How to write a mining CV
Visa, licences, shift work and a one-page industrial CV — with examples labour hire actually read.
A mining CV is an operations document. Recruiters skim for visa, licences, tickets, shift work, physical work and a start date. They do not want a travel blog or a graduate marketing resume.
Length and format
- One page if you are early-career. Two pages maximum.
- PDF, filename like Firstname-Lastname-WHV-CV.pdf.
- No photo, no graphics, no skill bars. Australian industrial recruiters treat those as noise.
- Print 10 copies if you are walking into Kalgoorlie, Mackay or Perth desks.
Put this at the top
Name · mobile with Australian number if you have one · email you actually check
Visa: Working Holiday (subclass 417 or 462) · expiry date · “available to relocate”
Licences: full driver licence (state, auto/manual) · White Card if you have it · forklift / HR / first aid
Availability: “Can start [date]. Based in [Perth / Mackay / Kalgoorlie / willing to relocate].”
If the visa or licence line is missing, many desks stop reading.
What to lead with (even without mining)
Translate what you have already done into site language. Camp employers understand hospitality. Shutdowns understand construction. Stores understand warehouse.
| You have done | Write it like this |
|---|---|
| Café / pub / hotel | 12-hour standing shifts, hot kitchen, food safety, peak service, cash handling |
| Farm / harvest | Physical outdoor work, early starts, piece-rate or long days, remote living |
| Warehouse | Picking/packing, forklift hours, inventory, PPE, fatigue from night shift |
| Construction / labour | White Card, heights/confined space if held, tools, site induction, heat |
| Cleaning | Room turns, chemicals, speed, working unsupervised |
Bullet examples
- Worked 10+ hour shifts in a commercial kitchen; comfortable with heat, repetition and early starts.
- Held a full Australian-recognised driver licence (manual) and used it daily for work.
- Completed site / farm induction and followed PPE and isolation rules without reminders.
- Available for night shift and 2:1 or 8:6 rosters; willing to relocate to a mining town.
- No workers’ compensation claim; prepared for pre-employment medical and D&A testing.
Do not invent tickets. A recruiter will ask for the card. Lying ends the medical stage.
Leave off
- Long “about me” paragraphs and lists of countries visited.
- Every short hostel job from six years ago — keep the last 3–5 relevant roles.
- Hobbies unless they prove fitness or remote living (hiking is fine in one line; DJ nights are not).
- Expected salary. Let the ad and the EBA do that.
Short note to labour hire
When you register online, paste 4–5 lines in the message box. Example:
WHV 417 until March 2027. Full manual licence. Hospitality + farm labour. Based in Perth from 12 September, happy to FIFO or relocate to Kalgoorlie/Mackay. Available for camp, utility, TA or offsider. White Card booked. Can attend medical this week.
What happens after you send it
- Online registration with 2–3 labour-hire firms plus 5–10 owner/contractor ads.
- Walk into a Perth, Mackay or Kalgoorlie desk with the printed CV if you are in that city.
- Follow up once after 5–7 days. Then apply elsewhere. Volume matters for the first site swing.
Next: how to find jobs · which town to sit in · tickets to get (and skip)