Application Process & Interviews at South32

Had one online interview, followed by a medical

Very extensive interview and recruitment process to find the right candidates

Interview and assessments are great, HR interactions not so good.

I am really lucky to be onboard. Applied for the post and received an email for interview and then I went to face to face interview and finally, I was approved and selected for a role.

The reasoning for the assessments during the interview process was clear and the assessments were relevant to the type of roles I was applying for.

online interview and onsite interview

Phone screening by Georgina Young was quiet direct/ straight forward but in a warm tone (hard to come across such polite and professional HR people these days). Video call Interview with Jason Quirk and Georgina Young was quiet direct to the point and professional.

Interview was good, I felt that I was able to ask questions and that they asked the correct questions.

Applied, got an interview, got flown out for a site visit, had a medical, and then had due diligence.

I was interviewed with 3 people via a teams meeting before being brought onto the refinery for a brief tour and to meet some fellow engineers. I was asked some pretty technical questions in the interview for a uni student that had only been on a refinery a handful of times before. I couldn't answer most of these technical questions. The rest of the interview was fine however and I felt comfortable answering questions.

Long hiring process with often little to no contact from company.

Relevant people attend the interview however, more technical questions required in interviews to filter the best candidates instead of obvious general HR questions that anyone can answer. Company needs more technically qualified people.

Three stages. Online application, aptitude tests and full day assessment centre.

I was asked about what I do outside of uni/work Why I would be a good fit for the role What was my biggest weakness

Critical thinking problems, where I want to be and my goals in a few years time, what my friends would say about me.

How to tackle maintenance issues, some behavioral questions, working through challenges in the workplace

Q1. Can you please tell me structure of my role? how many civil engineers and here and what are some of opportunities I will have for this role?

My main interview for the vacation role was 2 years ago; and the follow up interview for graduate was 1 year ago so it is difficult to recall. From memory, questions were surrounding what I know about South 32, why I want to work for the company and what skillsets I had acquired in the past that I could bring to the role.

Interview was excellent - it was the only technical graduate interview I did. We were sent a process flowsheet a few days before the interview and asked to study it. First half of the interview then focused on troubleshooting problems with the process. Then moved on to the standard behavioral questions (resolving conflict, safety, working in a team, etc.).

Q1: What do you know about IMC (Illawarra Metallurgical Coal) Mine, South 32? Q2&3: Few questions based on safety reporting during my previous work places and how/the way I dealt with tradesmen when they were not wearing the PPE or doing any action that was posing safety issue. Q3: Which Australian Standard are you working on or have you worked on in your current role? Q4: Are you flexible to work hands-on and willing to relocate from Perth, WA to Wollongong, NSW? Q5: Tell us about yourself in terms of your education and all the work experience.

I was asked a range from questions about me and my personality to my qualifications and my knowledge

How do you prioritise tasks? What was one time you spoke up about safety and what happened?

Previous experiences, safety questions, ability to work in a group

Mostly HR questions, less technical questions. Right amount of safety related questions.

Why Company X over Company Y? What are you interested in gaining from this company?

Understand that its not just about book smarts, having practical experience not just in the mining industry is all beneficial

Be yourself, be confident, make the most of the opportunities presented to you and try you hardest without being cocky and overwhelming. You need to take others into consideration and be selfless.

learn about alumina refineries and basics of maintenance and reliability engineering

Establish your career goals prior to the interview and ask plenty of questions to ensure the company is a good fit for you as well.

Studying the flowsheet was essential but looking over it for more than a couple of hours would probably be counter productive. For the technical questions, it would be good to troubleshoot using a HAZOP approach i.e. think about what happens if there is too much flow/temperature/pressure in any section of the unit. Also the technical questions are more of a conversation - it's super fine to ask clarifying questions or ask for expert advice (in fact, I think it's one of the things they look for).

1. Apply as soon as the position opens up. The first to submit is the first who gets interviewed (It's a fact!). 2. Get to know the role and the mine site/ office work/operation nature you're applying at. 3. Just be calm through and be yourself in the interview but go fully prepared. If you don't know the answer, instead of saying no say something along the lines: This concept or situation is new to me. all have to look into it a bit more. Never brush off the question or start rambling. It's much better to express you done't know then to go off on a tangent or make something up. FYI, the hiring managers are way more experienced than you and can pick you from the very start that you're either over smart or too confused. 4. A professional but succinct resume with Australian Citizenship Certificate and passport.

Make sure they are aware of the company that they are applying for, do some research!

No one expects you to know how to be an engineer as soon as you graduate, if you can demonstrate that you have some problem solving skills during the interval and a willingness to learn, you will attract interest.

Don't worry about previous experiences. Prioritise people skills and working in a team over technical skills/knowledge

They are looking for a team member who has high emotional intelligence over technical expertise. They are also looking for individuals that have had experience in other full-time positions (even as just a summer vocation). Make sure you talk with the members of the company during the breaks. Use the time to talk to them about their experience at the company.