Overview of jobs in mining in Myanmar

Mining defined in its simplest form is the extraction of any non-renewable resources from the earth. There are different jobs in mining, but all are related to the process of exploring, prospecting, the actual mining, processing of the materials and transportation of the materials: did you know that as of 2016 energy and mining amount for 55% of Myanmar’s exports? Myanmar is a major producer of tin, tungsten, lead, zinc, copper, nickel and silver. In the initial stages of a project, the types of mining jobs one might find include surveyors, prospectors, geologists, engineers, financial and investment analysts and lawyers. As mining is the 3rd largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Myanmar, there is also a requirement for translators and interpreters. Once a project has been approved and the financial viability has been ascertained, the project gets under way. Depending on the ore, different methods are used for the mining. For example, it may be underground mining where tunnels are built, or surface mining with quarries. In both cases there are a lot of mining jobs available which require the use of heavy machinery, as well as jobs such as safety inspectors. Following the extraction, the minerals go through different processes and are then transported away from the site. This creates mining jobs for truck drivers as well as other skilled and unskilled labourers. Throughout this process logistics managers, accountants, HR managers and engineers are all key players.

Career opportunities in mining in Myanmar

To say that Myanmar is going through a time of significant economic change may be considered quite the understatement. This is particularly true for the mining industry. Not only is mining already the 3rd largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Myanmar, but it is somewhat well known that the country has diverse and largely untapped geological resources. As the country was “closed off” for so many years. much of it has not been explored with contemporary mining techniques. Jobs available in mining are wide and varied. There is the professional and administrative sides such as lawyers, accountants, geologists, prospectors, various engineers, surveyors, project managers and site managers, all which require a college education. Mining is also somewhat of a niche field, so those in the aforementioned occupations require practical experience also. As there is so much foreign investment in the Myanmar mining industry, a command of either English or Chinese is highly beneficial. However this also opens the doors for jobs in translating and interpreting, which require fluency in at least two languages. To acquire a manual job in the mines, a college degree is perhaps not necessary, but a level of physical fitness and a tolerance for extreme weather conditions is, as the weather can be harsh and the conditions extreme. The same goes for jobs in the transportation of goods: physical fitness is key as there is much heavy lifting. To obtain a job as a safety inspector on a sight, onsite experience as well as administrative skills and an acute eye for possible dangers is required.