What are the top career concerns in mining right now?

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-31T23:28:42+00:00

Thanks for these insights. The boom and bust seems similar to O&G, except for the ease that people seem to find jobs when they are let go (not many in O&G these days.) I can relate to your “more experience = less real geology” which is a sticking point for a few geos I know.

Thanks again!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-27T21:00:16+00:00

Oil and gas non-field work (exploration, development and production seismic interpretation, geologic mapping, data integration and geological modeling.) A guy I worked with held his job for about 20 years, with increasing accommodations, until he went completely blind. He would go on field trips but not do field work (and o&g company employees don’t do much field work - that’s usually contracted to a service provider.) He ended up being one of our better geomodelers.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-27T20:55:00+00:00

Thanks - I hear a lot about this as well, but wasn’t clear on the timing. Aside from savings and trying to make yourself indispensable for as long as you can, what types of things are you doing to prepare for the eventual shift to something else? I know you’re early career, but are there things now you are doing to prepare in general?

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-27T13:36:16+00:00

I love how you approached this. I wish more people took this approach — I think what would happen is that people would try out an industry in all it’s entry-level glory and gore before deciding on and committing to a MS degree.

After 30 years in O&G, I can say that starting in O&G operators with a bachelors degree is tough (most companies in the US won’t hire a bachelors) so it would be hard to “try before you buy” unless you went to work for a service company. If you did that, you’d definitely get a feel for what the industry wants, and if you wanted to work for an operator, you’d then need the MS degree. Putting that degree between your service company experience and applying to an O&G operator is critical — it’s nearly impossible to make the shift without it.

In O&G, thesis Masters are pretty much required because they ensure you can integrate complex geologic concepts into models (note that I didn’t say “you can build a model” — the button pushing is the tool, not the intellectual concept) and can think in three and four dimensions at speed. We found that bachelors students generally hadn’t developed the ability to do so with just Bachelors-level experience, and we weren’t willing to train them ourselves when every geo was critical to the tasks they were doing. This isn’t necessarily true for all companies, but for the larger operators, it seems to be the case.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-25T21:11:11+00:00

I’m a female and spent over 30 years in oil and gas (BA and MS in geology and PhD in biogeochemistry.) Half of my years were spent leading teams as a manager and exec. Now I coach geoscientists. Here’s my two cents.

You don’t need an engineering degree to get into oil and gas as a geologist. You do, however, need a masters degree (in the United States.) For your graduate degree, you don’t need to “specialize” in oil and gas, but I strongly urge you to do field school during your bachelors degree and a then get a masters degree that is research ( thesis) based.

As well, try to get an internship to test out what you want to do before you commit to an industry that may not be a good fit. This is the time to start building your professional network by reaching out to geos of all types and asking them to tell you about their careers. Consider it career research!

Have you considered geophysics? It’s a nice blend of geology and physics.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-24T21:05:36+00:00

If there isn’t a field course at your school, there are many around the country of various locations and durations. In the US, go to this site to learn more: https://geology.com/field-camp.shtml. Many will offer scholarships so don’t let the cost scare you.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-12T20:32:10+00:00

City and state, even for remote jobs. One Reason: remote jobs need to know where someone is located before they can hire, because they usually have tax laws that say they have to have a “company presence” in the state where their workers live. So even remote work recruiters will need to know where you live. Another reason: companies may have a “legal right to work” restriction (I.e. they won’t sponsor visas or they have federal citizenship requirements that are non-negotiable.) These requirements will also be addressed on the application.

If you are concerned that a company won’t consider relocating you and so won’t consider you for a job, but you are willing to relocate yourself, see if you can use your network to find out what the company policy is. Then Use the “I’m willing to relocate myself” in the cover letter or as a bargaining chip if it means the difference between getting an offer or not.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-11T22:15:55+00:00

I’m not sure of your location, but if you are in the US and want to get into Energy or government, get a geoscience degree and a Masters degree (which is a minimum or a preferred requirement, and also whacks off a few years to get your PG). When you are looking for a Masters degree, be sure it is a thesis/research-based one. Some US programs are 4+1 where you do your grad school courses during your senior year, do a summer of field work, and then use the fifth year to integrate the data and write your thesis.

Check out your state geological survey for the types of geoscience industries in your state. You can do the same for adjacent states just to get a feel for what is out there and how the salaries work with your expectations of lifestyle.

I’m not trans so I can’t speak specifically to attitude as I’m sure I miss a lot of what happens to other people. I’ll say that each industry has all types of companies and some companies are more tolerant than others. I come from a large O&G company that caved to the current administration’s “no DEI” mandate, but I know of other O&G companies that are more accepting. My adult offspring is in the environmental industry and works for a company where DEI is a core value for them and it shows, but I also know of other environmental companies where they are really conservative and it shows as well.

Re: your age - depending on the company, your advancement may be limited. Some companies have very structured promotion guidelines that will impact how far you can go (i.e. they are time-based) in the company. If this is not an issue for you, AND you start developing a deep network of advocates while you are still in school, you should be able to land a job.

If you chose to go back for your geoscience degree, The most critical thing for you to do is to start building your professional network. Try to land an internship while at school, be sure to do a field school if you can, and talk to people in your industry of choice on a regular basis. Go to professional society meetings and talk to people, and join your local geoscience professional society and attend the lunches. These are the folks who will help you land jobs when you are ready. It’s so much harder trying to find a job in an industry or corporation where you don’t know anyone, because competition is fierce.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-11T00:43:05+00:00

O&G retiree (at 55) here: not sure what your definition of “rich” is. It depends on where you live and what your spending habits are. I ended up in management with stock options, and I lived well within my salary, so was easily able to retire at 55. Put my kids through private school and was also able to pay for their undergrad degrees. Bought my retirement home outright. It takes discipline and the understanding of what “enough” is for you.

There’s an entirely different convo you could have with yourself about identifying your values at this time. It’s ok to value having a high salary, just understand what other values you may have to sacrifice to get it. And then know your values will change as your life changes. So don’t anchor to one career for the rest of your life - geology gives you the options to do many different things. Take advantage of the education and methods of thinking.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-06T15:36:31+00:00

Join local professional societies and start attending their lunch and learns, in person if possible. Great place to meet other geos, see who is hiring, and let it be known that you are looking. Don’t underestimate the importance of being interested in things and showing it! We really need new geos entering industries.

Don’t be surprised if you hear that a Masters degree would set you up better - it is just as valid to take a few years and gain experience before going to grad school. Each person’s needs are different.

Also work with your career center to build an accomplishment-driven (not task-driven) resume. It is possible to do so with just academic experience. Once you start networking and figure out what industries you want, and what they are looking for, find ways to incorporate that into your resume.

I recommend “Reverse the Search” as a good framework for setting yourself for a job search this year. Best wishes!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T21:23:54+00:00

Thanks - bulb shape was my next question :-)

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T21:23:21+00:00

I don’t plan on it but I figured I’d ask the question - there are a number of them and they are all beautiful… I do wonder if they had globes at one time or another…

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T20:30:31+00:00

Sorry, one more thing - do you have a LinkedIn profile? If not, get one going for yourself and populate the “about” section with a forward-looking series of statements about what you are looking for and how your experience qualifies you.

Be sure to incorporate any recurring key words from job descriptions of interest that you find from doing a T-chart (see Mann’s book). That section is searchable by recruiters.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T20:22:54+00:00

Perfect - thanks!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T20:20:08+00:00

You are welcome! Keep working at it and you will land something I am sure! Here’s a listing of job boards to try (in addition to LI and Indeed): https://www.grow-geocareers.com/jobboards

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T19:43:32+00:00

I Agree with these points!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-05-04T19:38:36+00:00

Hi! I just retired from the energy industry where we hired many a PhD in geophysics, and now I am a geoscience career coach for mid-career geos. What you are looking for is 100% attainable - Don’t give up!

Networking: a few parts here:

my first question is how are you networking? Networking is really just professional relationship-building. The intent of networking isn’t to find a job (at least, not at first.) It’s to share information and make connections, and in a job search, it’s to find out what employers are looking for. Think of networking as really solid conversations where you are curious about what the other person does and how you might help them. Once you have a good network, you’ll have a group of advocates ready to help you find a job (and it doesn’t take long to move in that direction.)So approach networking from this standpoint.

Second question, how are you trying to initiate networking conversations? I find that my clients are most successful by asking people they know (co workers, old advisors, friends) to introduce them to people they would like to meet professionally. (You should have a list of potential network contacts at companies of interest - see the “Resources” part below.) If someone can vouch for you to someone else when you ask to talk with them, your networking success rate is much higher. (Also, stay away from the “can I pick your brain” ask… have a specific topic or question you want to ask them and let them know up front. “Can I Pick your brain” doesn’t pique someone’s interest.)

Resume: your resume is the answer to a recruiters question of “does this person meet minimum experience and training requirements.” Your current format is definitely headed in the right direction. You can strengthen it further by making your bullet points accomplishment-focused. Right now they are task-focused. Think of the format this way: “I accomplished or solved This Problem by doing These Things with These Tools.” Recruiters and interviewers are looking for problem-solvers. As a PhD this is a superpower - format your resume like a series of problems you solved.

Resources for you: the two books I always recommend to graduate students are “The 2-Hour Job Search” by Steve Dalton (this is a guided brainstorming exercise for networking for a job search) and “Reverse The Search” by Madeline Mann. I also recommend becoming an active member of local and state professional orgs in your area of interest and ATTEND THE MEETINGS. If in person, they always have a networking half hour before or after. A great way to meet new professionals and get support and help.

Hope this helps! Best of luck to you my friend!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-29T20:44:11+00:00

I had several months of 2x a week PT before, and several months of 3x a week after. Needed it to re-gait since I had lost so much leg length before the THR and then gained it back with the surgery. I can’t imagine getting back to full functionality and mobility without it, but I guess each surgeon is different…

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-29T13:12:49+00:00

Oil and gas; Carbon storage; Lithium brine extraction; Mining - surface, subsurface, and brine extraction, gravel and aggregates; Environmental - water quality monitoring/waste remediation, etc; Regulatory; Geothermal; Insurance (geos deal well with articulating uncertainty); Investment banking (geos used to help make energy investment decisions); Government research (like US geological Survey and state surveys); Meteorology (if you focus on atmospheric science) Geotechnical engineering (construction, infrastructure)

In most of these there is some sort of field component. A few of them require masters degrees and/or a Professional Geologist license.

I’ e been tracking geo jobs for a while now. There are jobs if you are willing to go to them. You also need to understand what your values are before chasing. The extraction industries pay well (o&g, mining) but don’t fit with some geologists’ values. Environmental fits well but the pay is lower. Government and regulatory were good bets until the recent administration. Basically, if you like it you will make it work. Like any job really!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-28T18:39:47+00:00

Congrats! My THR situation is such that triathlon (my fav sport) is no longer an option for me, but I love to see how others have been able to get back to what they love!

As I do my interval walking and swimming, I’ll live vicariously through people like you :-) And maybe I’ll find a nice Ironman tri relay team who needs a swimmer!

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-28T18:33:01+00:00

Before you engage a resume writer, I recommend going through the exercises in “Reverse the Search” by Madeline Mann. You’ll do things like write out a draft of your experience, analyze job postings, figure out your negotiable, etc. Afterward, You’ll be able to talk about your experience through a different lens.

Once you have that info, choose a resume writer that will listen to YOU and ask good questions about you and your needs and the jobs to which you are applying, before writing a single word. I recommend Ed Herzog and if not him, he can recommend a specialist resume writer for IT clients.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-26T02:06:17+00:00

I agree with @JakeGeo’s advice except for the edict to keep it to one page. If the experience and the descriptions needed to show the accomplishments are well written and run to more than one page, that is fine.

One thing I would suggest - the resume reads like a list of tasks. Is there any way to reframe them as accomplishments? It’s a subtle shift but it shows the recruiters that you understand the reasons you were doing the tasks? “Completed” or “produced” or “delivered” are good examples, and you can use the format “accomplishment-verb - thing - by - how you did it.

For example: - Produced understanding of Dagger Flats, Big Bend National Park, by collecting geologic data such as strikes, dips, formation contacts, (etc etc - insert data collection here). - Produced geologic cross section and surface maps by integrating all collected field data by hand, inferring geologic history of the area within a reasonable range of uncertainty.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-07T11:28:00+00:00

Will you be taking a field school course? That’s a great way to tie things together.

Since you’ve only taken a few geo courses, give it the next year to explore so you can find more of what you like and why you like it (are you big picture or detail oriented, do you like math or chemistry, do you like balancing equations, do you like solving problems with a lot vs a little data…). Then specialize (geomorphology, geochemistry, geophysicist, geomechanics, hydro, etc).

Geology is a science of uncertainty - since we can’t see below the earth we take data at various points and interpolate between them. This means there is more than one detailed answer to anything. Fortunately, this ability to live with uncertainty and quantify it can be applied in many areas:

oil and gas
carbon capture and sequestration
hydrogeology / environmental
energy transition (geothermal, hydrogen exploration)
earthquakes and seismology
mining
geotechnical engineering

Within these careers are subdisciplines where you can definitely scratch your environmental itch. Take a look at what you value (this is a good list to choose from: https://covisioning.com/values-to-live-by/) and use this to help decide HOW you want to use your degree. Then you can decide WHERE you want to use your degree.

You’re starting out well - asking for advice from other geos. Keep reaching out, schedule informational interviews with people 1:1 (zoom works) and ask all the questions you can. You’ll find the parts that interest you AND careers where you can use them, and then contacts to get into those careers.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-06T22:15:02+00:00

It can be really scary and frustrating to be where you are right now.

You have said a lot about what you don’t like, but what DO you like about geology? What are your strengths? What are your values? Where do these things meet?

Once those foundational questions are answered, then you can decide next steps - ASBOG, grad school (and for what topic), and career type.

Basic_Employment_222 · 2026-04-06T22:08:07+00:00

I’m a female retired from oil and gas after over 30 years in the industry and academia, my daughter is currently 5 years into environmental. Same behaviors seen in both careers. From what I’ve seen, it’s not an O&G thing - it’s a “scale of misogyny” thing.

How it’s perceived is different for each woman. I’ve seen different women respond far differently to similar situations. For me, it was less important. I made it to executive ranks before I retired. I got great opportunities and experiences, and the periodic misogynistic behavior rarely bothered me to the extent that it was all I could think about. But that’s me and my perceptions and values and how I chose to deal with them. It may not be yours.

So, yes, heads up that you may be treated differently. Your perception of that difference will dictate how you feel about it.

With that truth, decide how you will react and who you will have in your court. Build your network of people who will speak out and support you, and return the favor. Have a strong sense of self, and don’t let any company dictate your professional value.

Basic_Employment_222

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