Leading in the Mining Industry
Leading in the Mining Industry
Recently, a dramatic increase has been recorded in the number of graduates intending to join the white collar job force. Lawyers, engineers and other office based jobs have seen a dramatic increase. However, this has also led to serious shortfalls in certain industry departments across the globe.
The Canadian mining industry has also noticed a serious reduction of young professionals taking up blue collar professions. Projections show that 40% of the current Canadian mine workforce is expected to go in to retirement in the next decade. Due to this, paired with only a fraction of students taking up mining-related courses, it is projected that there will be a serious shortfall in the mining workforce in the future.
To help improve the careers of each person that joins the mining industry, and to set yourself as leading in the mining industry, certain skills must be observed, practiced and perfected.
- Enjoy the profession you choose to pursue: Not having a real interest in the profession is a major reason linked to the career failure of many professionals. It’s vital that a person joining the mining industry has interest in the industry, as well as the department they are joining. It is also the responsibility of the mining company to interview the candidates and determine what they are good at doing and what they are comfortable with, so as to start them off in a posting where they will be successful.
- Learn to broaden your skills in the mining industry: You may have a degree linked to a specific field in the mining industry, but this should not restrict you to pursuing only one skill. In fact, this may be considered a crippling point by some mining companies in Canada. This is because they prefer workers who are willing to learn and perfect different skills in the industry, making them more diverse and capable of contributing more towards the mining company’s growth. It’s important to be diverse in the mining industry, since it ensures you are in high demand and capable of handling many different jobs throughout the industry.
- Avoid chasing after salary and concentrate on building your career: Many people entering the mining industry concentrate more on the amount of money they will be receiving, rather than building their career. It’s important that you first place more emphasis towards learning and perfecting your job, as well as diversifying your skills in the industry. Income increases as you acquire more skill and become more valuable to mining companies.
- Find a mentor in the mining industry: Being new to the mining industry can be confusing. Having an experienced person provide their knowledge and experience can help you reduce stress, while gaining experience. The mentor doesn’t have to be from your current employers’ firm, they may even be retired from the mining industry. Make sure to select mentors linked to the department you work in. For instance, mining office workers won’t have the same insight as field workers and vice versa. This makes the department you work at important to consider when choosing a mentor.
- Be prepared to take up new tasks: One of the ways your employer may test your willingness to progress, is by allocating new tasks to you. These may not be directly linked to your expertise, but linked to your department and industry, meant to determine your willingness to take up new challenges. When offered these new tasks, always take them up, even when you know nothing about them. Make sure to tell your boss you have no experience in the job, but are willing to try it with proper instruction. This shows your willingness to progress and learn more skills in the mining industry, making you more valuable to the company.
Success in the Canadian mining industry mainly depends on how you intend to build your career and make it thrive. It’s important that you be passionate about the profession and industry, so as to help your drive in building a successful career.
