Matt Bird, Metallurgy

I’d highly recommend the Vacation Program to anyone thinking about a career in mining. It was really fascinating to see how things work in real life and it certainly helped me to feel more relaxed about starting on the Graduate Program this year.

The other thing I’d say is that it definitely gives you an edge when it comes to applying for jobs. I got heaps more offers than other people with the same grades as me, but with no work experience.

Working at Cadia, I got a better picture of how things operate in a site environment. You get to experience the practical side of working at a mine – the things you won’t learn at Uni – like the importance of safety rules and the business considerations.

I worked on some good extractive metallurgy projects including a high grade grinding circuitry survey and I have to say that the people were great to work with and always happy to answer my questions.

One of the best things was sharing a house with other students on the Vacation Program. Everyone’s away from home and family, so you’re all in the same boat. We made the most of our free time with sightseeing trips, social events, BBQs – even a trip to Dubbo Zoo!

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