From salon to supervisor: Tamara’s breaking barriers

If you asked Tamara Kendall a year ago if she pictured herself as a supervisor on a mine site, she would have said, not a chance. But when the opportunity came up to leave her job as a qualified beauty therapist to join our cleaning crew at BHP’s Mt Arthur open-cut coal mine – she took it with both hands. 

When Monadelphous was awarded the on-site cleaning contract in mid-2022, Tamara joined us as one of the first cleaners on-site, and quickly progressed to a leading hand, and then to a supervisor.   

Tamara said she knew working in this industry would be vastly different to beauty, but that her upbringing on a farm in Denman meant she would never be afraid of getting her hands dirty.  

“In my previous role, I was managing a team and there were other transferrable skills I could bring to the role, so when I started, I think my natural leadership instincts kicked in, especially with it being a new team working together.  

“From day one, I tried to bring new ideas to the table and offer solutions because I knew it was a brand-new contract for Monos and most of the team didn’t come from cleaning backgrounds – ultimately, I wanted it to be a success,” she said. 

Tamara said her favourite part about the job is that everyone gets along and works as a team, no matter what level of seniority.  

“You sometimes hear stories in society about how cleaners get treated poorly and I came into it knowing that could be a possibility, but everyone has been so friendly and nice, even all the other contractors have welcomed us with open arms – I’ve made some great friendships out here. 

“It's like a tight-knit community, there are people from all walks of life and everyone's got a story. It doesn't matter if you're wearing a yellow shirt or an orange shirt because we’re all one big team at the end of the day, and we’re here to do a job,” she added. “I love that you’re not treated differently because you're a contractor, and it doesn’t matter if you're cleaning out the bins or you're outside fixing trucks, everyone’s role is important,” she added. 

Tamara’s advice for other women considering joining the industry is to jump in and give it a go because there are endless opportunities to upskill and grow your career.  

“I think because of the way the media report on women in this industry, it has created a stigma which can be off putting, but in my experience, it is not as intimidating as women might think. 

“I’ve found everyone in the industry to be so supportive and kind, so I am trying to change those perceptions and encourage more women to take the leap – and I bet they never look back,” she said. 

At just 24 years of age, Tamara is excited to see what the future has in store for her and what she can achieve in the years to come.  

“I feel like I could’ve been underestimated coming from the beauty industry, but there's so much that lies beneath the surface. 

“This has been a whole new world for me, and I have absolutely loved learning and growing in my role, so whatever opportunities come up in the future, I’m ready for it,” Tamara said.