SA

You've sent out hundreds of applications but with no success. The rejection pile is mounting on the desk - and that's only those that get back to you. What do you do?

Firstly take a breath. Slow down and get some fresh perspective and cut yourself some slack. It’s not easy navigating the complexities of today’s fast changing job market. Employers are busier than ever. Positions seem to be open one minute and gone the next. Competition for jobs is hot. It is tough.

So what can you do to get through this challenging time?

Andrew Forrest, Executive Director of Fortescue Metals Group:

"Like many others, addressing the plight of Indigenous Australians has been a lifetime passion for me. When I grew up on a remote station, apart from my immediate family, I grew up with Aboriginal kids. My parents didn’t have the means to send me to a fancy school. Despite that, they and indeed many Indigenous parents had to send their children away for an education. That’s how, at age 9, I came to attend an Indigenous hostel in the Western Kimberley.

The Resource Channel spent 24- 26 May at the Australasian Oil and Gas Expo in Perth where more than 9,500 industry professionals visited over the three-day event.

Joining us at the stand were representatives from some of Australia's major resource sector employers. In particular, we thank Bree Mitchelson and the team from GDF Suez (working in partnership with Santos on the Bonaparte project), Michael Granville and the team from Clough, Joanne Mari and the team from Monadelphous, and Laura Davidson and the team from Swift Oil and Gas.

So what is your digital profile?

It’s your Brand, a platform to create a presence and showcase yourself to a large audience.

Social media is certainly impacting the world and offers many synergies and opportunities between social media and recruitment. Using social media as part of a job hunting strategy is still seen by many as a fad that will not last, however, I believe social media will have a significant impact on recruitment and is changing the way recruiters attract, engage and build relationships with candidates.

So I ask you this question.

OTHER INDUSTRY JOB NEWS

Thiess has recently secured an $800 million contract from Wesfarmers Curragh Pty Ltd to continue overburden pre-strip at its Curragh North Mine in Queensland’s Bowen Basin. The company began operations at Curragh North in October 2004 and was awarded a $260m contract extension in 2008 after exceeding production and safety targets. The new contract will see Thiess at the mine for a further ten years.

OTHER INDUSTRY JOB NEWS

Thiess Kentz has been awarded a site wide specialist instrumentation contract for the onshore components of Woodside’s Pluto Gas Project, located on the Burrup Peninsula, Western Australia. Work on the site will include instrument calibrations, testing of instrument loops and testing the electrical network monitoring and control system. A joint venture between Foster Wheeler and WorleyParsons is the engineering procurement and construction manager.

For the period 2010 to 2016, approximately 101,000 direct construction jobs and approximately 19,936 permanent operational jobs will be created. Even without Project Boomerang (see details below), which may or may not proceed/be overstated, the number of construction jobs for the same period is 66,000 and the number of operational roles is 11,936.

2009 – 2010

Pluto LNG Project; Woodside, Western Australia
3,000 construction and 1,000 operational
(Note: Trains 2 and 3 have also recently been approved which will extend both the timeframe and construction job numbers)

We follow on from our extensive overview of oil and gas projects last week, with 17 individual project updates in the mining sector. The list is not exhaustive, but provides an indication of project timeframes, and current and future job opportunities. We start with the Worsley Alumina Efficiency and Growth Project in Western Australia and conclude with the Melbourne Desalination Plant.

• Operators: East West Line Parks Pty Ltd (EWLP)
• Location: Comprises a new 3,370km trans Australian railway from Port Hedland, Western Australia to Moranbah, in the central Queensland coal fields, as well as 6 or more steel smelters on both coasts (12 or more in total), associated port facilities and infrastructure to support the project.
• Cost: US$45b

Iluka Resources officially opened South Australia’s latest mine last week - six months ahead of schedule and $30 million under budget. Approximately 200 kilometres north west of Ceduna, the mine is capable of producing more than 30 000 tones of zircon contained in heavy mineral concentrates.