QuarryEd Home - An Education and Careers Resource for teachers and students

QuarryEd Home - An Education and Careers Resource for teachers and students

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Where are they now? - Learn more about the lives of people who work in the extractive industry today

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: Tim Benfield

Age: 39

Job title:Chief Mining Engineer Australia / Africa

Job description:As CME I am responsible for providing operational guidance and technical support to 6 operating mines and one development project. I am based in the Perth Corporate Technical Services Group and have 3 mining engineers and a number of consultants reporting to me. In addition to supporting the operating mines I undertake or manage feasibility studies for new projects or potential acquisitions.

What career path did you take?At East Devon technical collage I took A Levels Maths Physics and Chemistry. This was followed by a Diploma in minerals industries / HND in Mining Engineering at Camborne School of Mines. In 2000 I took a year off work and completed a Masters Degree in Business Administration at Murdoch University in Perth Western Australia. For me there was never any thought of studying anything but a mining engineering.

Did you enjoy studying at CSM?Yes I enjoyed studying at CSM.

What did you enjoy most about studying your degree?It was a long time ago now, but I suppose that it would be the good balance between theory and practical application.

How easy did you find it to get a job after graduating?I found it very easy and started working as a surveyor with an ex CSM student in Exeter. I Arrived in Perth Western Australia in 1989 with A$200 in my pocket and had secured a survey job on an oil exploration crew within 3 days. I worked at this for 3 months straight and then moved into the mining industry as a mine surveyor and then mine engineer. From then on getting a job has been easy. In today's market almost all mining professionals have the luxury of a choice of jobs and very competitive remuneration.

What is the best aspect of your job?Variety and career progression have to the top two. With so many professions you reach full potential very early in your career and there really aren't too many paths to follow from there on. In mining the hardest part is deciding which path to take.

How do you see your future in the industry?The hardest part with the mining industry is the constant need to travel. This is great when you are young but becomes more taxing on family life, as you get older. With the move to globalisation and consolidation in the mining industry many companies have mines all over the world and this often requires significant amounts of international travel. As long as I can manage the balance between work and family life I intend to stay in the industry.

Do you have any advice for those considering a career in the extractive industry?The only limit on how far you can take your career is your personal drive. Don't set rigid long-term goals for your career. You never know what new and exiting opportunity is going to come up. Take any new job with the aim of learning something new. Remember that not all jobs go well. Try to learn from the good and bad experiences. Be wary of fast track programmes early in your career. Graduates are knowledge rich and experience poor. You can't get experience from a book or on a fast track programme. You just have to do the hard yards and make the mistakes. Be loyal to your family your career and to your work mates. Always challenge yourself. Being a little out of my depth is a great way to focus and learn.
Where are they now? - Learn more about the lives of people who work in the extractive industry todayDig this! - Read about cutting edge mining and quarrying projects in the UK and throughout the worldFieldstudies - Discover how both active and dormant extractive sites offer fascinating fieldstudy opportunitiesWhat's yours is mined! - Find out how much the extractive industry underpins each of our daily lives