Everyone in FIFO started somewhere. You don't need ten years of underground experience or a trade certificate to get your foot in the door. Plenty of people land their first mining job with zero site experience — they just need to know where to look and how to present themselves.
This guide breaks down exactly how to get into FIFO with no experience in 2026. The roles that are hiring, the tickets you need, how to write a resume that actually gets past the ATS, and what to realistically expect on your first swing.
Entry-Level FIFO Roles That Don't Require Experience
The mining and resources industry has several entry points that don't require prior site experience. These are the roles companies like BHP, Rio Tinto, FMG, Downer, and CIMIC regularly hire for:
Utility / General Hand — The most common entry point. You'll be doing whatever needs doing: cleaning, moving materials, assisting tradespeople, basic labouring. It's not glamorous, but it gets you on site and builds your hours.
Trades Assistant / Offsider — Assisting qualified tradespeople like boilermakers, fitters, or electricians. You'll hand tools, prep work areas, and learn the trade. This is the path most people take into a mining trade career.
Camp Crew / Hospitality — Cleaning, kitchen hand, barista, laundry. Mining camps need people to keep everything running. These roles often have the lowest barrier to entry and some of the best rosters for beginners.
Traffic Controller — Directing traffic around construction and mine sites. You'll need a traffic management ticket (usually a 2-day course), but no prior mining experience is required.
Drill Offsider — Working alongside drillers on exploration or production rigs. Physical work, but the pay is solid and advancement to driller happens within 12-18 months for good operators.
What Employers Actually Look For
Here's the truth most job ads won't tell you: for entry-level FIFO roles, attitude beats experience every single time. Site supervisors would rather train someone with the right mindset than manage someone with ten years of bad habits.
What they're actually screening for:
- Reliability — Can you turn up on time, every shift, for a full swing? FIFO rosters don't have sick days the way office jobs do.
- Safety awareness — Do you understand that safety isn't just a poster on the wall? Can you do a JHA, follow a SWMS, and speak up if something doesn't look right?
- Physical fitness — Not gym-fit necessarily, but can you handle 12-hour shifts in 45-degree heat? Be honest with yourself.
- Attitude — Are you willing to start at the bottom and work your way up? Will you listen, learn, and not cause drama in camp?
Essential Certifications (Tickets)
You don't need a wall full of certificates, but there are some baseline tickets that most employers will expect before you set foot on site:
Must-Have Tickets
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White Card (CPCCWHS1001) — Construction induction. Mandatory for any construction or mining site in Australia. One-day course, about $80-150. Do this one first.
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Working at Heights (RIIWHS204E) — Required for most site roles. Usually a one-day course, around $200-300.
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First Aid (HLTAID011) — Provide First Aid certificate. Two-day course, roughly $150-200. Most employers want this current (within 3 years).
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Manual Handling — Often included in other courses, but some employers list it separately.
Nice-to-Have Tickets
- Confined Space (RIIWHS202E) — Opens up more roles, especially in shutdowns.
- Gas Test Atmospheres — Valuable for oil and gas or confined space work.
- Forklift Licence (TLILIC0003) — Always useful on site.
- MR or HR Licence — A manual truck licence makes you significantly more employable. Worth the investment.
- Elevated Work Platform (EWP) — Boom lifts and scissor lifts. Quick course, adds value.
Pro tip: Bundle your tickets. Many RTOs offer package deals where you can knock out White Card, Working at Heights, Confined Space, and First Aid in one week for $800-1,200. Much cheaper than doing them individually.
How to Write a Resume With No FIFO Experience
This is where most people get stuck. You've got no mining experience, so what do you put on your resume?
The answer: transferable skills. Every job you've ever had taught you something that applies to a mine site.
- Worked in a warehouse? You've got manual handling, forklift experience, and you understand shift work.
- Done labouring on construction sites? You've worked outdoors in harsh conditions and followed safety procedures.
- Hospitality experience? You can work in a team, handle pressure, and keep things clean — camp crew managers love that.
Resume Structure for Entry-Level FIFO
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Professional Summary — 3-4 lines. State that you're seeking entry-level FIFO work, mention your tickets, and highlight your key strengths (reliability, physical fitness, safety awareness).
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Tickets and Licences — Put this near the top. List every current certification with expiry dates.
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Work Experience — Focus on transferable skills. Use mining industry language where possible. Instead of "cleaned the restaurant," write "maintained hygiene and housekeeping standards across work areas."
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Key Skills — Safety compliance, manual handling, team collaboration, working in extreme conditions, following procedures.
The biggest mistake people make? Using a generic resume format that gets auto-rejected by ATS software. Mining companies like BHP and Rio Tinto use Applicant Tracking Systems that scan for specific keywords. If your resume doesn't have them, a human never sees it.
Where to Find Entry-Level FIFO Jobs
- Seek.com.au — Filter by "Mining, Resources & Energy" and "Entry Level." Set location to "Fly-In Fly-Out."
- Indeed.com.au — Same approach. Use keywords like "no experience FIFO" or "entry level mining."
- Company careers pages — BHP, Rio Tinto, FMG, Woodside, Downer, CIMIC, Thiess, and Macmahon all have career portals. Set up job alerts.
- Labour hire companies — This is how most people get their first FIFO role. Companies like Programmed, WorkPac, Hays, and Chandler Macleod supply workers to mine sites. Register with as many as you can.
- Facebook groups — Groups like "FIFO Workers Australia" and "Perth FIFO Jobs" often have leads before they hit Seek.
What a Typical Day Looks Like
Your first swing will be an eye-opener. Here's roughly what to expect on a standard day shift:
- 4:30-5:00am — Alarm goes off. Breakfast in the mess.
- 5:30am — Bus to site. Pre-start meeting covering safety, tasks for the day, and any hazards.
- 6:00am-6:00pm — Work. You'll have a smoko break mid-morning and a lunch break. Stay hydrated — seriously, the Pilbara heat is no joke.
- 6:00pm — Bus back to camp. Dinner in the mess.
- 7:00-9:00pm — Free time. Gym, phone calls home, TV in the rec room.
- 9:00pm — Most people are in bed. You'll be doing it again in 7.5 hours.
The first few days are the hardest. Your body adjusts to the heat, the early starts, and the physical work within a week. After that, it becomes routine.
Realistic Pay Expectations
Entry-level FIFO pay in 2026 varies by role, roster, and location:
- Camp Crew / Hospitality — $60,000-$80,000 per year
- General Hand / Utility — $75,000-$95,000 per year
- Trades Assistant — $80,000-$100,000 per year
- Traffic Controller — $80,000-$110,000 per year
- Drill Offsider — $90,000-$120,000 per year
These figures include base salary plus site allowances, overtime, and penalties. Even-time rosters (like 2/1 or 8/6) tend to pay more per hour because you're working fewer days per year.
Remember: FIFO saves you money too. Accommodation, food, and flights are covered by the employer. If you're smart, your living expenses while on site are close to zero.
Common Rosters for Entry-Level Roles
- 2 weeks on, 1 week off (2/1) — The most common roster for mining operations in the Pilbara and Goldfields.
- 8 days on, 6 days off (8/6) — Popular for construction and shutdown work. More time at home.
- 4 days on, 3 days off (4/3) — Usually for sites closer to Perth (like Boddington). Almost feels like a normal job.
Even-time rosters like 2/2 are becoming more common as companies try to attract and retain workers, but entry-level roles still tend to be on uneven rosters.
Your Next Step
Getting into FIFO isn't about who you know or what degree you have. It's about having the right tickets, a properly formatted resume, and the willingness to start at the bottom.
The one thing that catches most people out? Their resume never makes it past the ATS. They've got the skills, the tickets, and the attitude — but the software rejects them before a recruiter ever sees their application.
Don't let that be you.
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