The Ups and Downs!

Turns out my job fell through this Christmas, and I must admit I was not too surprised. Everyone knows the industry is cyclic, guess it just took a tough Christmas break job hunting to remind my generation (ie mainly me) that we should never take a mining boom for granted. Recognition of the boom itself was a wake up call for me. For many years the boom has been all around me, always there, the high paying vacation jobs available for students, the industry desperate for qualified employees. I guess maybe some of us younger people did start taking it for granted?

Times are changing it would seem, and with myself looking for a graduate position at the end of this year, it is a little scary to say the least! However, I know now that the mining industry is where I want to be. I love the work, and I love the people who work in the industry, the sense of community. Whether there is a boom or not, I still want to be there!

I'm prepared to put the hard yards in for my last year at uni, and hopefully at the end of the year there will be a job waiting. If not I'll be looking every day and waiting until I find one! The industry will never be 100% stable, and will never 100% vanish. I guess you just have to think about whether you are prepared to work there when times are tough? If you love the work it wouldn't matter what part of the cycle the industry is in, the answer is simple.

Don't let rough times turn you off the industry, everything can change in a flash, as I have now witnessed first hand!