raise a red flag for recruiters, so don’t try to hide them. Explain them. Whether you took a year off to travel, were looking after family or were unemployed, it doesn’t matter. Recruiters just want to understand why the gap is there.
6. Clean up your social media
It’s really common for recruiters to review an applicant’s social media as part of a hiring program. Don’t undermine all your hard work by having offensive, problematic or illegal content on your social media accounts.
7. Consider applying one level down
Apply for positions that are perhaps one level down (but no more than that) than you’re qualified for. If you have been in a senior role for five or more years, “dumbing down” your experience simply won’t work. But a sideways step to a larger operation could be possible. (For example, if you were a superintendent at a small site, could you move to a supervisor role at a new site?)
8. Match for experience
Don’t apply for roles that you know are not a match for your experience, as you won’t make it onto the shortlist.
9. Keep your application simple!
Remember, computers won’t care about colour, fancy fonts, graphics or text boxes. In fact, often these aren’t “read” by the computer programs scanning resumes at all, so important information may be missed. Keep your CV simple.
10. Do some research on the recruiter
As in any industry, there are good, bad, average and exceptional recruiters. Find one you like and who actually understands you, your skills, and the mining industry. A little research should help.
Make sure to register your details with us to ensure you’re considered for upcoming opportunities that match your skill set.