anyone know where I can get a job? PS: sorry for asking

Thread view:

Enable EMail Alerts

Start New Thread

Thread rating:

David Plunkett - 13 Aug 2004 23:08 GMT

Hi

My name is David Plunkett. One of the many geoscience jobs sites on the
net directed me to this to this news group. I'm here because I'm desperate
to get a rock related job.
OK - I know this is a group for scientific discussion but
alt.sci.geology.jobs is full of spam (unless Osama really was found hanged
and Arnold really is dead) and as I said I'm getting desperate. Here's my
"cut and paste to apply for a job blurb":

Enthusiastic recent honors graduate with a degree in Geology/Chemistry
looking for a challenging position in geoscience. Experienced in GIS,
geochemistry, statistical methods of determining provenance, and geological
mapping. Interested in Sedimentary petrology and provenance studies (The
basis of my Mapping project and fourth year project respectively).Based in
Ireland but willing to relocate.

I think the main problem is that I'm a recent graduate - almost all of the
jobs I've seen ask for around a million years experience (even in
specialized fields). Seriously - how is a fresh geology graduate meant to
get experience if all the jobs ask for 10 -15 years?

Any advice would be really appreciated

Reply to this Message

Massimo Nespolo - 15 Aug 2004 16:02 GMT

Have you tried this?

http://www.ujobbank.com/index.html

Disclaimer: no connection.

Good luck ;-)

Massimo

Reply to this Message

Henry Barwood - 18 Aug 2004 22:37 GMT

I was once where you are, and wound up working at a variety of
"crappy" jobs. Unfortunately, there is no quick cure. In times when
few employers are hiring, there is a tendancy to try and replace the
last person with an exact match. This leads to "Would like to hire a
recent graduate who has won the Nobel Prize, and has grants totalling
$1,000,000 already secured" job ads. When no such candidate appears,
many companies will hire down the applicant list. Apply for
everything! The best job I've ever had (my present one!), I almost
didn't apply to because I thought they would not hire me. Good luck.

Henry Barwood

> Hi
>
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
>
> Any advice would be really appreciated

Reply to this Message

Jo Schaper - 19 Aug 2004 18:14 GMT

> I was once where you are, and wound up working at a variety of
> "crappy" jobs. Unfortunately, there is no quick cure. In times when
> few employers are hiring, there is a tendancy to try and replace the
> last person with an exact match.

Dear Henry,

One thing which has changed is the requirements in many US states for
ASBOG certified RGs and PGs. While this is well and good for public
safety, avoidance of fast-talking empty-headed scammers, etc., the
working geology profession has not been very good at establishing low to
medium paid internships, or positions similar to those in law, medicine,
and construction work which direct and/or qualify for the work
experience requirement before 'certifying' the beginner as competent.

There is simply no point in applying for such positions without the
piece of paper. It can be very discouraging unless one only aspires to
be a geo technician the rest of one's life. I've suggested this to
several well-placed people in the field (most of whom were grandfathered
in) and they just look at me like I am nuts.

Few college geo degrees have much bearing on the geology work world
beyond academia by themselves. It will be interesting to see how this
plays out over the next 20-30 years.

Reply to this Message

Natural Science Forum / Earth Science / Mineralogy / August 2004

anyone know where I can get a job? PS: sorry for asking