If someone had asked me when I finished school if I had plans to work in the Mining Industry I would have responded with a definite "No"! Fortunately I changed my mind after completing a unit in Minerals Processing as part of my combined Engineering and Science Degree.

The mining industry allows me to apply my chemistry knowledge on a practical level. For instance my honours thesis was for a mining company on a remote fly-in fly-out site and it gave me valuable hands-on experience and confirmed my desire to work in mineral processing. The mining industry is varied and gives you exposure to a lot of experiences that you just cannot get in other industries. In my short time, I have already had many exciting experiences including:

• 4WD Training for driving on-site vehicles - a lot more fun than city driving!
• Recommending (as part of my honours thesis) changes to plant design which potentially make the company an extra $15 million in profits annually.
• Emergency Rescue Training using full breathing apparatus
• Living and working in the Australian bush during the week and flying to Perth to enjoy the weekends!