Geosciences

1. Geosciences Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

2. Geosciences Overview: Most geoscientists work in the petroleum industry, mining industry, environmental firms, and in government agencies. Historically the petroleum industry employs the largest number of geoscientists and currently nearly 40% of geoscientists are employed in the exploration and production of oil and gas. The environmental industry now employs nearly 20% of geoscientists, many working in consulting firms. Mining was once a dominant geoscience employer, but today only about 10% of geoscientists work in private industry related to mining. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

3. Geosciences Overview (continued): Government agencies employ another 10% of geoscientists, including most oceanographers and atmospheric scientists. The five main career areas for Geoscientists: Education Petroleum Mining Environment Government Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

4. Geosciences Preparation: The job market can be very competitive depending on the field you choose and the timing of your job search. There are a number of things you can do to make yourself more marketable in a tight job climate. Continue to develop your people skills, particularly by developing and maintaining a personal network of contacts. Also remain active in the professional community by being involved with the professional societies, attending meetings, working on committees, and presenting papers. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

5. Geosciences Preparation (continued): Another strategic aspect of improving your marketability is to develop strong technical skills and identify a unique but relevant niche of expertise and skills that few people have. Also develop an understanding of the business issues of the company and industry in which you are looking to work. A list of universities offering degrees in the Geosciences is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

6. Geosciences Day in the Life: Field work is a central experience for most all geoscientists. Earth is the laboratory for geoscientists, with most all aspects of work related directly back to some level of field investigation. Often field work is a major attraction for students entering the geosciences. Often field experience is expanded through internships and graduate work, improving one's attractiveness to employers. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

7. Geosciences Day in the Life (continued): One aspect of the field work experience is the development of complex analytical skills, including spatial visualization and developing comprehensive, synthesized conclusions from often sparse data. These are some of the non-technical skills that many employers find attractive. Understand the business side of your discipline, particularly how science is applied to add value to the company. Work close to the core of the business and develop skills that are indispensable to the business. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment –Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

8. Geosciences Day in the Life (continued): Tasks Geoscientists are often attractive to employers, even outside of the profession, because of the unique blend of analytical skills most geoscience training provides. The geosciences are not a purely quantitative science; it is still heavily dependent upon observation, careful deductive reasoning and interpretation of spare data. These types of skills are often critical for effective problem solving in real world situations, even outside of the geosciences. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

9. Geosciences Day in the Life (continued): The Workplace In the professional world, field work is an expensive but often necessary part of the job. Most professional geoscientists spend only a small fraction of their time in the field, spending most of their efforts in the office and laboratory working with the data that they or their colleagues have collected either in the field or through remote sensing techniques. Only a fraction of professional geoscientists spend a majority of their time in the field. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

10. Geosciences Earnings: According the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income for geoscientists is $79,160. Median annual wages for the industries employing the largest number of geoscientists are as follows: -Oil and gas extraction ……………………………………..$127,560 -Federal Executive Branch …………………………………..$90,220 -Architectural, engineering, and related services .$66,770 -Management, scientific, and technical consulting services ……………………………………………………………………………….$62,070 -State government ……………………………………………….$57,700 Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment –Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

11. Geosciences Employment: Geoscientists hold about 33,600 jobs in the United States. Many more individuals hold geoscience faculty positions in colleges and universities, but they are classified as college and university faculty. A sample list of employers of Geoscientists is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

12. Geosciences Employment (continued): About 23 percent of geoscientists were employed in architectural, engineering, and related services and 19 percent worked for oil and gas extraction companies. State agencies such as State geological surveys and State departments of conservation employed another 9 percent of geoscientists. Eight percent worked for the Federal Government, including geologists, geophysicists, and oceanographers, mostly within the U.S. Department of the Interior for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and within the U.S. Department of Defense. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment–Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

13. Geosciences Career Path Forecast: According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment growth of 18 percent is expected for geoscientists and hydrologists between 2008 and 2018, which is faster than the average for all occupations. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment –Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

14. Geosciences Career Path Forecast (continued): The need for energy, environmental protection, and responsible land and water management will spur employment demand. Employment in management, scientific, and technical consulting services should continue to grow as more geoscientists work as consultants. Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment –Career Path Forecast–Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.

15. Geosciences Resources: More information about Geosciences is available at the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, including employer lists, accredited Geosciences programs, suggestions for precollege students, profiles of Geoscientists, a free monthly careers newsletter, and a PDF that summarizes the field. Associations: American Geological Institute Association for Women Geoscientists Overview –Preparation – Day in the Life – Earnings – Employment – Career Path Forecast – Resources Developed by the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center.