As a mining engineer, you have a lot of valuable skills and knowledge that can benefit your peers, clients, and employers. But how do you showcase your expertise without sounding arrogant or boastful? Here are some tips to help you strike the right balance between confidence and humility.
One way to show off your mining engineering expertise is to share your successes and achievements with others. This can be done through various channels, such as social media, blogs, podcasts, webinars, or newsletters. You can highlight your projects, innovations, awards, or publications that demonstrate your skills and value. However, when you share your successes, make sure you also acknowledge the contributions of your team members, mentors, or partners. This shows that you are grateful and respectful of the people who helped you along the way.
Always be humble to your team, and lead by example! Mining world is very small.Focus on developing others, remember if they look good , you are also looking good.
Finding the right perspective and conditions of success is the key. While successes are a good thing to show, but points of condition leading to success are also very important. The risk analysis and ability to take risk leading to success is the key. Showing paths to success is more important than showing results. Generally people show results and miss the details of the condition which leads to success. This leads to a situation where blind following with result to failure
Mining encompasses Environment, Social and Governance issues. Mining engineer should always think alternative ways for planning, staffing, organising with technological interventions to minimise the impact on land water air, society etc. One should hold a view that natural resources such as land, water, air and people are belongs to local geography and locals feel right of stake. Inclusive growth in the concept of just transition is essential for sustainable mining.
Working as a metallurgist cannot be considered an individual achievement. Being a good team player and promoting teamwork is essential. Effective communication, a willingness to learn, and commitment are key ingredients. Attitude and joking are the seasoning. The mantra is to add value.
Graduate Research Assistant, Montana Technological University
Mining Job can’t be done by a single individual. In other words, Working as a team without any sense of superiority is the first key to achieving successes in mining. Irrespective of the years of experience, I have always learnt as a leader to remain humble to learn as many skills as possible.
Another way to show off your mining engineering expertise is to seek feedback from others. This can be done through formal or informal methods, such as surveys, reviews, testimonials, or conversations. You can ask for feedback from your clients, colleagues, supervisors, or mentors. You can also offer feedback to others who are interested in your opinion or advice. By seeking feedback, you show that you are open to learning and improving. You also show that you care about the quality of your work and the satisfaction of your stakeholders.
You don't have to 'show your skills off'. Let the outcomes be the evidence of your abilities. Arrogance is usually a sign of INABILITY.
In seeking feedback one should not attempt to promote your successes, but rather seek to discover where there are problems and turn these into mutual opportunities.
A third way to show off your mining engineering expertise is to teach and mentor others. This can be done through various platforms, such as workshops, courses, seminars, or mentoring programs. You can share your knowledge, experience, and insights with other mining engineers who are eager to learn from you. You can also help them overcome their challenges, achieve their goals, or advance their careers. By teaching and mentoring, you show that you are generous and supportive of the mining engineering community. You also show that you are a leader and a role model in your field.
As a Senior Engineer working with with Mechanical, Civil or Structural Engineers who have been thrust into underground mining and ventilation design roles, I mentor younger engineers I interface with on tasks we have been assigned to work on. Though my mentoring role is in my job description, and an unofficial program, I find the efforts help build skill sets of younger staff that are eager to learn. I’ve also interfaced and supported a handful of veterans who are now in their second careers, and interested in managing project tips and understanding the design / engineering process within DOE projects. Having 50 years of experience, listen to your coworkers and they will provide clues as to what you draw from in your work history
As mentioned above mining occurs in small groups, often in remote locations. Asking for time off to attend a conference or seminar will only confirm to your employer that you can be spared, which is not going to help your promotion. Start small with safety groups, or on job training, and build your team as one of the more productive and your superiors will encourage greater efforts.
A fourth way to show off your mining engineering expertise is to join and contribute to relevant organizations, associations, or networks. This can be done through various activities, such as attending events, joining committees, volunteering, or sponsoring. You can connect with other mining engineers who share your interests, values, or vision. You can also participate in discussions, debates, or projects that address the current or future issues of the mining industry. By joining and contributing, you show that you are engaged and involved in the mining engineering profession. You also show that you are aware and responsive to the trends and opportunities of the industry.
In the three previous examples the size of the job site limits most efforts. Volunteering as a youth leader or other community work, will be seen as examples of your problem solving ability, so long as the time outside work does not distract from your paid employment.
A fifth way to show off your mining engineering expertise is to be humble and curious. This can be done through various behaviors, such as listening, asking questions, admitting mistakes, or acknowledging gaps. You can show that you are willing to listen to other perspectives, ask questions to learn more, admit mistakes to correct them, or acknowledge gaps to fill them. By being humble and curious, you show that you are not arrogant or complacent. You also show that you are constantly growing and evolving as a mining engineer.
Mining is a diverse subject and the word describes the different ways in which materials are recovered from the earth. Coal mining is not typically like gold mining and not all coal or gold mines are the same and they are typically not like iron ore mines, etc. No-one has all of the knowledge to cover the entire industry. The geology, mineralogy, and rock-mass must be defined and then the role of the mining engineer is to understand that portion of the resource which can be recovered with the inclusion of dilution and losses while also understanding the costs and downstream implications for the process facility. It is necessary to work with the experts around to optimize production and grade while also anticipating geological complexity.
Your focus must remain ‘why don’t you try this?’ Only if it is a shared problem can you use ‘we might try this’, and give similar cases that were solved. Remember your supervisor has already racked his brains and found no solution, or has not even seen the problem. By suggesting a simple solution you are merely insulting his/her ability.
Numbers don't lie and has no emotion or arrogance - a safe and profitable mine has happy and motivated employees. That's how you show expertise.
I believe personal success can be a fantastic way to lift up your colleagues! What I'm getting at is, when you have a win, take a moment to highlight the teamwork that got you there. Spotlight each team member's crucial role. Highlight their unique skills. It's all about recognising the collective effort that made those successes possible!