Top 12 Miner Skills to Put on Your Resume
Crafting a sharp, job-winning resume matters in mining. Spell out the skills that make you effective underground and on the surface, and recruiters will actually pause. They want proof you can plan, model, blast, haul, stay safe, and keep operations humming without drama.
Miner Skills
- AutoCAD
- Vulcan
- Surpac
- MineSight
- WHMIS
- MSHA Compliance
- Blasting Techniques
- Leica Geosystems
- VentSim
- SAP Mining
- Rock Mechanics
- Conveyor Systems
1. AutoCAD
AutoCAD is CAD software for precise 2D and 3D drawings and models. In mining, it helps plan layouts, visualize infrastructure, and refine designs before steel meets rock.
Why It's Important
It lets you map and model with accuracy, which supports safer excavation, tighter tolerances, cleaner handoffs to survey and engineering, and fewer costly surprises.
How to Improve AutoCAD Skills
Sharpen what matters for mine work.
Customization: Create custom tool palettes, scripts, and shortcuts aligned to your mine templates and symbols.
3D Modeling: Practice complex 3D site models, haul roads, ramps, and underground infrastructure. Visual checks catch risks early.
Xrefs: Manage external references to keep drawings light, layered, and consistent across teams.
Data Extraction: Pull quantities, coordinates, and attributes straight from drawings for reports and reconciliation.
GIS Awareness: Import geospatial data to align designs with real-world coordinates and geology.
Layer Discipline: Standardize layer names, colors, and line types. Clarity speeds reviews.
Scripting: Use AutoLISP or simple macros to automate repetitive drafting tasks.
Continuous Learning: Work through advanced topics and participate in user communities to swap tips and workflows.
How to Display AutoCAD Skills on Your Resume
2. Vulcan
Vulcan (by Maptek) is a 3D geological modeling and mine planning platform used for resource evaluation, pit and stope design, scheduling, and reconciliation.
Why It's Important
It connects geology, design, and production in one environment, improving decisions on where to dig, how to sequence, and what the economics look like before committing equipment and people.
How to Improve Vulcan Skills
Build depth, then speed.
Data Foundations: Clean imports, validate surveys and assays, and set consistent coordinate systems. Garbage in, chaos out.
Block Modeling: Practice domaining, estimation methods, and model validation plots. Tie results back to geology.
Design Tools: Master pit/stope optimization, ramp design, dilution, and practical geometry that equipment can actually mine.
Scheduling: Learn sequencing, constraints, and haulage concepts. Iterate until the plan is both feasible and profitable.
Automation: Use macros/scripting to batch routine tasks and standardize outputs.
Interoperability: Exchange data cleanly with survey, fleet, and processing systems. Templates help.
QA/QC: Build checklists for model checks, volume reconciliation, and compliance with design criteria.
Stay Current: Read release notes, test new features on sample datasets, and document best practices for your site.
How to Display Vulcan Skills on Your Resume
3. Surpac
Surpac (GEOVIA) is a geological modeling and mine planning suite used for resource estimation, design, surveying, and production workflows.
Why It's Important
It streamlines modeling-to-mine processes, reduces risk in designs, and supports consistent, auditable decisions across geology and engineering teams.
How to Improve Surpac Skills
Make practice deliberate.
Structured Training: Work through official courses and advanced modules relevant to your role.
Project Rehearsals: Recreate real deposits from raw data. Pressure-test your domaining and estimation choices.
Templates: Standardize legend files, macros, and plot styles to produce repeatable outputs.
Survey Integration: Tighten loops between survey pickups, surfaces, and as-built updates.
Validation: Compare model predictions to production and lab results. Adjust, document, improve.
Community: Participate in user groups, share scripts, and trade troubleshooting tactics.
Version Discipline: Keep software current and test upgrades in a sandbox before site-wide adoption.
How to Display Surpac Skills on Your Resume
4. MineSight
MineSight (now broadly known as Hexagon MinePlan) provides 3D modeling, mine design, and scheduling tools for both open pit and underground operations.
Why It's Important
It links geology, design, and production planning with toolsets built to reflect how mines actually operate day to day.
How to Improve MineSight Skills
Keep it practical and integrated.
Foundation First: Learn core modules thoroughly before layering on advanced scheduling.
Role-Based Training: Focus on the workflows you use—designers, schedulers, and geos need different depth.
Workflow Customization: Build repeatable processes with consistent parameters and naming conventions.
Data Hygiene: Guard input quality—surfaces, solids, and strings should be checked and versioned.
Integration: Connect with fleet, survey, and reconciliation data to close the plan–actual loop.
Update Cadence: Test new releases, document changes, and roll out when benefits are clear.
How to Display MineSight Skills on Your Resume
5. WHMIS
WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) is Canada’s framework for labeling, Safety Data Sheets, and training around hazardous products in the workplace.
Why It's Important
Miners handle chemicals—explosives, fuels, reagents. WHMIS training helps ensure safe storage, handling, and emergency response so people go home intact.
How to Improve WHMIS Skills
Make safety habits stick.
Regular Refreshers: Update training on schedule and after any incident, process change, or new product.
Mobile Access: Provide quick access to SDS and labels on devices used in the field.
Clear Labeling: Durable, legible labels with the right pictograms. QR codes can link to site-hosted documentation.
Interactive Learning: Use scenario-based modules and toolbox talks tailored to your site’s hazards.
Feedback Loops: Encourage reporting of near misses and labeling gaps; fix them fast and share learnings.
How to Display WHMIS Skills on Your Resume
6. MSHA Compliance
MSHA compliance means meeting the Mine Safety and Health Administration’s rules to control hazards and protect miners.
Why It's Important
It cuts the odds of injuries and fatalities, prevents occupational illness, and anchors a safety-first culture that regulators and workers both expect.
How to Improve MSHA Compliance Skills
Embed it into daily work.
Know the Standard: Review applicable parts frequently and track updates relevant to your operation.
Training: Maintain current certifications and practice emergency procedures until they’re instinctive.
Equipment Checks: Do pre-shift inspections, lockout/tagout correctly, and keep maintenance tight.
Report and Correct: Flag hazards immediately. Close out corrective actions and verify effectiveness.
Health Surveillance: Monitor dust, noise, and exposure. Use data to adjust controls.
Drills: Run realistic emergency scenarios and debrief to improve.
Documentation: Keep records complete, timely, and organized. If it isn’t documented, it didn’t happen.
How to Display MSHA Compliance Skills on Your Resume
7. Blasting Techniques
Blasting uses explosives in a controlled sequence to fragment rock, open headings, and shape benches or stopes for efficient excavation.
Why It's Important
Good blasting improves fragmentation, reduces downstream costs, manages vibration and airblast, and keeps people and infrastructure safe.
How to Improve Blasting Techniques Skills
Tune the whole chain.
Design: Match pattern, burden, spacing, and charge to geology and objectives. Model outcomes when possible.
Drilling Accuracy: Control deviation and depth. Holes that match design deliver predictable blasts.
Explosive Selection: Choose products and densities for the rock mass and water conditions.
Timing and Sequencing: Use precise delays to shape throw, control vibration, and improve fragmentation.
Monitoring: Measure vibration, airblast, fragmentation, and flyrock zones; use the data to iterate.
Environmental Controls: Manage dust, fume, and noise; respect limits and community expectations.
Training and Safety: Keep crews current on handling, storage, transport, and misfire protocols.
How to Display Blasting Techniques Skills on Your Resume
8. Leica Geosystems
Leica Geosystems provides precision surveying, GNSS, scanning, and monitoring tools used across mines for mapping, control, and safety.
Why It's Important
Accurate spatial data underpins design, volume reconciliation, geotech monitoring, and legal compliance. Precision saves money. It also prevents mistakes you can’t un-dig.
How to Improve Leica Geosystems Skills
Make accuracy repeatable.
Instrument Mastery: Calibrate regularly, verify setups, and understand limits of GNSS, total stations, and scanners.
Control Networks: Establish robust control points, protect them, and check closures often.
Field-to-Office Flow: Build clean workflows for coding, attribute capture, and data transfer to planning software.
QA/QC: Run checks on surfaces, volumes, and alignments; document tolerances and variances.
Advanced Scanning: Use point clouds for clash detection, deformation monitoring, and as-built validation.
Training: Keep operators certified on new firmware/features; share site-specific SOPs.
How to Display Leica Geosystems Skills on Your Resume
9. VentSim
VentSim simulates and analyzes underground mine ventilation networks to optimize airflow, pressures, gas management, and energy use.
Why It's Important
Air keeps people alive and equipment running. Strong modeling prevents hazardous atmospheres and reduces power costs.
How to Improve VentSim Skills
Model like reality, not theory.
Stay Updated: Use the latest version and note changes that affect your models.
Network Accuracy: Maintain current layouts, resistances, doors, regulators, and leakage paths.
Calibration: Compare model results to underground measurements and tweak until they match.
Optimization: Leverage tools for fan selection, regulator settings, and energy trade-offs.
Automation: Build scenarios and scripts for planned development and emergency states.
Hardware: Run on capable machines for large networks; performance matters with complex models.
Community and Training: Take advanced courses and share techniques with other practitioners.
How to Display VentSim Skills on Your Resume
10. SAP Mining
SAP for Mining brings operations, maintenance, supply, HSE, finance, and analytics into one system (often via S/4HANA and related tools).
Why It's Important
It tightens control of cost, inventory, availability, and compliance while surfacing live data for faster decisions.
How to Improve SAP Mining Skills
Focus on process plus data.
Process Mapping: Document end-to-end flows (plan-to-produce, procure-to-pay, maintain-to-reliability) and remove waste.
Master Data Discipline: Standardize materials, equipment hierarchies, BOMs, and work centers. Bad master data wrecks reports.
Analytics: Build dashboards for downtime, OEE, unit cost, and safety metrics; use predictive views where useful.
IoT Integration: Feed equipment condition and telemetry into maintenance to move toward predictive strategies.
HSE Modules: Use incident management and permit-to-work tools to reinforce safe operations.
Training: Upskill power users and create quick-reference guides for the shop floor.
How to Display SAP Mining Skills on Your Resume
11. Rock Mechanics
Rock mechanics studies how rock masses behave under stress so excavations stay stable and support systems do their job.
Why It's Important
It’s the difference between smooth development and ground falls. Smart design keeps people out of harm’s way and production on track.
How to Improve Rock Mechanics Skills
Measure, model, monitor.
Characterize the Rock Mass: Determine structure, strength, stress regime, and groundwater conditions before design.
Instrumentation: Use extensometers, stress cells, and prisms to detect movement early.
Support Design: Select bolts, mesh, shotcrete, and sets based on rock mass ratings and loading.
Numerical Modeling: Apply tools (e.g., finite/limit element) to test excavation sequences and support schemes.
Blast Damage Control: Use controlled blasting to protect final walls and pillars.
Learning Culture: Review incidents and near misses; refine ground control plans and standards.
How to Display Rock Mechanics Skills on Your Resume
12. Conveyor Systems
Conveyor systems move ore, rock, and supplies efficiently across the mine, replacing heavy manual handling and reducing cycle time.
Why It's Important
They boost throughput, trim haulage costs, and lower injury risk. Reliability here ripples through the whole value chain.
How to Improve Conveyor Systems Skills
Design smart, maintain smarter.
Fit-for-Purpose Design: Size belts, drives, and idlers for the material, slope, and duty cycle you actually run.
Preventive and Predictive Maintenance: Schedule inspections and use sensors to flag misalignment, wear, or heat before failure.
Spillage and Dust Control: Install skirting, sealing, cleaners, and dust suppression to protect equipment and air quality.
Safety Systems: Emergency stops, pull cords, guarding, and training. No shortcuts.
Energy Efficiency: Optimize load, speed, and start/stop logic; consider high-efficiency motors and VFDs.
Operator Training: Teach correct startup, shutdown, troubleshooting, and lockout/tagout.
How to Display Conveyor Systems Skills on Your Resume
