In the Air Force:
Pavements and Construction Equipment; Pavements and Construction Equipment Apprentice; Pavements and Construction Equipment Craftsman; Pavements and Construction Equipment Helper; Pavements and Construction Equipment Journeyman
In the Army:
Horizontal Construction Engineer; Quarrying Specialist (RC)
In the Navy:
Blaster; Equipment Operator; Water Well Drilling Technician
Ore and minerals mined from deep within the Earth’s crust are used every day to manufacture steel, cement, glass, and more. Mining operations workers use machines and equipment to extract these materials in often challenging and potentially risky conditions. Continuous mining machines are self-propelled behemoths that rip coal, ores, rock, or sand from the mine face and load it onto conveyors or into shuttle cars. Mine cutting and channeling machines cut or channel along the face or seams of coal mines and stone quarries to enable materials to be removed from the Earth's surface. Operators ensure these machines run smoothly, stay within safe operating guidelines, and that mining areas are stable and ventilated. They make adjustments to optimize machine operations, and repair equipment as needed. Earth drillers operate a variety of drills to tap water and salt deposits under the Earth’s surface, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. Earth drillers and mine cutting machine operators usually need a high school diploma, while continuous mining machine operator positions typically have no specific education requirements.
What they do:
Operate a variety of drills such as rotary, churn, and pneumatic to tap subsurface water and salt deposits, to remove core samples during mineral exploration or soil testing, and to facilitate the use of explosives in mining or construction. Includes horizontal and earth boring machine operators.
On the job, you would:
Operate controls to stabilize machines and to position and align drills.
Start, stop, and control drilling speed of machines and insertion of casings into holes.
Regulate air pressure, rotary speed, and downward pressure, according to the type of rock or concrete being drilled.
Engineering and Technology
mechanical
design
Business
management
Safety and Government
public safety and security
Transportation
movement of people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road
Basic Skills
thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem
keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements
Problem Solving
noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it
Hand and Finger Use
keep your arm or hand steady
hold or move items with your hands
Controlled Movement
quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat
use your arms and/or legs together while sitting, standing, or lying down
Verbal
listen and understand what people say
communicate by speaking
Visual Understanding
quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things
People interested in this work like activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions.
They do well at jobs that need:
Attention to Detail
Dependability
Adaptability/Flexibility
Stress Tolerance
Initiative
Independence
You might use software like this on the job:
Spreadsheet software
Microsoft Excel
Mobile location based services software
Global positioning system GPS software
Office suite software
Microsoft Office software
high school diploma/GED or no high school diploma/GED usually needed
Get started on your career:
New job opportunities are very likely in the future.