1. Employment Profile: What exactly does a Geologist do? |
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 What field is your job in?
Environmental Science
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What is your job title?
Geologist
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Please provide a brief description of the firm or organization that you currently work for
(size and general description of what type of organization it is)
My organization is an independent federal government agency and employs roughly 2,000 people. The agency regulates the interstate transmission of natural gas, oil and electricity, including hydropower plants.
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How long have you been employed in this position?
10.5 months
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How many hours do you work a week on average?
40 hours
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Please provide a BRIEF description of your duties and responsibilities. (job description)
I am the environmental reviewer for natural gas pipeline applications that are submitted for our approval. Natural gas projects need to comply with federal regulations, including environmental standards and our environmental division ensures that the projects will. I work within a team of scientists and engineers, and each member is responsible for reviewing different parts of each application (i.e., cultural resources, biological resources, etc.) so I am responsible for reviewing geological resources and hazards that may be affected or impacted due to the project.
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What was your gross income last year? Please include any bonuses or incentives received.
22,428
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What is your expected gross income for this year? Please include any bonuses or incentives you expect to receive.
64373
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Please
list any benefits you have (Please include number of weeks vacation,
sick leave and type of health insurance, retirement plan 401k)
retirement plan, annual and sick leave and health insurance
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Do you feel you are under/well/over compensated at your current position?
under
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2. Work environment! |
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Does
your job entail you working with others on a daily basis? Is this
something you like/dislike about your job? Explain
Yes. This is something I like about my job, because I think team work is important in producing quality work.
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Do you work collaboratively with supervisors/managers?
Yes
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Do you work collaboratively with your co-workers?
Yes
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Describe
your work location (e.g., office, home, theatre, in the field) and what
you like/dislike about working in it
I mainly work in the office, which I enjoy because it's very routine. I used to work at a job that required 50% out in the field, which I enjoyed at the time because I was younger and new to the working life. My current job also requires travel outside the office but not as much. Travel outside the office (for project inspections) are nice too because it breaks up the monotony of office work. I feel like the in-office and out-of-office time is well-balanced.
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Please rank in order of importance from 1-8 (1- most important 8- least important) Assign each number once.
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4 Income
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2 Work Environment - co-workers
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2 Work Environment - supervisors
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3 Benefits
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3 Hours
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3 Level of responsibility
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1 The actual "work" you do at your job
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4 Job Title
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3. How should someone new to the workforce get a J-O-B like yours? |
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If someone wanted to go about getting a job similar to yours, what would you recommend for him or her to do?
Experience is key to any career field you choose. That is the first thing any recruiter looks at, so the earlier you know what you want to do as a career, the sooner you can start gaining experience. I am a huge proponent of internships; they allow you to 'test the waters' of a given career path and you can decide early on whether it's something you should or should not pursue. For a career in the federal government, at minimum, you need a graduate degree.
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What
skills do you think a person should have if they want to pursue a
position like yours? Please be specific and explain why (e.g., social
skills, organization skills, technical skills)
You need social skills because we interacts with members of the public, local and state government agencies, and the gas companies themselves. Our work products are also a huge team effort, so social skills are very important. You need organization skills because you would be expected to juggle several projects at once--not just as a team member, but also as a project manager (team leader). All projects are on a timeline, so you have to stay on top of the bench marks and final due dates. Writing and verbal skills are also a must, as much of the work is producing federal environmental documents (each application is written up as an environmental assessment or an environmental impact statement) and when the project is up for review before the agency commission, you are expected to be present to answer any questions they may have to make a decision on approving or rejecting the application. Presentations are also made at public meetings. You are also expected to be knowledgeable in your field, as a biologist, geologist, civil engineer, etc., to review the environmental issues properly and to make appropriate recommendations.
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Do you feel that you need a certain level of education or training to be successful in your job?
Yes.
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What advice would you give to someone who was about to start work in your position/ line of work?
Ask a lot of questions because that's the only way to get information and to learn around here. The work mentality in our office is 'sink or swim'--they throw you into the water to see if you'll be able to sink or swim.
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