We asked Kerry to answer some questions once she had been out on site for some time and here are her answers:-
- What age bracket are you in? 36–50
- What made you decide to get into mining? Having previously been in the mining industry along time ago I had the “call” to come back to the industry both for the money and the lifestyle FIFO provides.
- Why did you decide to be a dump truck operator? Being a little older the appeal of an air conditioned cab in hot temperatures won me over. Plus I actually love to drive so this was a win win for me.
- What were you doing for work before this? A lot of different things but my most recent job was a medical transcription editor (typing out medical documents through voice recognition software).
- Why did you decide to do training before trying to get a job? To help improve my chances of an interview. Most companies want experienced operators.
- Why did you choose My Solution for training? Firstly it was the combined offer of the dump truck/water cart/S11 induction that appealed to me plus the special offer that was being offered at the time which really made me decide to do the training when I did.
- What did you think of your training? The S11 was thorough. The actual driving was good but it would of been nice to have spent a little longer in the seat. It would of also been nice to come away with some sort of documentation to review what we went through as well as there was a lot of information given over the three days to try to remember months down the track before being employed. PLEASE NOTE – Since Kerry did the training we do provide extra time and a reference e-book for you in the job information pack.
- What did you think of your trainers? Fantastic!
- You got a resume professionally done by us, were you happy with it? Absolutely recommend a resume being done. I strongly believe the amount of interviews and first contact calls I received was because of my resume.
- What steps did you take to get a job? Where did you look? I looked everywhere! My main sources were Indeed/Seek/Linked In
- How long did it take you to get a job? 3 months
- What happened when you first got to site, did you have to do inductions etc? Yes. I had 3 days of inductions.
- Did they provide a trainer for you the first time you got into one of their trucks? Yes. We had 2 days in the 2nd seat then 1-2 days with me driving but with a buddy in with us before being assessed and passed out.
- Were you nervous? A little. More about getting lost on the mine site and remembering the Priority Rules and all the other rules and regs rather than driving.
- What swings / hours are you doing? I am on a 2/1 swing
- Did they provide your PPE? Yes.
- Do you have to get yourself to site? No.
- What is your accommodation like? Great. Single room with fridge and en-suite. Bed is pretty comfy too.
- What is the food like? Not too bad. Some days better than others. Plenty of variety though and they cater for Vegan and different dietary requirements if needed.
- Do they have a gym? Yes. As well as a pool, tennis court, volleyball ground and recreation room for shift changes.
- Is there anything else that you think it would be good to tell someone who is just starting out in the industry that you would have liked to have known? Be prepared to apply for jobs all over Australia and be flexible. Just keep applying, even to the same company over and over again. I applied for three prior jobs with the company that ended up employing me.
