- Cal McIlwain was flown to the Pilbara, Australia, where he was forced to work 12-hour days for three consecutive weeks.
- So far, he makes about $80,000 before taxes, has no local living expenses, and travels during the week.
- After working for a year, Mirwein plans to use the money he earns to go on a 10-month trip.
This told essay is based on a conversation with. Cal McIlwain, Australian FIFO employee, 29 years old. This essay has been edited for length and clarity. Insider confirmed his identity, employment and salary.
I'm the lone wolf in my friend group.
Back in Ireland, all my friends were getting married, buying houses, and having children. I wanted to go on an adventure and travel the world.
I started researching different career opportunities that would allow me to make money to travel. I have always been interested in visiting Australia and had heard about mining jobs many years ago.
I figured if I did that for a few months, I would have a travel piggy bank. So in June 2023, I left Ireland and moved to Perth, Australia to become his FIFO worker, which means 'fly in, fly out'.
Finding a FIFO job in a new country wasn't easy
FIFO is an industry that only exists primarily in mines in Australia, Canada, and Alaska. Australian mining companies extract iron ore along with other minerals and send it to crushers and refineries. It will then go to Port Hedland, Australia's main port, and be sent on a cargo ship to China.
Australia is one of the most mineral-rich countries in the world, so there are tons of mining projects and FIFO jobs here.
But that doesn't mean it was easy to land.
I found some YouTube videos about FIFO jobs, but no how-to guides on what to do if you want to enter the industry from a foreign country.
I had to make my own plans, including applying for a work visa. I had no mining experience and had never driven a truck or bulldozer. I also didn't have an Australian license. It wasn't easy to move to another country and get these jobs, but I was determined.
After arriving in Australia, I visited tourist spots for about three days before moving on to job hunting. In Australia you have to get a ticket like entitlement. He spent two and a half weeks at the training center where he obtained CPR and aerial work vehicle certifications, as well as a heavy duty license to drive a large truck.
After I finished that, I paid a company called W1n W1n to create my resume, combed through their job pages, and applied to as many FIFO jobs as I could for about 10 days. Within a month of arriving in Australia, I secured a FIFO job.
Now, he is helping others get into the industry with videos on social media and a guide he created for foreign workers interested in FIFO.
Work 12 hours a day for 3 consecutive weeks
I flew in from Perth to work in the iron ore-rich Pilbara in northwest Australia.
I wake up around 4 a.m. to get ready for work, which starts at 5:30 a.m., and spend the next 12 hours at the mine site.
It's a physically demanding environment, with average daytime temperatures of 95 degrees Fahrenheit. At its peak in summer, it reaches about 113 degrees.
As a serviceman, I maintain a fleet of 45 to 50 machines, including dump trucks, excavators, bulldozers, scrapers, and other mining equipment. Throughout the day I fuel, grease, refill fluids and blow out the air filter.
Then we pack everything into the truck and head to the next machine. I usually finish work at 5:30 p.m., but it's about a 40-minute drive to the job site, so I don't get home until 6:10 p.m.
Usually when I get back I cut back on the food and try to prepare lunch for the next day. I try to go to bed by 9:30pm to get as much sleep as possible the next day.
I will be flying back to Perth during my week-long holiday. Flight time is approximately 2 hours. Some people go on a weekend trip to Bali. I like road tripping around Australia.
You can also take flexible holidays throughout the year. I took a seven-week holiday around Christmas and went to Esperance on the south-west coast of Australia.
So far this year, we've earned about $80,000 before taxes and our local expenses have been paid.
As a FIFO worker, the company pays for the employee's airfare to and from the mine site. They also pay for housing accommodation and provide facilities such as food courts and gyms on the housing premises.
My room is like a dormitory, nothing special, but it has everything I need and I use it to sleep.
There is a large workout culture among FIFO workers, and gyms are equipped to meet their needs. The gym includes a strength room, a cardio room, an outdoor gym, a CrossFit room offering classes, and a women's-only gym. I typically walk about 25,000 steps a day at work, but I still try to work out two to three times a week.
As a complete newbie to the industry, I earn AU$5,329 a week before tax. This equates to approximately 3,477 USD. But it doesn't mean you work every week of every month. So far, I've earned about $80,000 before taxes working for the past nine months, including the seven weeks of vacation I took to travel around Australia.
During a week's holiday, I return to Perth and either leave for a week or pay a friend to stay for a week. My girlfriend's expenses during a week's vacation usually amount to about 1,300 USD.
I got the adventure I was looking for
Initially, I planned to do this work for three to four months at most.
But I've been here for nine months now, and I'm going to keep trying for the rest of the year. Once I learned about machines, became part of a crew, and was able to earn enough money, there was no point in quitting.
I enjoy learning new skills and my bank account continues to grow. Once this year is over, I'll be going on a 10-month trip to Vietnam, Thailand, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
You'll be able to experience the adventure you've been craving without having to worry about work.
Once that's done, I'm going to go right back to my second year of FIFO work and start all over again.
