Want an entry level job, starting tomorrow? Driller's offsider roles are booming right now
Why are driller's offsiders in such high demand right now? (No, not that type of drill - think much bigger) More importantly - what should you know before applying?
🔩 What a driller’s offsider actually does day to day
Working primarily with exploration crews, heading out to remote sites in hopes of making ground-breaking (pun definitely intended) discoveries, a driller's offsider is basically hired muscle. An amazing entry-level role, basic, but super tough work - it’s physical, repetitive, dusty, sweaty, and safety-critical.
• Rig set-up and pack-down: laying out tools, hoses, lines
• Rod handling: adding/breaking rods - heavy, repetitive, all shift
• Sample handling: bagging, labelling, logging, and quality checks
• Fluids and consumables: mixing drilling fluids, diesel/water runs, greasing, changing bits
• Cleaning and maintenance: site housekeeping (keeping things tidy and organised), keeping decks safe, washing down, spotting hazards
• Comms and safety: pre-starts, Take 5s, JHAs, radio calls, following the driller’s instructions
💪🏼 Who thrives in the role - it's definitely not for everyone
• Consistent, coachable people who follow procedures
• Fit, heat-smart workers who manage fatigue and hydration
• Team players who can communicate clearly on radios and take feedback well
• People who like routine, don’t mind getting dirty, and keep a steady pace all day
📈 Why these jobs are everywhere
• Surge in exploration (gold, lithium, critical minerals)
• High churn - many new starters underestimate the physical/mental grind
• Popular stepping stone and progression to senior offsider and driller roles (big pay jump)
👍🏼 The good stuff (yes, one of them is money)
• Fast entry to mining, plus on the job training
• Clear progression path to driller/supervisor/technician roles
• Travel and camp life, getting to see remote areas of Australia
• Pride in hard, honest work
• Good earnings (allowances, overtime) once you’re competent
👎🏼 The not so good stuff
• Very physical - whole-body vibration, lifting, weather exposure
• Long shifts (12+ hrs), swing rosters
• Remote camps, isolation, missing family and friends
• Monotony and fatigue risk if you don’t self-manage
• High injury risk if you rush or ignore procedures
🦺 Safety, fitness, resilience and mindset
To really take care of yourself (and your fellow workers), there's a bit more to it than just getting the job done. This is seriously one of the toughest jobs out there, so you need to be physically and mentally prepared.
• Develop good physical strength, balance, flexibility and mobility
• Mental wellbeing and easy self-care strategies you can do anywhere
• Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast: never rush jobs - focus and patience
• Hydration and fatigue awareness, good sun/heat protection, rest and recovery plans
• Take regular micro-breaks and whole-body stretches
• Pace yourself - day 1 isn't a fitness test, get the safety stuff 100% before anything else
📝 Application and suitability
• HR licence, first aid, white card
• Fit for repetitive lifting and standing for long periods
• Okay with FIFO, remote work, and 12-hour shifts
• Comfortable following strict safety procedures
• CV highlights reliability, fitness, teamwork, and any hands-on roles (construction, farm, warehouse, hospitality back-of-house, defence, sport)
🗨️ Interview preparation
“Tell me about a time you worked in heat/fatigue and stayed safe.”
“Example of following procedure under pressure.”
“How do you handle repetitive tasks without cutting corners?”
💼 Where to find jobs
This is honestly one of the easiest job searches out there. Head to seek.com.au, create a profile, and start searching. Set up alerts for keywords - driller offsider, sample prep, field assistant + entry level, FIFO, mining.
Register with labour hire and recruitment agencies - great for first gigs. Check out WorkPac, Techforce, Chandler Macleod, Programmed, Hays, CoreStaff, Stellar, Mining People, Brunel, and Unite Resourcing.
Many drillers/contractors run ongoing talent pools. Create a profile on company websites, even if there’s no live ad. Keep actively applying to ads, but also be ready for a call, as they may reach out to the pool on hand first. There are many companies across Australia - take a look at which ones are actively recruiting/advertising in your area/state, or desired work location.
Offsiding isn’t glamorous, but it’s one of the fastest, fairest ways to break into mining. If you bring a coachable attitude, protect your body and mind, and respect the process, you can turn a tough first swing into a career that moves quickly and pays you to build skills. Otherwise, the sight of a calico bag may haunt you for the rest of your life.
