Would You Take This Job? Mining Engineer Intern

Mining Engineer Intern
Employer: 50061 Heidelberg Materials Southwest Agg LLC
Location: Converse, TX
Pay: $23.00 / hour
Type: Full-time — Internship (office + field)

What You’ll Do:
• Support plant and quarry operations—mix of field and office work.
• Participate in assigned technical projects to learn quarry/aggregate operations.
• Partner with engineers, managers, and production staff to meet production goals.
• Learn production, maintenance, and quality functions; ensure compliance with safety/environmental rules.
• Perform duties that may require walking/standing for long periods and manual tasks in varied weather.

Why It Stands Out:
• Paid internship at a major global materials company—strong resume builder.
• Hands-on exposure to both engineering and operations (real-world quarry experience).
• Mentoring opportunities and intern events; DEI engagement activities.
• Competitive hourly pay for an intern role.

Potential Trade-offs:
• Physical and outdoor work—exposure to weather and manual labor; PPE required.
• Likely requires reliable transportation; may include long shifts or variable hours.
• Internship timing/length not specified—confirm whether seasonal or year-round and any housing/relocation support.
• On-site safety and noise environment—must be comfortable on industrial sites.

Qualifications / Requirements:
• Current junior or senior pursuing Mining Engineering or Geology.
• Strong communication, teamwork, problem-solving skills; openness to change.
• Ability to lift up to 50 lbs and perform physical tasks; stand/walk for extended periods.
• Willingness to use PPE and follow all safety & environmental procedures.

Perks / Benefits:
• $23/hr pay.
• DEI engagement, intern events, exposure to cross-department operations.
• Opportunity to complete meaningful technical projects and network within a large company.

Here is the link to view more job details or apply.

Would you take this job?
If you were applying, what would be your top three non-negotiables: (A) a named mentor and clear project/training plan with milestones, (B) confirmation of work schedule and expected hours (plus any overtime policy), or (C) written safety/on-site support (PPE provided, safety orientation and emergency procedures)? Which would you pick and why — and what one question would you ask the employer before accepting (project length, housing/relocation help, or sample day schedule)?

Did a summer at a limestone quarry near New Braunfels — getting MSHA Part 46 done ahead (https://www.msha.gov/training-education/training-programs/part-46-training) and keeping a field notebook made me useful day one; “steel-toe boots aren’t optional.” I’d take it for the hands-on process learning, but expect hot, dusty early mornings and some Saturday maintenance — if you want mostly CAD/design, this isn’t that (your Fitbit will think you changed careers).

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‍​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠‍‍‌‍‌‍‌​⁠‍‌⁠‌​​⁠​‍​⁠​​‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‌‌​​⁠​​‌​⁠​‌⁠‍‍‌‌‍‍‌⁠‌​‌⁠‍​‌​‍‌​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

At $23/hr in Converse, I’d take it for the “mix of field and office” — shadowing the loader operator and then the scale house taught me more in a week than any class. Bring high-NRR earplugs and plan for Texas heat (); this heat guide is handy: https://www.osha.gov/heat. Small caveat: ask if shutdowns or blast days mean overtime and if interns get it — those hours make the paycheck.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‍​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‌​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍⁠⁠‌‌​​‌‌‌⁠‌⁠​⁠‌⁠‌‌‌​​‌​⁠​‌‌‌‌‌​⁠‌​‌‍‌⁠‌​‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​‌​‍⁠‌⁠‌​‌‍‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Agree with @paul5901 on shadowing; ask to sit in on a blast design meeting and a QC lab run your first week — those tie right into the “assigned technical projects.” Don’t skip an hour in the crusher control room to watch how the plant chases bottlenecks between the pit and the screens. Clarify if PPE is paid for and what the start times look like in Converse heat; $23/hr pencils out if there’s OT, assuming no housing.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‍​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‌‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​⁠‌‍⁠⁠‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‍‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌⁠‌‌​‌‌‍‍‍‌‌‌‌​⁠​​‌‍‍‍‌⁠‍‍​⁠‍​‌‌‌‌‌​‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

I’d do it for the field time, but make your first “project” a quick haul-cycle time study — use a stopwatch to log load/queue/dump times and pitch one small change to cut idle. Building on @lucas7932, ask for a half-day with the drill crew so you can tie cycle delays back to blast patterns. Just clarify upfront about overtime and rotations; summer heat and surprise Saturday runs can be a grind.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‍​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‌​⁠‍​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‌​‍‌‌⁠⁠‌​​‍‌‍‌‍​⁠‌⁠‌​‍‍‌‍‌‍‌​‍‍‌‌‍​‌⁠​‍‌‌‌⁠‌‍‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠​​‌‌‍​‌​‌‍​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​

Grab last month’s shift logs and crank a quick downtime Pareto in Excel — top 5 stops by minutes, then pitch one fix during a plant shutdown; it nails the ‘assigned technical projects’ piece. Did that as an intern and got a plugged chute liner swap approved in week two. Only caveat: confirm the ‘mix of field and office’ in Converse includes real plant time, not just CAD and meetings.

‌⁠‍⁠​‍​‍‌⁠‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌⁠‌‍⁠‌‌‍‍‍​⁠​‍​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍⁠​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍‌⁠​‍‌‍‌‌‌⁠​​‌‍⁠​‌⁠‍‌​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​⁠​‍​⁠​⁠​⁠‍​​⁠​​​⁠​⁠​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‌​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‍​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠‌‌​⁠​‌​⁠​​​⁠​‍​⁠​​​‍​‍​‍⁠​​‍​‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍​⁠‍‍​‍​‍​⁠​‌‌​⁠‍‌‍​‌​⁠‍​‌⁠​‍‌‍⁠‌‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‍​‌‍‌‍​‍⁠‌‌‌​⁠‌‍‌​​⁠​‍‌‌​​‌​‍‍‌‍‍​​‍​‍‌⁠⁠‌​​