Employees working in Australia are protected by the fair work act 2009. The act governs the employee/employer relationship in Australia and provides a safety net of minimum entitlements and fairness at work and prevents discrimination against employees.

Torquejobs are a labour hire provider, we provide supplementary skilled and unskilled workers for short- or long-term positions across Australia. Positions may last from a part of a day, to a year or more depending on the needs of the host employer. You will be paid for each worked hour completed on the assignment.

Your resume is typically the first impression you make to a prospective employer, so it should be clear, concise and simple to read, yet effective enough that it highlights your skill set and experience.

Your work history is the most important part of your resume. It should be ordered with most recent positions first – including the job title, company name and job description. You should always list the exact dates that you worked for the employer including month and year.

The job description must be as accurate and precise as possible, bullet points or a small paragraph is sufficient. Avoid adding in too much information as this makes your resume look cluttered and hard to read.

*Handy Tip: Mobile Plant Operators should always list the make and model of the machines they operated as well as the type of work performed on each machine. This is something that is often left out and is always requested by our clients.

DO NOT cut and paste information from other sources. As a recruiter it is obvious when people do this as text and sizing is different. The font, size and spacing should be consistent, simple and clear.

• Title case; not uppercase.
• Easy to read fonts; size 10-12 is recommended.

Contact details are essential. You should include:

Mobile number
• Email address
• Home address – suburb and state as a minimum (If you are open to relocating, you can mention this as well).

References.

You should always include at least two contactable referees.
• These should be from your most recent employers.

Make sure you have asked permission to list them on your resume.
• Referees must be a previous manager or supervisor who can verify your work history and capabilities, not a friend or family member.
• When you are leaving or finishing up on a job – no matter the reason – always try to leave on good terms and make sure you ask for references.

1.  Do your research – Have a look at what the company does, the projects they have worked on, the people in their team, the ‘about us’ on a website.
2.  Punctual – Be on time, 10 mins early is the best time to arrive. If you are running late, call and let the person know you are running late. Make sure you know the name of the person you are meeting with.
3.  Plan your route – If you have time, try to do a trial run to familiarise yourself with the area and where to park.
4.  First impressions – Make sure you are dressed for an interview, even if you are meeting with an agency, it is still an interview and it is important to look presentable. If you are speaking to a recruiter before the interview, ask them about the dress code in the workplace so you are able to dress accordingly. If you don’t have someone to ask, research the company website or social media pages to get a better idea of what may be appropriate.
5.  Firm handshake – Interviews should always start and finish with a handshake. Whilst it may seem unimportant, a good handshake says a lot about a person. A good handshake should be firm but not crush the other person’s fingers & don’t forget to smile and look the person in the eye.
6.  Authenticity – Honesty goes a long way in an interview. It is never a good idea to lie or exaggerate your experience as it will be obvious as soon as you start the job. Don’t speak negatively about current or former employers. Focusing on the negatives of previous employers or employees can reflect badly during the interview.
7.  Body language & good manners – When someone is interviewing and talking to you, make eye contact with them. When someone is slumped back in their chair and spends the whole time picking their nails, we get the impression they are not interested – therefore we are not interested. Remember to always thank the person for their time and meeting with you.
8.  Listen – Make sure you listen to the interviewer and actually answer the question you’ve been asked.
9.  Let the interviewer lead the conversation – It’s important to remember to always let the interviewer finish speaking before you answer them.

Your reputation in the workplace:

Building a quality reputation within the workplace plays a huge part in your overall success as well as your potential future with that employer.

Reliability:

Try to be punctual at all times. If you are running late or unable to make it to work always make sure you inform your manager/supervisor as well as your recruiter.

Choose your work battles wisely:

To maintain your sanity and productivity at work, it will be helpful for you to discern between challenges. Tread lightly here. Trust is earned. When you prove yourself by showing up and doing your work well, you will be given much more leniency.

Mind your own business:

Plenty of employees make themselves look bad by trying to involve themselves in work matters that are none of their business. Unless you are a supervisor, your work is the only work you are responsible for.

The exception to this rule is if someone is doing something unethical, creating an unsafe work environment due to harassment or bullying, is doing something unsafe, or is negatively impacting your ability to do your job. These scenarios warrant further action on your part by bringing the concern to the attention of your supervisor or HR.

Your torquejobs consultant will provide you with timesheets prior to your assignment. Timesheets are to be emailed to the corresponding office details below every Monday, as we pay weekly.

Fax and email details as listed on the top of your timesheet:

There are a few ways you can apply for a national police clearance. Two are listed here which we believe have the fastest turnaround times. You can also apply for one at your local post office or police station.   

1. https://www.nationalcrimecheck.com.au/
2. https://www.veritascheck.com.au/

A police clearance can take anything from 24 hours up to a few weeks to receive so it’s a good idea to apply for one as early in the process as you can, meaning you won’t have to delay your start on a new job.

Make sure you keep a copy of the receipt as some employers will only require the receipt to show you have applied for one prior to commencing.

All grievances should be reported to your torquejobs consultant. We understand that not all jobs will be the right fit, so if you are having problems it is crucial you speak to your recruiter. We are here to help you find a job you love so it is extremely important you are open and honest with us, and as long as we are aware, we will always try our best to source another suitable position or help you through any problems you are having.

The rates of pay are decided by negotiation between the host employer and Torquejobs.

Torquejobs strives to seek the highest rates of pay that the host can sustain.

All rates of pay are underpinned by the relevant Modern Award that relates to the work to be done. Torquejobs will NOT pay less than the minimum required rates of pay prescribed by the Modern Award.

Torquejobs charge the host employer for the services provided, we shall NEVER take money from our employees as payment for the provision of an assignment to our employees.

All employees shall take reasonable care:

1. To ensure his or her own safety and health at work; and
2. To avoid adversely affecting the safety or health of any other person through any act or omission at work.

An employer shall, so far as is practicable, provide and maintain a working environment in which the employees are not exposed to hazards and in particular, an employer shall:

1. Provide and maintain workplaces, plant and systems of work such that, so far as is practicable, the employees are not exposed to hazards; and
2. Provide such information, instruction, and training to, and supervision of, the employees as is necessary to enable them to perform their work in such a manner that they are not exposed to hazards/and
3. Consult and cooperate with safety and health reps, if any, and other employees at the workplace, regarding OSH at the workplace; and
4. Where it is not practicable to avoid the presence of hazards at the workplace, provide the employees with, or otherwise provide for the employees to have, such adequate PPE as is practicable to protect them against those hazards; and
5. Make arrangements for ensuring, so far as is practicable, that

Starting a job on a mine site and not sure what to bring? We have put together a checklist including some FIFO life hacks from some of our seasoned mining workers:

• General Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, PJ’s, first aid kit)
• Any medication you may need (e.g. Panadol, Voltaren and make sure to bring copies of any scripts and extra medication to make sure you don’t run out on site)
• Tinea cream – experienced FIFO workers will tell you; this can come in very handy as your feet can get fairly sweaty in steel caps all day!
• Comfy socks and underwear. Make sure to get proper work socks that are nice and thick to prevent blistering.
• Washing powder. Not all sites have washing powder on site, so it is best to bring your own.
• After work wear – thongs, loose comfy clothes, warm clothes for night-time. Whilst it can get very hot on these remote sites it can also get extremely cold at night-time, so it is important to have clothes for hot and cold climates.
• Steel cap boots – if you have a new pair make sure to bring an old comfy pair as well as it might take some time to wear in the new ones.
• Battery operated alarm clock and torch in case of power outages.
• Laptop & chargers – most sites now have wireless internet access.
• Cash for drinks at the wet mess, not all will have EFTPOS facilities. (Wet mess will generally sell chocolate, chips, cool drinks and offer bar facilities).
• Food – if you are someone that is a bit picky when it comes to food it is a good idea to pack some items with you. Sites will often differ but there is not always a huge selection of food on site.
• Coat hangers if you like to hang your work shirts up.
• Some like a small matt to put next to the bed. (You can wipe your feet on it before getting into bed as most camps are pretty dusty and no matter how great the cleaners are, it’s hard to keep the dirt off the floor).
• A sarong/sheer material to hang over your screen door. That way the breeze can still come in but you have your privacy.
• Take a copy of all your personal details (emergency contacts, tax file number, banking details, superannuation numbers, copies of any certificates in first aid, HR licence etc).
• Companies will generally provide all linen and towels for your donga (that’s where you sleep). They’ll also provide a water bottle and crib (lunch) pack for you to pack your lunch at breakfast time.
• If you are doing night shift, make sure to bring a decent sleeping mask for your eyes to block out day light – good sleep is crucial on site. You can also take alfoil with you to put on your windows to block out sunlight during the day – just wipe down your window with a damp cloth and gently press the alfoil to the window.
• Some sites have pools and gyms so confirm with your recruiter first as you might need to bring clothes for the gym or swimwear to use the pool.
• Gym/sports accessories – it is important to try and stay relatively active onsite so things like resistance bands or other sports accessories can be a great way to stay active.