RISE Jennifer Nocerino: I will, it is 10 o'clock now, so I we're expecting jed may hands is still join us, but I will go ahead and get started, and welcome everyone to the Roi jaish Lehman mentor program and apply geoscience my name is Jennifer no surena i'm a program officer with GSA.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: First of all, I just want to remind everyone that all GSA events are under our rise code.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: which is respectful and inclusive scientific events, so please be respectful inclusive and responsible, while we're here i'd like to have a few introductions and I will turn it over initially to vicki mcconnell who is GSA is executive director.
Vicki McConnell: hi everyone yeah vicki mcconnell here thanks Jennifer and I won't take up too much of your time, I just wanted to.
Vicki McConnell: spend a couple minutes to first thank you all for for being at the southeast section meeting and and.
Vicki McConnell: To give you some kudos for taking a little time to participate in this mentor meeting because they really this meeting, really is for you and, and so my encouragement to you is to take advantage of this opportunity to meet with these mentors.
Vicki McConnell: ask him some hard questions about their.
Vicki McConnell: their career in your future I mean that's what we're all here for that's what a professional society does for you is you know it's all about advancing the science and advancing your career in any way that we can we can help that happened for you so.
Vicki McConnell: I hope you'll keep that in mind, as you as you go through your career to think about what a profession, you know what can we do for you let us know how we can help out.
Vicki McConnell: And and keep coming to GSA if you're presenting at the meeting, then, good luck, whether it's a poster or an oral I hope everything goes really well for you, and if you're not make sure that you take advantage of.
Vicki McConnell: sitting in on sessions or asking questions of people, both in the Q amp a and everything, so it is really a chance to advance both your career and your geoscience acquisition.
Vicki McConnell: So with that and i'm always available you're easy to find my email address to if you if you want to chat with me or follow up on anything and.
Vicki McConnell: With that i'll turn it back over to Jennifer and she can introduce the next person here and have a great meeting everyone thanks so wish we were doing it in person next best thing here.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks so much vicki I appreciate it, and for those of you, this is the if this is the first program that you're.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: streaming program that you're attending when we have section meetings, these are great because we have a lunch, and we all sit around tables and there's lots of networking and interacting, and so this is a little different than normal but.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: These programs are funded through GSA is foundation so i'll introduce debbie marsan kalki who is running GSA foundation these days.
Debbie Marcinkowski: Thanks Jennifer hi everyone i'm debbie i'm glad to see you all, I too am sorry we're not in person and.
Debbie Marcinkowski: i'm glad you're not too zoomed out to have made it here today, so like vicki said I think you'll appreciate the program so i'm just here to let you know and remind you, the foundation.
Debbie Marcinkowski: works to fund a lot of the student opportunities that are available to you through GSA so things like graduate student research grants.
Debbie Marcinkowski: Some of the onto the future diversity programs mentor programs like this, so if you ever have questions about any of those of course you can talk to the Foundation and also.
Debbie Marcinkowski: vicki talked about continuing with GSA as you progress in your careers, and so we just want to remind you, to programs like this the Schumann Program.
Debbie Marcinkowski: have been funded in part by longtime GSA members and supporters like Royce leamon who really has a passion for encouraging students to continue.
Debbie Marcinkowski: Pursuing the geosciences and so we're very grateful to him.
Debbie Marcinkowski: for making this possible and too many others, and something to keep in mind as you move forward, how you can potentially give back to the geoscience community as well, and encourage students coming in behind you so.
Debbie Marcinkowski: Maybe it's as simple as returning as a mentor to adjust a program like this, I know Jennifer loves to have more volunteers and to see previous students come back and mentor themselves.
Debbie Marcinkowski: Maybe you join our student donor group called tectonic coast building the future which has a lot of fun components to it and requires very little actually.
Debbie Marcinkowski: So it's not a tough thing to be a part of and down the road hope we'll continue your membership with GSA and consider supporting programs like this, so thanks everyone, I hope you have a really good mentoring session today.
Vicki McConnell: And Jennifer I just want to add one other really quick thing I put it in the chat but.
Vicki McConnell: We couldn't do it without the mentors just as debbie just said is mentors usually mediums start out as students, and they worked away, through it, so I just want to personally thank all of the.
Vicki McConnell: The folks that have stepped up to mentor today we really, really appreciate that that service in and your dedication to helping the next the the future of the geosciences thanks.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks vicki i've been with GSA for about almost 15 years now and it's great because there's a lot of students who have sat in this program or man program which we have tomorrow.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Over the years, and are now coming back and doing lots of mentoring as well, so, even when you're early career once you're working you know we'd love to have you back the students, you know it's great to give back and give them a chance to get to meet you as well.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So with that I will turn it over to our mentor so i'm going to ask each of our mentors to introduce themselves they'll have you know, three or four minutes to sort of give us an idea of.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Where they've gone through their career where they went to school where they're working now.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: After you meet all five of our mentors then our entire program is just driven by your questions, so this.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: You know, normally it's great because we, as I said, there's a mentor at each table and they rotate I make them rotate every 12 minutes to the next table so it's almost like speed mentoring it's a lot of fun.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: This will be slightly different since we're virtual but i'd still ask you to put any questions you have, as they introduce themselves.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: In that chat and then i'll moderate and pose all those questions to our mentors so with that.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: mark, you said you just have a picture, but for each of our mentors you're welcome to keep your camera off if you want, but when you're talking, you might have it on if you can, if you can't that's not a problem.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: mark would you like to introduce yourself, I have marks contact information in our chat if you zoom up towards the top that has his contact information, including email address so welcome mark.
mark carter: yeah.
mark carter: thanks for having me it's exciting.
mark carter: For my name is mark Carter I am a geologist the research geologists with United States geological survey on the Florence basketball geoscience Center in reston I am a geologic map I make geologic maps.
mark carter: In the blue range and the Piedmont, and in the coastal plain, so I kind of do everything from the coastal plain out to the blue Ridge um and.
mark carter: I did my undergraduate many years ago at old dominion University in Norfolk Virginia got my master's degree from university of Tennessee.
mark carter: Back in the 90s, and actually started on the PhD at that time at Tennessee but my dream job came up with the North Carolina geological survey in asheville North Carolina.
mark carter: About two years into my PhD mapping in the blue Ridge out of asheville and I just couldn't give that up and so.
mark carter: I left my PhD program and going on out and work for the North Carolina geological survey making maps around asheville.
mark carter: I was with the end cgs for about eight years moved back home to Virginia after that tour for the Virginia geological survey will appear to the junior.
mark carter: division of geology mineral resources again producing geologic maps, this time out the coastal plain in the Piedmont as well, and then several years ago, been 12 years ago now move to the usgs again producing geologic maps.
mark carter: So it's been a it's been a fun career for me joy being out in the woods.
mark carter: Making maps looking at rocks mapping their distribution across the surface of the earth and projecting them down.
Richard Esposito: In three dimensions.
mark carter: i'm The one thing i'll point out, I don't have a PhD, but I do have a professional license with more Kara.
mark carter: Board of licensing geologists.
mark carter: I think PG license or the state is this firm and.
mark carter: They are very, very, very important that a lot of the State geological surveys now require their staff to have teachings and, of course, if you're working in private industry a PG.
mark carter: is critical, you really have to have that in the private industry and just a couple years ago also through.
mark carter: A mtg ended up with my certified professional genealogist that's not a license it's just more of a certificate, if you will.
mark carter: That will require for years of having a PhD and having a PG men working through.
mark carter: Gaining that experience and so forth, so that's about it for me.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Wonderful thanks so much mark, I appreciate that, and if you have any questions for mark, please put those.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: In the chat area.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: As you heard mark mentioned his PG which, if you scroll up and look at his contact information that is listed in there, I do want to spend a little bit of time in our program talking about being a professional genealogist and what that means.
Richard Esposito: One of those first steps you can.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Take is your GI T, which is your geologist and training and i'll make sure, hopefully, we talk about that So if you have questions about.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Certification and that first step is one of those you can certainly ask those in the chat, so I do hear someone in the background is there, someone who isn't muted.
Richard Esposito: No.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: doesn't look like it looks like everyone's muted great okay so i'm going to turn it over now to Richard Esposito and he is with southern company, as you see, and again his contact information is in the chat Richard.
Richard Esposito: Yes, Hello everyone and i'm really excited to be here and thank you GSA for doing this.
Richard Esposito: i've been involved in the conference already I gave a virtual field trip of CO2 stores geology the other day, and I have a session that i'm chairing tomorrow so hopefully everyone.
Richard Esposito: If you didn't see the field trip you get to watch the session so.
Richard Esposito: I so i'm an r&d program manager at southern company southern company as a large electrical utility so I work in energy geology, and so the type of stuff I do.
Richard Esposito: Are things relevant to the energy industry and those would be things like CO2 storage of carbon dioxide geological storage of carbon dioxide energy storage like compressed, air, energy storage geothermal.
Richard Esposito: really interesting things in the subsurface that involve geology like deep borehole isolation of spent nuclear fluid few fuels and things like that, so a lot of really kind of interesting stuff.
Richard Esposito: I started off getting a bachelor's of geology from auburn university fell in love with geology and just thought this is, this is what I want to do.
Richard Esposito: right about the time I graduated which i'll show my age, a little bit in my bachelor's in 84.
Richard Esposito: There were no jobs, the petroleum industry had just collapsed, and there were no jobs for geologists so I stayed on and got my masters.
Richard Esposito: And I did it kind of in petroleum geology subsurface photography and things like that I got my masters in 87 and the oil and gas industry was no better, so I still couldn't find a job.
Richard Esposito: But at that time I had some really key people in my life that were giving me advice some mentors and.
Richard Esposito: I ended up getting a job as an environmental regulator, so I went to work for the Alabama department of environmental management as a regulator and.
Richard Esposito: I worked there for four years, and while I was there I really networked a lot and got to know a lot of people in industry, because I was basically regulating them and.
Richard Esposito: I had an opportunity to get a job at southern company so.
Richard Esposito: I took that opportunity and I actually next Monday I will have been with southern company for 30 years so i've had a long and prosperous career they're very exciting career great place to work.
Richard Esposito: Now, in the midst of all that I have to say I went back and I went to the evil side and I got a PhD in engineering so.
Richard Esposito: I hate to say that all the geologists in the room, which is probably everybody, but it was geology related it had to do with CO2 enhanced or recovery, so it was an engineering degree, but it had to do with geology stuff so that was kind of a little career diversion there but.
Richard Esposito: It I felt like it was necessary for me to do that for my professional development.
Richard Esposito: Now for a couple other things that i'm involved in just of interest is i'm actually the the chair the energy division of GSA.
Richard Esposito: So I chair, that second session section and then i'm also the President of the Alabama geological society and with respect to licensing of geology so I actually served on the licensing board for the state of Alabama for issuing.
Richard Esposito: Professional geologists licensing, you know, through the as bog and so that was a really interesting process and actually.
Richard Esposito: we're going to be doing something very interesting here through the Alabama geological society where we're actually going to try to do some training modules.
Richard Esposito: for preparing to take the as bog so i'll definitely reach out to GSA and see if we can link that in the things that they may be doing, because I really think that taking the has bog and going through the GI T and the PG process is very important.
Richard Esposito: For your professional careers and your professional development and i'm here to tell you the best time to do that as soon as you get out of school to.
Richard Esposito: It and as soon as you can because.
Richard Esposito: I noticed from the past fail right on a lot of the as bog tests, if you wait till later in life, you forgotten, a lot of that really good stuff that you've learned as a student and.
Richard Esposito: You don't know the difference between an insult burger i'm an ad knocker weird things like that you know that normally you would know because it's fresh in your mind when you're when you're just out of school you're a student.
Richard Esposito: But you know 20 years later, when you start getting senile like I am you know you don't remember that stuff so it's good to take that test early and get that behind you.
Richard Esposito: So just real quick networking is so important, look, I have been a mentor to a bunch of people and i've actually proud to announce that i've actually helped different people get jobs in industry.
Richard Esposito: Southern company often hires so you know you can look at our website and things like that we can talk more about that, but.
Richard Esposito: there's a lot of you know, looking at jobs there's a lot of jobs that are going to be coming up in the energy industry because the energy industry is being forced with decarbonizing.
Richard Esposito: And that decarbonisation is going to involve more employment for geologists to do that, so I think it's a it's a bright future in the energy industry um for PR for careers, with a pretty early professional geologists.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Wonderful thanks so much Richard I appreciate that and remember as you meet our mentors please put any questions you might have for them in the chat as you heard.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Mark indicated, he doesn't have a PhD Richard one got a PhD in engineering so we've got a couple of you know we'll have folks who don't have degrees.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So please, if you have questions you know, should I go forward should I not put those in the chat.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Also certification is, I want to make sure that you know what that is do a favor for me if you have a moment and you're a student who's joined us please indicate if you're an undergraduate or graduate student.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: In the chat so that our mentors have a sense of who's joined us undergraduates primarily are graduates.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And for certification, if you are an undergraduate of that very first test that you take it's as you heard from Richard it's really good to take that.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: As soon as you get out of school, if possible, a lot of people will take it either in their senior year or right after their senior year, so we will talk more about that.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Do indicate in the chat for us if you are an undergrad or Grad student and and with that will now move on to Susan hall who's a research geologist with the usgs.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: If you're just joining us, I have her contact information and all of our other mentors contact info in that chat box, but if you have questions write those in the chat box Susan are you here.
susanhall: I am here.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you.
susanhall: Thank you for inviting me, I appreciate it i'm kind of a last minute addition I think so.
susanhall: I don't have prepared remarks, but I will, and I certainly want to hear questions from students more than you don't need to hear my sorted history but i'll give you a brief.
susanhall: synopsis I do have a PhD I in an academic economic geologist and I spent about 2025 years working in industry, before I moved on to the US geological survey I also did some teaching in between, and so I think I had my finger in a.
susanhall: number of different facets of the application of geology two different career paths.
susanhall: I got my bachelor's degree at Smith college in western Massachusetts.
susanhall: A master's at university of California Davis, and then I went to Canada and got a PhD at university of Ottawa.
susanhall: I wanted to talk a little bit about the first job I ever got because I I that's the hardest one it's a really hard.
susanhall: wall to get over, I think, and probably many of you are facing that are will in the immediate future.
susanhall: I don't want to underplay the importance of networking and your professional connections, but two of the most important jobs i've gotten over the years have been just blind.
susanhall: Applications that resulted in positions that really move me forward the first was pre Internet so that dates me I just sent out a bunch of resumes and.
susanhall: Cover letters to mining companies and ended up working for Exxon and Exxon minerals in South Texas looking at uranium mineralization.
susanhall: Interestingly, now I have circled back, and I am still looking at uranium, but in between I didn't for 30 years um and then the job I have now with us geological survey I got that position through a blind application to the USA jobs USA jobs.gov website so you know don't overlook those.
susanhall: Those sort of.
susanhall: avenues to finding a getting a career start for yourself.
susanhall: And, and I think I you know i'll talk a little bit about what I do now, because I feel so fortunate to have the position I do I.
susanhall: Basically, do research looking into the occurrences of uranium and developing genetic models for uranium.
susanhall: And it's just like a big detective story that I get to live every day in my professional life it's just so much fun bringing bits of information in from all different sources and and.
susanhall: Finally, sort of ferreting out the the connectivity between this information and determining how deposits form so fascinating work I if I could give a plug for economic geology.
susanhall: You know that would be at it's really, really fun, as with Richard there are I I worked in a field that was cyclic so whenever I couldn't get a job I pop back into school that's probably why I have so many degrees.
susanhall: And I even spent a year in law school and I got really discouraged by geology as for certification, I am a certified professional genealogist, it is not a PG.
susanhall: But it was necessary, when I was working in industry to put my name on reports and I doing it now is the best thing you can do is you first get out of school get that PG now so stay with you the rest of your life nothing gonna stop there, thank you.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks so much Susan.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And as you've heard you know, and we have students with us clearly I know getting a job in the futures, important to you and all of these folks have.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: applied for jobs and been through the process and do some hiring so please throw questions for them into the chat box Thank you Susan and I don't think God is here Jen are you with us jed mehan.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: I did not see him he might be tied up so hopefully he will join us later, but I do know that diana's here, and if you'd like to go ahead and introduce yourself Diana.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): yeah down here.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): First, thank you GSA for the invitation and happy to be here.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Yes, on the anon originally from Columbia, and so you already can see that i've been moving a little bit alone.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Around I did my bs in geology in Colombia, and then I went to Puerto Rico for my masters in the university for Rico for a geology.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): degree, and then I moved here to Kansas, to get my PhD in geology at the University of Kansas, and then I move it in.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): The day back to the South to the Columbus State University, I became an assistant professor of Theology there and I get to work with.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Many students and I had some graduate students there, so I also have some insights of that academic academia and so it was great to be there.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): And then I made 2019 I moved back to Kansas, and I became an assistant scientists at the cancer geological survey i'm part of the energy research group so as.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So part of the work of the research that I do is mainly in the in the Caribbean, so I started rocks there, so you are not limited.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): To an area so that's wonderful like I work there in in several countries, but I also work here in the continent in an in the south, east and I still.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Have a work or connections with a Columbus is the university so so that's like.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): One of the mentors here already mentioned how important is the networking and how important is to.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): establish these because you never know how they can continue an open or they're like research or some type of collaboration or someone maybe open some doors like in my case I returned to Kansas after like.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): finishing my PhD because I left the door open here and and i'm happy to be here and almost a year and a half, so, so I think that that's that's kind of like the message that I want to start with, and another message that I want to just.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Give before we enter into the questions from the students is that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Even if you're shy sometimes you have to jump out of your like comfort zone and then like either send an email to contact somebody like try to establish that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): relationship or sometimes in a field trip like it was my case you have to even if you're on a speak in front of all these people, you can just raise your hand and maybe.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Start something and it's how I met my PhD advisor back in 2008 in a field trip in Spain, and then I was still a master student and if you don't have to go to Spain, of course.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But it's how years of their I continue like working collaborating with him we now are co workers here at the cancer geological survey.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So, so I think that those are my two messages, like the networking that you through GSA conferences like you're doing it today.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): or also through like field trips or emails or or or or so you never know what doors, you can open like a job position or like a PhD or graduate school so so that's that's kind of my my story.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks Diana and i'll echo the networking components I got my master's my first master's degree from the University of Kansas.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And background in archaeology and geology and while I was there I also worked at the Kansas geological survey which.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: was interesting because my boss at the time REX Buchanan new folks at AG, you really were well, which is where I work next in the folks at AG, you know folks at GSA where I am now so it's all of my jobs i've gotten through networking so very, very important.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: This program will now move to the questions portion is all driven by your questions so when I see one question in the chat which i'll go ahead and pose.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: i'll pose it to all of our mentors and anyone is welcome to comment.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: I encourage you to write any questions you have in the chat if you don't have any questions i'll start going through this list that you see on my screen as.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Some potential things that we might cover so first question for our mentors aside from obtaining a PG what are some other.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Achievements or activities you look for when hiring right out of school, it seems like a lot of jobs, one years of work experience what can we do to make ourselves more competitive in the hiring process.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Who would like to take that one first.
Richard Esposito: This is Richard i'll say something about that yeah that's a that's a great question and it's it's a.
Richard Esposito: it's a frustrating thing, because it is the chicken and the egg you know you gotta you gotta have experience you know.
Richard Esposito: You know, and a lot of people want some experience, so the people that we tend to hire so a lot of that experience is made up by.
Richard Esposito: Extended degrees, so if you've got a bachelor's degree, and you have no experience, then you're at a bit of a disadvantage, unless you've been doing some interning or.
Richard Esposito: You know co opting or something like that at that level, which is not that common at a bachelor's level but.
Richard Esposito: If you get a Masters degree you you've kind of got a little bit more to the hang your hat on that you've done some research you've done some writing.
Richard Esposito: you've got something to show people, and I think that's really important with the masters and then, if you.
Richard Esposito: go all the way through, and you have the PhD you know you really have the.
Richard Esposito: You know a lot to show there, you know that does supplement the fact that you probably did some field work or something in the lab or something relevant to what you would be doing as to show your your potential employer, but.
Richard Esposito: If someone had mentioned, I forgot who it was but yeah that first job is the hardest thing.
Richard Esposito: I mean it is tough and and you'll find that it will be frustrating, I mean I sent out hundreds of letters and got no replies and.
Richard Esposito: Had a couple interviews and didn't even feel like I had a chance and, but it will happen, and once you get that first job then your career will take off from then there you know you'll get some experience there but.
Richard Esposito: Some of the things I said, will probably be helpful and i'll let the other panelists to kind of give their thoughts as well.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks Richard I saw mark raised his hand and then Susan i'll go to you next mark.
mark carter: yeah well I may be saying the same thing that Susan is going to say usgs we have internships and either through networking or a lot of these are just posted online.
mark carter: Through USA jobs keep an eye ball on on those websites.
mark carter: Both air science Center sure citizen science in her work does the same we hire students, we hire interns.
mark carter: The usgs has several intern routes, to take one of one of them is through the maggot National Association of geology teachers.
mark carter: that's a field camp program so when you go to field camp and.
mark carter: If your field camp does not participate in that maggot program I would strongly encourage you to talk to your northfield camp.
mark carter: Those who are running your field camp to participate in that project because that's an opportunity, through the GT and usgs for internship opportunities within the usgs.
mark carter: Well i'm done.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks for bringing that up and just to repeat for the students that are here with us, when you do your field camp if you've not done it yet, and you are interested in an internship with usgs.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: You need to let your field camp instructors know that and then you get nominated.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: By them to do an internship with usgs and there are quite a few of those available and so there's certain things that you may or may not be aware of, and this is an important one to know why don't I turn it over to Susan.
susanhall: I think.
susanhall: marks said a lot of it, but I will say that I had a volunteer if you can afford.
susanhall: To do a volunteer take a volunteer shifts that usgs anybody can volunteer you just need to have.
susanhall: A mentor that takes you on so I had a volunteer who actually started volunteering right after high school between high school and college and then she went off to college got a degree in archaeology as a matter of fact and Upper and.
susanhall: Then covert hit so she really had a tough time finding anything to do, and she contacted me and said, can I come back and just you know help you out in between my job at starbucks.
susanhall: So she she been a volunteer with me for a solid year and she just got her first job it starts in two weeks with the national park service working as an archaeological technician so you can volunteer I know people are hesitant to do that, sometimes, and everybody has kind of.
susanhall: An opinion about an unpaid volunteer and I understand where they're coming from on that I absolutely do some States actually don't even allow it, but you know it is an option if you really just need to get something on your resume.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent thanks Susan.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And Diana, did you want to comment.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): I just want to like.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): piggyback off of what other mentors your said, like first like try to like to build a resume and to get some experience like don't you can try to apply for internships.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Like temporary so that's like I know many like industry date they hires from that pool so so that's the first experience that's.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): tried to do this, one internships with government with industry like a small and large.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Like some of them are pay most of them, but there are others that are not so, if you have the chance to participate that that's already good for your resume.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): And also, as Susan already mentioned the volunteering a like time in.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): parks at the cancer geological survey, we have so many students to like pay and not base, and I think that that's important, and this.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): is again thinking outside of the box and trying to reach out like out of your comfort zone but that's gonna be it's gonna be helpful for your resume.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): and the last thing that I want to say, and I did a lot, when I was a Masters or PhD student is to participate in as many short courses workshops field trips that conferences like GSA offer.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): And is a great price to like sometimes it's a free or they're 2040 bucks or something like that so.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): it's I think that that's great and it's again great for for building your resume but also networking you never know who you are going to meet them is good experience of course.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But I get an internship offer to show coursera I was taking a GSA Conference, so I think that as a you never know what you're going to find opportunities, but you are already working in networking building a resume and like broadly finding a job.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent, thank you very.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Much so our next question what influenced your decision to change positions throughout your career.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: What were some benefits or limitations you discovered in moving from one position to the NUTS to another, and how do you balance advancing your career and maintaining a solid network.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And just about all of our mentors have changed careers, so this would be a good one for anyone who would like to go first.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): I can go first.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Sure thanks Diana so.
I.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): I guess I did I had my change my career like when I decided, I move like a beam like a geologists the whole time my my bachelor's and my master's my PhD but what I changed completely is after being.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): assistant professor of psychology at the university for three years, then I decided to move here to the cancer geological survey to become a research assistant so i'd like is that's a big change in the sense that I not have any vision.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): load so so that that's me like it was a hard decision and and I had, I was very happy at the job that I had.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But it was more of the opportunity I thought I still john and I had not really a part of my PhD I had not really.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): been like hundred percent working on a research project or like developing the program So this is the time to do it, so it was a risk because yours is through that I knew Lawrence and Kansas, and the area.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): I was a graduate research assistant at the castle geological survey, so I know I knew the people here, but it was still like.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Like for nowhere, it was a risk, but it was because I thought this is the time to do it if I stay there for 30 years in this table I love the job.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But I never gonna know why I was being a researcher.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So so here what I can say, in addition, or for this position was attractive to me, is because the cancer geological survey is part of the University of Kansas.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So I get to do research 90% of my time, but I also have Grad students and I get to teach an assistant professor in the department of neurology.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So I have both here so, and this is a larger universities and I get to do some research so so yeah it's always hard and they were moans of thinking, asking people other mentors.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): How to make the decision so but, but I can say is unhappy here after a year and a half.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But but yeah it's like life, making decisions is like you're always in the risk like this is, you have to make it and sometimes it's gonna work worker well other times, no, but then you make other decisions and you keep moving that's that's my two cents here.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you and it's good to remember that that first job isn't always going to be your only job for life, you can make changes throughout your career.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So would anyone else, like to comment.
Richard Esposito: yeah this this is Richard i'll go so i'm i'm maybe a little different because i've been like I said next week, I will have been a southern company for 30 years.
Richard Esposito: But within southern company, I actually changed.
Richard Esposito: Groups of where I was are actually departments, and so, when I first got a job with the company, I was doing more environmental stuff I was doing work with ass ponds drilling water wells groundwater monitoring kind of.
Richard Esposito: You know hydro geology sort of stuff and, as time went on, I really saw that need in the company in the energy sector to do R amp D on more mainstream kind of energy R amp D proactive sort of thing so.
Richard Esposito: that's when I went back and got my PhD in engineering.
Richard Esposito: which was a big decision, but I actually was able once I was working at the company actually able to do that PhD work on a project that we were working on at the company, so that made.
Richard Esposito: Data acquisition and everything really easy there, and of course the company paid for my.
Richard Esposito: My degree, you know so that worked out well and when you're working at a company and you go back and get a degree there they're generally very supportive of that and they provide you with an opportunity, you know to.
Richard Esposito: To do that, you know if you have to take classes during the day, or something when it might interfere with with your work schedules so.
Richard Esposito: You know I didn't move around a whole lot i've only had two jobs in my illustrious collegiate career.
Richard Esposito: But also being strategic and thinking about.
Richard Esposito: Where you're working and if there's other areas.
Richard Esposito: Within that organization, where you might want to move to because those are really emerging sort of areas and the company that is going to provide more long term job security or more just, you know something you might be more more and more interested in so i'll kind of leave it at that.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks a lot and mark, I see your hands raised, do you want to comment.
mark carter: yeah I was just gonna say Richard and I are probably more or less than the same boat.
mark carter: When I came out of school i'm a geologic mapper and so they're actually very few of us you'd be surprised.
mark carter: How very few number of people actually ended in the geologic industry or geologic matters, and so my career path has been very focused and very narrow actually throughout my career.
mark carter: I sort of like Richard if I had chosen accurate, I would still be with North Carolina geological survey.
mark carter: Just as easy as I was able to move up to Virginia, which was a personal decision of the move from the Virginia survey to the usgs was more.
mark carter: Its mother backers with the with the Virginia survey as time shrinking down and trapping and moving people around a little bit and an opportunity presented itself with the usgs doing exactly what i've done rest of my career, so it was a it was an easy.
mark carter: easy decision, if you will, to jump from the Virginia survey to the usgs I guess my point here would be you know if you if you have something that you're really interested part of.
mark carter: Part of the science of what you're interested in about geology you know you can focus on that and run your career with that.
mark carter: For good long way to go.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent Thank you.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Did you want to add a comment Susan or, should I move to the next question.
well.
susanhall: let's see there we go.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Go ahead i'm afraid if I start talking about this i'll take the rest of the hour, but.
susanhall: I will say that.
susanhall: You know don't be afraid to try new things.
susanhall: As you know, I changed career positions in response to.
susanhall: You know pressures from having a family and the difficulties and doing field work and combining the two, but the night, you know I always there was always this grain of wanting to study economic geology and I was eventually able to get back to it.
susanhall: But try new things out, you know if you can, if your lifestyle lets you do, that I totally encourage it, either as Richard did within his job trying different aspects of it out, or just jumping into something completely different for a little while um yeah i'll stop there, sorry.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: excellence and.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And don't force anything you know I always thought I needed to be in academia, but i've ended up in nonprofits and still getting to teach and I love it so yeah you never know.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Our next question is from Derek i'm interested in coastal and marine geology, this is the first time i'm hearing about P geez so one thing that I always always try to address in the sessions.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Is certification, because it is something that very few students i've ever heard of So do I need a PG or is it only for certain fields of geology like petroleum geology who would like to go first.
mark carter: i'll jump in real quick.
mark carter: As I said, early on a lot of the geologic surveys require their staff to have a PG just it's a good thing to have.
mark carter: And, of course, my friends and colleagues in private industry, of course, recognized.
mark carter: As being critical and, of course, Richard and others can can talk about that, but from even from the the from the government into things state government in the things.
mark carter: it's very important to have and the other thing is, and this is reason why I keep mine, although I don't use it.
mark carter: usgs doesn't require, of course, but I like to have mine, because we never know what's going to happen down the road and I always have that with me so that.
mark carter: You know if something should happen down the road, and I do want to completely change jobs and get into the private industry or go back to state.
mark carter: Government work i've got that that PG in my back pocket, and someone pointed out earlier, once you get it, as long as you keep it up data with your.
mark carter: continuing education credits, year in and year out, nobody can take it away from you.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Under full thanks, and I see Diana you raised, your hand, would you like to comment.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Yes, I don't have a big I didn't know anything when I graduate I wish somebody had said to me, because I agree with the other mentors that you never know I had never need needed I don't need.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): The job at the university or here at the cancer geological survey is not required, but if you want to do any consulting on anything outside.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): is good to have it, and I also echo sort of devices that you already here that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): is better to do it right away because everything is fresh in your head like you know even how you are familiar with taking exams, and all that so so preparing understanding.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): That, if you wait, so much so, I have not an eye is in the back of my mind that maybe it's something good to have and also you don't have any experience or any like a.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Good resume is good to have that that that you are PG so, so I think that, as a co then they they advice from the other mentors and, but in my area, specifically, I had not needed so so it's it's good to have it, but not like I never heard when I was a.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): graduate student.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Okay i'm Susan do you want to comment.
susanhall: i'm.
susanhall: Sorry.
susanhall: No, I don't really have anything to add, but I will say that I think.
susanhall: Even if you're doing coastal or geology you may end up in the consulting realm.
susanhall: So that having a PG is really important than in private industry.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent thanks so for the students.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: There is an organization called as bog their nonprofit like GSA.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: As big, they are the ones that administer and set the questions for certification and control certification for geologists around the country every state is a little bit different.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: you first of all get your GI T, which is geologist and training, and that is.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: For our very intensive exam based on all the courses that you just took as an undergraduate so the closer to your undergraduate degree, you can take that the better.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: The usually I think they run in the fall and the spring.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: For your PG you need to have worked five years first and then you can sit for the PG exam and those exam questions are going to be quite a bit different it'll be based more on sort of your working history.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: and consulting and you can't sign any papers without a PG or a GI T you know, initially, which gets you down the road so it's important to do that if you get a moment.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So our next question is for mark and it says his grip GR IP being funded grip is the graduate research internship program and I heard about the pathway program what opportunities are a part of the pathway Program.
mark carter: Yes, and I, if you go to the chat you can kind of bored down through there and I answered for everybody.
mark carter: Unfortunately, the usgs we tend to move things around and so forth, so grip was there a couple of years ago i'm not 100% it's still there Susan may be able to to chime in and help um we do have an office that takes care of all of that used an education.
mark carter: Services, I think, yes, but I can't retain within the usgs is an acronym and I didn't tools remember what all the acronyms are.
mark carter: But we can help you navigate through that system, we also have a pointed out to Derek that we also have a recent graduate hiring authority that allows us to hire.
mark carter: young professionals right out of school and that's not only for bachelor's, but it also goes, all the way up to to to PhD.
mark carter: focus just isn't as we hire those you'll be hired in at different GS levels so a bachelor of science will come out at no GS 567 in that range up to a PhD up to 1112.
mark carter: So those opportunities or out there.
mark carter: And again, I just would refer everybody to start to go through the chat right there and see see what.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent thanks, and I did scroll.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Through and I see that most of the other comments that we had then were based on that question.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So, if you so we've answered all the questions that are in the chat So if you have a question, please place that in there, but in the meantime, why don't we.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: If you're in a move on to a different question so if you're in a hiring position and for those metrics who are not just in your own experience when you've done your interviewing.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Can you give us some tips on either what you look for in an applicant, or if you've applied in the past, perhaps you could add some comments about you know resumes or anything you felt that help you get your foot in the door, any tips that you have for the students that are with us today.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And i'll start with mark will just work work our way down the list if that's okay.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Right.
mark carter: first thing i'm going to say is that if you have not taken an orc GIs class right now take it or GIs is probably the most important.
mark carter: bit of technology that's come around in the last 10 years or so, everything that we do in the United States geological survey in terms of mapping in terms of.
mark carter: What Susan does and what many, many other people doing have some type of our GIs component to it, I think it is critical that the second only to your PhD you come out of school knowing how to.
mark carter: Are you PG license knowing come out come out of school having experienced.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you, mark i'm Richard did you have a comment.
Richard Esposito: yeah sure okay so um I interview, a lot of people so i've got a lot of skills in this interviewing game.
Richard Esposito: Make sure your resume is very well done, get help with it even professional help or get people who are professionals to help you with it i'm not saying pay people to do it for you.
Richard Esposito: Make sure that there's no misspelled words and everything is very short and succinct in it that it shouldn't be more than a couple pages of the most I mean.
Richard Esposito: Coming out of school, it should be one page that, theoretically, because you don't have all this work experience so keep it very, very tight.
Richard Esposito: Also, know the people that you're interviewing with look them up, whether you have to do some cyber security on.
Richard Esposito: snooping on linkedin or someplace find out who they are, and what what they are, where they went to school find out all about the company that you're interviewing we I interview people all the time and they will be like.
Richard Esposito: You know i'll say what do you have any questions you know, for us, like.
Richard Esposito: Well, what kind of stuff do you all do at southern company, you know and i'm like What do you mean you're interviewing for a job here, you need to know what we do and you need you're interviewing preposition so.
Richard Esposito: You know, look getting interviews is is is is tough these days right it's always been tough but it's tough right now.
Richard Esposito: So when you do get one do not squander that by going in unprepared, you cannot be too prepared to go into these interviews if you get an opportunity, and if you're doing it virtually dress look very nice very professional if you go in get there early be very professional.
Richard Esposito: Even you know offered to stay after longer you know just just try to set yourself aside there's going to be a bunch of people when we.
Richard Esposito: When we put out a job posting for a geologist we get lots of applicants right.
Richard Esposito: And so we have to screen through those at first, and all we all were going by is resumes so some people we look at if there's misspelled words on their resume it's like out the door those go okay.
Richard Esposito: And so there's a process there and then, when we get to higher interviewing three or four people all those people are equally qualified.
Richard Esposito: Right, you know interview for people that you've down selected from 50 or 100 people and and you know they're generally all very qualified for the job.
Richard Esposito: What sets someone apart it's the it's the person that we're hiring at that point, maybe not their qualifications right, we want the person that has the right personality that's going to integrate that's going to work in a team effort.
Richard Esposito: that's going to have good reading and writing and public speaking skills and all that, and all that will come out in an interview.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent Thank you very much.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And, and if there's any more specifics about hiring, as you just heard richards done quite a bit of this So if you have any others put those in the chat Susan do you have some comments to add.
susanhall: I will.
susanhall: completely agree with both of those both my former.
susanhall: panelists archie is is critical that's how you.
susanhall: Look at all your information, you pull it all into a geospatial morning format.
susanhall: We just went through a hiring process i'll add, in addition to looking professional just looking neat you don't need to wear a suit but look neat have a good resume don't have it five pages on nobody's going to read through that well somebody made but i'm not going to.
susanhall: The other thing is pick if you're going to pick references pick people who know you really well.
susanhall: don't pick somebody who knows who you feel is impressive but they may not really know you very well.
susanhall: I had a recent hire who picked somebody you know, a couple people who really kept saying I don't I can't really comment on that because I don't know.
susanhall: This person that well and they were things that were directly related to the job position that we were advertising so pick people that know you or at least know your personality, they may not know your specific.
susanhall: You know the specific skill, but they know your personality and they can speak to how well you're going to work with others.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent Thank you Susan.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Diana, do you have any.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: comments to add.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): I can live a more in agreement.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): With what the other mentors are just like hundred percent I was taking my notes here, and yet, yes, yes, yes, yes, but I will say, like, I will add that song universities have a good career Center.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So don't hesitate to go visit them because they're really good at mentoring you they are like well prepared so they can help you, with your resume they can help you like they have mock interviews and.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Like how to write an email, like everything that can help to make you look as Richard already said, like professional and and.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): yeah so like even dressing professional, so I think that our our ladder that use your resources and the universities and I use a person that never send an email or resume or anything without a second or third or four people person to look at.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): External them.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent thanks Diana so for each view will sort of work through our list here.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Think about your first job and any tips, you have based on how you got your first job that you could impart to our students who are attending.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And why don't we all go reverse order i'll start with Diana this time.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So my first job it was back when I was an undergrad and I think that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): i'd say the grapes are not that important, but they are especially when you assign but more than the greatest doing a good job, like trying to.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): learn the concepts that you are trying to be a good student and a one saying this is because.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): The Professor was teaching the class happened to be in a project or happened to work at the national petroleum company, my country, and he offered me an interview.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So I was the steel and undergrad and I I came to a place like work like applying the geology that I was learning in the school to.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): A job environment so that was very intimidating and so on, but I I get.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Like I was a little more comfortable because I knew the professor, but I really wasn't applying for a job he was the one that REACH up to me and and I went through the interview process and all that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But it was because I was performing well in the class, so I think that that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): That was my experience at least how how it happened to me, I was also, I have to add sometimes you are like the network in years but also sometimes if you're lucky and that's something that is part of life but lucky and her work, is what I love is to do your thing as well.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent thanks.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: What about uses and your first job and how did you get that any tips, you can offer.
susanhall: Well, I think I talked about that in my.
susanhall: When I was talking about myself, but I I I did not get my first job through any connections, I was going to school.
susanhall: At a small liberal arts college where there just weren't the industry connections that a lot of people have, and I think it's helpful to know that it's really a numbers game as Diana said it, you are just lucky sometimes so keep time keep you know go to USA jobs put in.
susanhall: A search string and keep getting fed jobs every time they come up and apply for every single one of them don't be you know if you can move move just go where the job is but it's really a numbers game that first job for me it was.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks Susan Richard.
Richard Esposito: Do you have some comments yeah definitely so yeah so lots of different ways to find your first job.
Richard Esposito: You know, networking is so important and sending out, you know applications to jobs and things like that, but yes.
Richard Esposito: The the federal job site or state job sites there's lots of jobs for geologists you know with the Federal Government, there is a.
Richard Esposito: mess F 171 form, I don't know if it's changed from once I did it, but you go online and fill it out and put in your preferences and.
Richard Esposito: You know, and then they let you know if that when there's a job that way you don't have to be looking all the time you get an email, it says hey there's a job that fits your.
Richard Esposito: job description, but I would do that with states as well, so the way I got my first job.
Richard Esposito: With the Alabama department environmental management heck I didn't even know who the Alabama department of environmental management was when I was in graduate school I didn't even know that they hired geologists but someone.
Richard Esposito: A smart person said look get on these registries for the state jobs and federal jobs and things like that, and when jobs come open.
Richard Esposito: I filled out an application, I sent it in you know just it wasn't an application for an actual job opening but within a month there was an available job and informed me that there was a job I applied for it, I went in for an interview and I got the job.
Richard Esposito: So it doesn't always happily happen that simply right but.
Richard Esposito: To get everything working as much as possible for you.
Richard Esposito: You know, for networking and filling out these applications on the Federal and State level and then still be looking on Facebook, or all the other places, you know jobs USA or wherever and start just mass applying for everything and be flexible, yes.
Richard Esposito: You know I there's so many people that i've heard students say.
Richard Esposito: yeah you know I really just kind of want to stay around the university, where I graduated or work in Kansas or Alabama or Louisiana.
Richard Esposito: be flexible, that first job may take you someplace that you absolutely don't want to go, but you got to go there and then work after that getting back to where you may really want to live, whether it's wyoming or wherever so that's that's my two cents.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks for thanks Richard any comments mark.
mark carter: or I.
mark carter: would just say firstly that yeah.
mark carter: My fellow panelists to kind of hit it all on hand right there keeping up on the on USA jobs this Richard just pointed out, all the.
mark carter: States also have have a similar hiring positions on their their websites and it doesn't just have to be the geologic surveys, there are numerous opportunities for geologists NGO scientists in the state environmental.
mark carter: divisions in the state regulatory divisions so just keep a good broad view of the world, if you will.
mark carter: and watch those opportunities and I guess that's where i'm probably the rest of the panelists i'm probably more unique in that.
mark carter: As a map or my first job I was mapping with a with a world renowned southern appalachian geologist with university of Tennessee.
mark carter: His experience was was entirely in geologic mapping, I was mapping up in the blue ridge of North Carolina and Tennessee so I got to know the Tennessee survey folks.
mark carter: and particularly the north Carolina geologic survey folks quite well when I was working on my master's degree and I continued on with my with my PhD.
mark carter: And so, when that position opened up with the North Carolina survey.
mark carter: You know we've had those connections, I had that network and I had that opportunity and saw that opportunity and couldn't pass it up.
mark carter: Now it had two choices right there stay at Tennessee and get my PhD or head on, into the working environment, I chose the working environment that has worked well for me throughout my almost 30 years career now.
mark carter: But i'll probably if I were to give advice I would say stay in school.
mark carter: Because I am a I think a more of a unique situation.
mark carter: So that's that's my two cents.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Great thanks, so now we'll move on to the second question, so I just asked you about how you got your first job so let's now look at where you are currently.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And there's a lot of types different types of jobs out there that students are maybe not familiar with so.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: For example, let's talk to Diana first about working at a State survey, I think a lot of state surveys are not on.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: anyone's radar initially maybe they are if they're right there at your university.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: But we'll go ahead and work through and so Diana, if you could specifically talk to us about I know you taught, so perhaps you could address academia as well, but also working at a survey and sort of positives and negatives, and what you think.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So also of the Council geological survey, as I said before, is that is part of the University of Kansas.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So we are both we are going to stay like it, yes state government and then University of Kansas so So it goes a complicated also it has some disadvantages because of that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But, but the good thing is that we are very much connected with the university with the students with their facilities and research.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): labs so so that I will say is good and not at the cancer geological survey, we are not limited to do research in Kansas, so of course we have to like the war, like i'm part of the.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): ratio also talk about the CO2 sequestration and i'm part of these initiatives and part of the Kansas projects, but I also do research in the Caribbean and in.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Our like South East us so that's also like a good advantage of me i've been at the survey so that was also attractive to me I didn't want only be limited to to Kansas, I think that is also good advantage that I get to have graduate students masters and PhDs.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So, so I think that those are like a good, I have a black very flexible.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Like a job, like office hours, I will say like schedule, so I don't really have to like go from eight to five so that's also good, just like a faculty position that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): i'm required to be there at times but it's more than the results, so I think that that's different for an industry position.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So I kind of manage my own schedule and that's great place and I have a very john daughter, so I think that that's good for family purposes so so yeah I think that is good.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): In terms of a flexibility and the research that I can do, and the places a limitation that I could say is that they are so.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): agencies that we as sorbet cannot apply for funding, because we have no faculty so that limits our like areas where we go good, but I think that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): That they're all there that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): We can we have a big disadvantage, but it's still manageable.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks Diana so every state has a.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: geological survey so.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: do keep those in mind in your job search because they're always looking for help and even as a student if you're hoping to get some research in and do some volunteering, especially if there's one near you university that's a great way to do it.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Did you have a comment Susan I saw you turn your camera on.
susanhall: No just figured I was next in line you.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: You are next.
susanhall: lunch to go with this.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: too I know.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: We do in person, everyone gets to eat lunch and sadly we don't get to do that here.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: it's a bummer.
susanhall: I will comment on the difference between working in government and industry, you have.
susanhall: It don't get me wrong working at the federal government is.
susanhall: frustrating in many ways.
susanhall: This is just a lot of bureaucracy, but you can work your way through it and figure out how to make it work for you, I think.
susanhall: I think the main difference between working for government and industry is if you're working for industry, you typically a part of a team, and you have an immediate goal in front of you and there's a lot of.
susanhall: there's a beauty in that and it's really a lot of fun to be working towards a common purpose.
susanhall: In government you in my position, at least in government, if you have a lot of flexibility, you have world class expertise that you have access to, but you really have to set more of your own goals.
susanhall: At least in short term goals, there may be overarching goals, but you, you have to you're in charge of of more of your immediate future.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you and.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: i'll pop forward to mark you're at the usgs as well, and a lot more of our students will be familiar with the usgs but what can.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: You say as far as positives and negatives and benefits, etc, for the usgs.
mark carter: No, I agree with Susan is there's a.
mark carter: there's a bit of bureaucracy Federal Government that may not be with the state and I just essentially for me and my career, because I have been with this to state surveys and then with the federal government as well.
mark carter: And I guess I would I don't want this to sound cheesy or whatnot, but I am very proud that i'm a civil servant i've always been a civil servant, and I will finish my career most likely as a as a civil servant, and so I think if if you get into.
mark carter: Government employment.
mark carter: You really do need to have that in the back of your mind that you do work for the taxpayers either the taxpayers in the state that you're working for the taxpayers knighted states with the usgs right now.
mark carter: It can be frustrating, it can be very rewarding I think the difference.
mark carter: That I have felt coming from the state surveys into the usgs is that the usgs is a very, very large organization yeah there are many opportunities.
mark carter: The State surveys tend to be most state surveys tend to be much smaller, and so there is a much closer relationship with your colleagues, because in a lot of cases there's only four or five others no you're you're one of four or five rather than in the usgs one of what 8000.
mark carter: So that that would be.
mark carter: Something that I guess, I would, I would say there's that you're looking at kind of two different dynamics, if you will, on a smaller group of people or large group people, of course, that doesn't apply to all state surveys Texas, for instance, Texas bureau geology is huge.
mark carter: So again, it all depends on on what you're looking to do and where where you find that john.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks mark.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And then, Richard so you're going to be our one loan sort of industry representative So what can you indicate as far as benefits advantages, etc, in that arena.
Richard Esposito: yeah so that's a very interesting value proposition I think everything that everyone has said so far has been spot on so I did work.
Richard Esposito: In government, you know I worked for four years of Alabama department environmental management which is, which was just State Agency, and then I did go to private industry or electrical utility publicly on utility.
Richard Esposito: And and there's a lot of differences there really are.
Richard Esposito: You know.
Richard Esposito: there's probably you know in these are just general things so I don't I don't sit around and worry about job security in my own role but there's probably more job security in the working for the Federal Government or State Agency they.
Richard Esposito: tend not to wax and wane and size, based on the economy and things like that they're budgeted so you don't have to worry about that that's especially.
Richard Esposito: Relevant in the oil and gas industry, these days, right, you know, there are a lot of employment opportunities than there are none, you know and then they're letting people go.
Richard Esposito: Pay scale and this by no means should be the most important thing that you think about you know the the government doesn't generally pay as much as industry, so if you're working in.
Richard Esposito: private industry, you probably you know have opportunities to make more money or start at a higher level, but there tends to be a lot of benefits with working for a governmental organization with time off and.
Richard Esposito: In hours and things like that now through the pandemic and things like that or even before that I, you know, so if I want to go travel to a conference in Iceland, you know I.
Richard Esposito: I pretty much go travel to a conference in Iceland, but if you're with the Federal Government, you probably have to fill out a bunch of applicant, you know.
Richard Esposito: You have to get permission, they have to look at budgets and things like that, so there are probably more restrictions and things that you do and don't do because I noticed that, from my.
Richard Esposito: My friends, that I collaborate with national labs and and with the usgs but at the same time.
Richard Esposito: You know I think both areas are equally as good to work in consulting is a little more rough shot because you're.
Richard Esposito: You know you're you're living day to day on jobs and things that are coming in and you might have to bring in you know it's kind of eat what you catch, sometimes with with the job market and things like that, but.
Richard Esposito: But really at this point, the best thing to do, that I could give advice is just to get that job.
Richard Esposito: And don't worry too much about you know what it pays or where it's at or you know just get that job get some experience get into the field that you want to do work as a geologist.
Richard Esposito: And then start stretching your wings and look for that perfect opportunity someplace else if it doesn't come along right off the BAT.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Great thanks I saw you raise your hand, mark you have a comment.
mark carter: yeah I just want to reiterate.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: hopes, I think we, I might click you unmuted you, for some reason me see if I can.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: unmute are you back.
mark carter: yeah i'm back now.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Okay.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: sorry about that.
mark carter: I just want to kind of build a little bit on what Richard just said.
mark carter: The usgs in federal government you.
mark carter: do the job security is probably a little better.
mark carter: Possible possibly much better state surveys, though, for the state geologic surveys, there is a waxing and waning and that's the very reason why i'm at the usgs right now i'm.
mark carter: From Virginia contract it back in 2008 and I was in a permanent position and they put me into a grant funded position.
mark carter: And at that point, it was like well if i'm going to be in a grant funded position at the US or at the state survey, I might as well be in a grant for.
mark carter: A term position at the usgs now that term position has moved on to a permanent position, which is one thing that you can look for.
mark carter: In the Federal Government you tend to start out at term and then move up into under more permanent positions as you as you acquire experience and so forth.
mark carter: But at the State level, this goes back to what Richard just said a lot of the new hires at the state level you're actually coming in in grant positions, the usgs state map program the usgs or if the mirage Program.
mark carter: A lot of those are bringing money into the states in those States then hire through those grant authorities.
mark carter: to hire their personnel don't be scared of that just because it's soft money doesn't mean it's a job that is going to necessarily in but you do need to be aware of that, that you are on soft money.
mark carter: From that funding that is coming from the federal government into the state geologic surveys us need to be aware of that, but it's not something that you should be afraid of.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thanks Mike and Diana you raise your hand.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): yeah just want to do where mark just said, that is true, like we have a State level, we have both the soft money and.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Harmony so I was hired as permanent.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): position so bad, they I know the people why, when I saw that were granted through soft money they were doing postdocs and they just recently were hired.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): To like a permanent position so so it's always like that chance.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Even when you go to industry like you can have an internship that's just temporary, but then you could be higher or not hired.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So, so I as a permanent position, so I think that yeah that's that's true for the state but but yeah it's a job, as also ratio setup like you just take it like this experience and is you never know if it's gonna continue there, so I take it, so yeah.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And I definitely I I tried to get an environmental consultants, but we.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Sadly don't have one, but a lot of our students after their bs will take a year and work for an environmental consulting firm a larger firm.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Trying to think of some off the top of my head my know draper aiden.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: ch to em hill things of that nature and your very first year come out with your bs you can get hired and work for them you'll do a lot of fieldwork.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And a lot of your time will then be billable to clients as well Is there anyone who can address that sort of you know, environmental consulting and what that would look like and billing to clients and so forth, to so our students are familiar with that.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: I don't know Richard do you do, you have to bill your time out to clients, where you are Richard.
Richard Esposito: Know we're i'm budgeted so I don't have.
Richard Esposito: Time sheet at all one charge but.
Richard Esposito: I do know a lot of people we hire a lot of environmental consultants yeah, and so they do, they if they've got 10 projects, they have budgets for each of those 10 projects and they have to make sure that they're not over budget and they're charging time.
Richard Esposito: To each of those different projects, and it is.
Richard Esposito: And you know there's a lot of jobs and environmental consulting and, especially, I think one of the students talked about coastal.
Richard Esposito: geology and things like that that is probably an environmental consultant sort of sort of job and environmental consultant can be a very lucrative and good job.
Richard Esposito: Long term job but it's also a good place to get a job they're going to work you hard okay they're going to get their money out of you they're going to send you all over the place you're going to travel.
Richard Esposito: you're going to be interfacing with a lot of different people, but you know that's the sort of experience that gets you to maybe one day work with the usgs or or.
Richard Esposito: You know industry like southern company or something like that if people like southern and usgs are not hiring people right out of school at that time.
Richard Esposito: You know, with early entry careers, with more of a more mid term kind of career, you know higher and stuff so yeah it's it's different it's definitely different than working in industry or for the Federal Government but it's a good place to get good experience.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: I learned a lot of skills, while you're there that's for.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Sure anyone else, want to able to comment on that.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: No, I would keep your eyes open for the students, as you as Richard said, there are a lot of environmental consulting jobs out there, so that's definitely something you can look at with just a bs.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Get out get some fieldwork under your belt start working, maybe, if you want to break before you start your masters that's up to you, though.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So we have let's see about 10 minutes left, so I always like to save this question for the last thing and i'll go ahead and ask everyone this as well, but.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: What hard lessons have you learned throughout your career and if you could look back at your earlier self and say you know give that person, a tip, for example, what would that be, so what hard lesson, have you learned and why don't I start at the top, with mark.
mark carter: Well, as I said earlier.
mark carter: i've been very blessed through my career i've been able to to walk in the woods for nearly 30 years and make your logic maps which is my passion, which is what are.
mark carter: The skill set that I have been blessed with.
mark carter: And I have enjoyed it, but I, as I said earlier, I had that choice between leaving my PhD and go into work for the North Carolina survey and that's a that's a decision that you're gonna have to make at some point in time, and you really, really, really need to give it.
mark carter: You need to give it a whole lot of thought, if if there was anything that I would I would do differently, I would have stayed in received my PhD, but I would not have the career positive I would not have the career that i've had for the past number of years.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: And I could ECHO you completely because I mentioned to in my workshop earlier, I was actually add all but dissertation twice and had been.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: You know and didn't finish I kept stopping and finding that for work reasons it was better to stop and have the job that I have and I wouldn't be where I am without that, but that is something you regret I agree.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: So Richard What about you yeah.
Richard Esposito: Three things okay number one.
um.
Richard Esposito: You know.
Richard Esposito: Stay I really feel like staying in school and getting a master's in a tough job market is a very prudent thing to do.
Richard Esposito: Number one and number two if you do that make sure you're doing a master's thesis that is relevant to what you want to do in life.
Richard Esposito: So I get i've had people call me and say yeah I want you to help me get a job and i'm like okay well.
Richard Esposito: what's your background okay I got a bachelor's in geology and I got a master's I said, would you do your masters on well I.
Richard Esposito: I measured the concentric growth rooms of stereotypes in a cave you know and i'm thinking okay who's gonna hire.
Richard Esposito: hire that now, you could be that could you could be a geochemist and that's that's applicable but.
Richard Esposito: talk to people in industry and ask them Okay, what are the emerging job things like carbon capture and storage, with geological sequence duration or energy storage I would tell you or geothermal and things like that think of really relevant things.
Richard Esposito: that's going to put you in a strategic position where your research is going to really prove yourself to an employer, the employer employer that you're targeting and then the last thing is I, you know as a double auburn graduate and I got my master's I mean my PhD from uab, by the way.
Richard Esposito: I had people constantly you know reach out to me and say hey i'd like to get some advice on a job and stuff like that and i'm like Okay, what do you want to do, I want to do this and that.
Richard Esposito: And and they're like, but I really want to stay in the auburn or Birmingham area.
Richard Esposito: And i'm like, no, no, do not call me and say you want me to help you with a job, but put the limitation that you want to stay in a certain state or a certain city or even in the southeast.
Richard Esposito: You have got to this is a big wide world for you, you need to go out and conquer it and you may not conquer it.
Richard Esposito: You know locally now, I was very lucky I graduated from auburn I got a job in Montgomery, which is an hour away, and then I got a job in Birmingham.
Richard Esposito: which was an hour and a half away, but that was just the way it all played out, I was very willing to go to Houston or Dallas or West Texas.
Richard Esposito: or any place that a new job you know opportunity in a new life was going to take me and I wasn't restrictive on geographically, where I went but um But some people do put limitations on themselves do not put limitations on yourself and a tough job market.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Excellent Thank you Susan do you have comments um.
susanhall: it's a hard question, you can always look back and say Oh, I should have taken that why didn't I do that.
susanhall: i'd be at a different place right now but.
susanhall: um so you know I don't know what I would do differently, because every choice you make takes you down a different road and you'll end up in a different different career or different sort of career, I will say that.
susanhall: As you move through these hard choices that I would say to continue to be curious and try to get whatever you can out of whatever job you end up with.
susanhall: try to make sure you're relevant and helpful to the people you're working with and to cultivate colleagues that you respect and who you enjoy working with those were Those are three things that I would tell the new graduates.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you very much, Diana, do you have some parting words.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): I agree with Susan.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): This is a very hard question to answer like I don't know if I will do something differently, like what I will say that.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): As kind of echo what Susan was just saying that you can learn from everything in your life all the experiences all the failures and all the different.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): Areas that you like to do through, so I think that, for me, was like a lucena a job offer because they're all prices and I had it already because I was still trying to finish my PhD I lost it.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): So it was a like okay now what now less time exploring other options and all that so, so I think that I will not do a different, but I learn from the process through this whole process.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): And, and then, just like what I will say is that just enjoy what I was like enjoy and be hundred percent in what i'm doing there and then the other things like prepare for the future, yes, but leaving the present you always can begin again learn from your failures and then just move.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): The eyes, is what I think that not do differently, because everything I had my life I have learned from the bad and the good stuff.
Diana Ortega-Ariza (KGS): But I think that I just it's all built on experiences, so I think that you always have the chance, like they were people here that move from one year to another, so you can always begin again, is what I will say.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you very much and i'd like to thank all of our mentors for volunteering their time and.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: being here to offer suggestions and advice we we really appreciate you being here Thank you so much.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: For all the students, thank you for joining us, I hope that your presentations go really well, we have another mentor program here tomorrow.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Three mentors all different from the ones today so you're welcome to join us again if you'd like and with that we will go ahead and end our program Thank you all very, very much for being here and good luck with the rest of the meeting.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: bye everyone, thank you very much.
RISE Jennifer Nocerino: Thank you.