TheDangerousQuietOne

Sorry about the massive post...this needs a bit of explanation!

I'm currently a 2nd year Mining Engineering student, before xmas an un-named mining supplies company gave a presentation offering 3 of us a year in Oz between our 2nd and 3rd year and at the time they said "market salary for a graduate" and gave an example of £35k...

Come to the interviews about a month-6wks later and they said the salary would be $50kAUS so about £23k which was still fine with all of us. I was successful and accepted the job (no contract signed yet) based on that sum of money + accom + travel + food when on site.

A few days ago the 2 students offered places in South America on an identical basis e.g. same pay, same benefits, just different country, got their contracts through... The pay added up to less than £16k!!!

The way I see it is that I can earn £13-14k by working in Tesco's...why the hell would I move all the way to Oz, leave all my friends and family, delay my degree for a year just for an extra £2k?? Especially as Tescos wouldn't require me to use any brain power and I'd only have to work 40hrs a week max instead of spending weeks in the desert without a cold beer or hot woman in sight.

Also the pay of $50k AUS was part of a verbal contract which should be echoed by the paper contract as that was the basis that I accepted the contract on.

We haven't recieved our contracts yet but if they echo the low pay of the South America ones what would you reccomend?? I know there are quite a few people in the industry on here and would appreciate your views.

Icarus

Go with whatever you feel happy with , if the pay is less in the written contract then that is the pay deal . i think maybe they enticed you with the big numbers ... maybe stuck on a few extra bonuses & made out they was all in ??
it was an example of what you " could " earn .

not sure what Tesco pay .... but every little helps

Talk to the mining firm , get bonuses in writing before signing anything

wardy2

I understand what you are saying, but if someone was to look at your CV and see one year working overseas in your chosen field and one year working in Tescos what would they prefer.

I agree with IC speak to the company about what they offered and what you get, they are 2 entirely differnt things.

Icarus

yes quite , maybe a lower wage but for a year of experience its maybe worth it .

you don't get experience over night ..................... it takes days sometimes

TheDangerousQuietOne

Luckily I havent started applying for my visa or defferred my degree yet so I'm flexible and I wont do anything until I have terms that I'm happy with in writing.

I will be contacting them but the head of the Oz division hasn't replied to any of our emails...

POW148

And just what makes you think that you are worth more than that sort of money to a mining company, you being only a 2nd year uni student with "all that work experience".

Some people raise a family on that sort of money. The world doesnt owe you a living, go out and prove your worth. There are a lot of 2nd/3rd year apprentices who would love to earn that sort of money and they actually earn money for their company.

Barney

Timber Floor Au

Why bother putting yourself up for the post then?

Bugger off to South America, finish your studies, and do some part time work in El Patatas ( Mexican for Tescos )

Sheesh talk about bleeding whinge..

If your package inc, travel , accomodation and food + wages.... you try doing that on a Tescos wage !

Get back to digging mate, and finish your uni thingy. Then if you want to come over to Oz, do it on merit and experience like the majority of us, put up shut up, and earn your money honestly and not some freebie bloody Student Holiday .

As an experienced mining operative or geo-whatchamakallit... you will earn BIG money by any international standards. The world will be your oyster.

Ste

Geelong Gent

The money is irelevant until you qualify.

What is important is :

What money you will be on qualified
What contacts you will make while on this work experience
Finally what you do with the experience and contacts you make.

Day before and day after qualifying will be a considerable pay rise. Just focus on that point and don't let yourself down by looking too short term.

Centurion

Immediate thought that springs to mind is that you are an unqualified student looking for a gap year. Pretty much I'm stunned that anyone thinks that a student is worth $50k when you could just employ someone who:

1. Actually has the right to work in the country without visa hassles and wont have left after 12 months with no guarantee that a year later the company stands to benefit.
2. Just pay someone $10-20k more and get a full time qualified person to take up the role.

I was always under the impression that gap year student pay was pretty crap anyhow and was more about the experience than earning serious coin. For that, surely one should be actually qualified.

Ultimately your problem seems to lie in the fact that you were told something verbally and it may (since you havnt seen your contract yet your post suggests) be less than what you were told.

Shouldn't you actually wait for the formal offer before jumping the gun and really, when it comes down to it, you have the choice of saying yes or no and jumping up and down about it firing off emails to the company isn't exactly an endearing image.

Pollyana

My initial thoughts - $50k + travl + accom etc - lots of us here don't earn $50K, never mind the extras. As Centurion said, I'm stunned too that a company will pay a student $50k when there are people already here that would do the work for less.
And although you are converting the figures for here and South America back into £s, you won't be in the UK so you aren't being paid at UK rates, you are being paid at a figure relative to wages in the country where you will be working.

Dorothy

I would love to make $50k plus travel plus food costs. And I'm a permanent resident who's fully qualified with over 20 years experience in a highly specialised area. Instead I'm working as a temp for about $38k as a medical secretary.

comet555

I think $50,000 + accom + travel is hoping for way too much to be honest.

When we first arrived here my husband was offered a job for $75,000 + vehicle and super. We were responsible for our own accomadation. At the time my husband was a mining engineer with about 4 years experience in Canada, plus having the degree. We didn't take that job, but instead a job that paid a lot more and was in a better location. The job we turned down was in a nice location so it typically had lower pay.

The point is still the same though. You won't have a degree and you'd likely be doing work that is well below the level that a fully qualified mining engineer would do. If you were working in a remote location then you should get paid better, but still.... I'm not sure I'd be expecting $50,000 and all those benefits myself.

upyerfud

You probably won't appreciate my view , but here goes.
You come across as typical of a lot of young people who seem to think because you have done a whole year and a half at university you are in some way better than some-one who works at Tesco's. You currently have no experience or qualifications relevant to the position offerred and still seem to think $5-600 a week net for a working holiday is not enough. What makes you think that people who work in jobs like Tesco's etc are in anyway less clever than some 2nd year student?. I remember being in 2nd year a lot of years ago and can tell you that I knew bugger all about anything.
What I suggest you do is turn down the offer and stand back and watch the rush from fellow students a bit more savvy and less arrogant than you. Go and work in Tesco's for a year and then send your CV to BHP, RIO etc when and if you graduate. See if they prefer a years shelf stacking experience to a years site work in OZ.
There's plenty of families, both here and in UK getting by on a lot less than your being offerred and not winging about it either.
Time to pull your head out of the sand and smell the roses mate.
P.S : cold beer is available at quite a few mine sites, as are swimming pools. Possibly even a few hot women, but there usually either spoken for or looking for someone a bit higher up the chain of command than a wet behind the ears 2nd year student

Timber Floor Au

WELL SAID !

comet555

Love it!