TRANSITIONING TO THE GEOSCIENCE WORKFORCE; HOW DILIGENCE, NETWORKING, AND POSITIONING PAY OFF

With a multi-year economic boom in commodities such as oil, natural gas and metals, the job market and opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in geosciences have swiftly followed suit. The American Geosciences Institute reports a future workforce shortage in geoscientists and the field is extremely lucrative. However, even with a marketable degree, the recent graduate should understand that diligence, networking and positioning are all still required for a successful transition from the laboratory and classroom to the office or field. This presentation will cover these three elements as they pertain to the author’s experiences working in the mining, oil and gas, water exploration, and environmental consulting industries, and career development from intern to senior geologist. Some credence can be given to the clichés ‘being in the right place at the right time’ and ‘it’s not what, but who you know’ but recognizing how to leverage key factors such as diligence, networking, and positioning is far more critical than chance in finding employment. Other topics to be discussed include which degree is optimal for the different fields in the geosciences, how commodity prices affect the recent graduate’s chances of employment in certain industries, how large companies select candidates to interview, and concludes with how the graduate can tip the balance in their favor.