With the cost of living going through the roof, a lot of guys are looking at FIFO work as their golden ticket. Whether you are a tradie doing normal construction or just a bloke from another industry trying to get ahead of the bills, the money on offer out west or up north looks pretty damn good.
But when it comes to actually getting a job, a lot of guys hit a brick wall. They see the big dollars but have no idea how to get their foot in the door.
We put up a post in the private Blokes Advice group asking guys who are already in the FIFO scene how on earth someone gets a start. The comments were full of gold. Here is the best advice from the blokes already on site, laid out in plain English.
Step 1: Ask Yourself the Hard Questions First
Before you even look at Seek, you need to have a serious think about why you are doing this and whether your life at home can handle it.
If you have a family, it can be a massive strain. Ash has two young kids and a wife who had to cut back her work hours to make it work. He said open communication is non-negotiable.
"I can be away anywhere between a week to 4 so anything I can do to take the mental load off the wife, helps. Getting as much shit done around the house when I'm home. Do the maths and work out if the trade-off for the long time away from home is worth it."
Ash
Matt also dropped some honest truth about relationships. He said FIFO is not a death sentence for a marriage, but you have to manage it properly and make your time at home count.
"Keep yourself invested in things at home and really make it count on break, make sure the missus is doing ok as your number one priority. A good number of people I've met who got divorced doing FIFO were either putting their dick in the camp cleaners or treating every break like a boys trip. Or both."
Matt
Step 2: Get Your Tickets
You are not getting on site without the basics. Do not wait for a company to pay for them. Get them yourself so you are ready to go the moment someone calls.
The blokes agreed on the core tickets you need to start with:
- White card (Construction Induction)
- Working at heights
- Confined spaces
- First aid and CPR
If you want to aim for specific roles, Adrian suggested getting your dogman and rigging tickets. He said once you get some experience, someone will give you a crack at cranes and you will not look back. Ash also mentioned electrical spotters and gas detection as useful add-ons depending on the industry.
The more tickets you have, the more doors open. Think of each one as a key.
Step 3: Start at the Bottom
Everyone wants the high-paying mining job straight away, but it rarely works like that. If you do not have a mine-related trade, you have to be willing to eat some dirt first.
"Like everything, start at the bottom. Find an entry level role (cleaning, cooking, labouring, shutdown work etc) and build a contact base and get inductions. Everyone wants a high paying mining job but no one wants to go through the actual effort to make it happen. Effort brings results."
Robert
Labour hire companies are your best friend at this stage. Liam said to sign up with as many recruitment companies as you can because they are your easiest foot in the door.
For tradies, Ben had a smart tip. Get a job in a workshop that supports the mines, get experience on the equipment, and then apply for the mining jobs. You will have relevant experience and you will already know people on site.
If you are young, fit, and do not mind hard work, Brett suggested getting a job on a drill rig. Drilling companies are always hiring, and while it is tough going, he reckons any job after that feels easy.
Simon also pointed out that getting a job building the camps gets you on site. Once you are there, you can talk to other companies and move across when the time is right.
Darren offered a different angle. He has been in mining for 30 years and suggested that if you are willing to move, relocating to a mining town is the fastest way to get experience. Once you have that, FIFO becomes much easier to break into.
Step 4: Apply Everywhere, Every Day
Getting your first job is a numbers game. Treat applying like it is your actual job until someone calls.
Damien laid out the exact playbook he used to get his start:
- Go on Seek, Indeed, and LinkedIn.
- Set the search to your skills and the locations you want to work.
- Apply for every relevant job.
- Save the search settings.
- Go back the next day and apply for all the new ones.
- Repeat daily until someone calls.
"The first one is the hardest. Sometimes you might have to take a risk. My first one was for less than 3 months work, and I was about to be offered a full time job in town. It was a huge risk but it eventually paid off. Now I've worked in every state in Australia except Tassie and ACT in oil and gas, petro-chemical, mineral processing, and power generation."
Damien
Do not just rely on Seek. The major mining companies like FMG, BHP, Rio Tinto, and Roy Hill all have their own career portals on their websites. Go direct and apply there too. Brad also suggested calling recruitment agencies in Perth and the Pilbara directly and hitting them up. Shane kept it even simpler: call the company directly.
Step 5: Get On Site and Network
Once you get a start, even a short-term labour hire gig, your real job begins. Getting on site is just the first step. Staying there and moving up is about how you carry yourself.
"Take any job with labour hire, be a good worker on site and network with other work groups. They are watching, and with some patience and persistence if you're a good bloke and good worker something will fall on your lap."
Drew
Damin summed it up well. If you have a mine-related trade, it is usually easy. If you do not, then it is who you know. The only way to meet those people is to get out there.
Matt also gave a solid piece of advice about not getting sucked into the wrong crowd on site. Stick to the rules, learn from the boss, and have a plan for where you want to be in a few years. He said there is no shortage of blokes who are 18 years deep into a 5-year FIFO plan, still doing the same thing. Know what you want and take steps to get there.
Bonus: Mining Is Not the Only Option
A lot of guys only think about mines when they hear FIFO, but Vince made a great point that is worth knowing.
"Remember mining isn't the only FIFO option. Processing plants also offer FIFO or DIDO. Chemical processing, oil and gas, water treatment or powerstations are just some of the other options."
Vince
Steven also pointed out that it is worth deciding what kind of roster you actually want. If you want to cash up fast, work as much as possible and take the heavy rosters. If you want a better work-life balance, an even-time roster pays less but keeps you sane.
The Bottom Line
Getting into FIFO is not impossible, but it takes patience, effort, and a willingness to start at the bottom.
Get your basic tickets. Sign up with every labour hire company you can find. Apply for jobs every single day. Have a serious conversation with your partner before you commit. And when you do get a shot, work hard and be a good bloke.
The jobs are out there. You just have to go get them.
Source note: Community quotes are drawn from a Blokes Advice Facebook group discussion thread. All commenters are identified by first name only.