CAREER LESSONS Career Tips for Young Geologists Rasoul Sorkhabi, MEM-3005, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, E-mail: rsorkhabi@egi.utah.edu


It is a good thing to learn from the advice of the peers in your field. Recently I came across an AAPG publication entitled Heritage of the Petroleum Geologist (Sternbach et al., 2017) which included profiles and life lessons of some of the leading and prominent petroleum geologists of our time. The publication is actually a combined two-volume; the first volume was published in 2003. Overall, 109 geologists were featured in the publication, and what espe- cially drew my attention was the item “My advice to you” at the end of each profile. I read, listed and categorized these suggestions; they amounted to 235 career tips, many of which were given by more than one person. It seemed to me the advice given by these living geologists and peers would be most useful if it is summarized in a statis- tical manner for the benefit of young geologists – hence this article. Below I have organized and annotated the recommendations and career tips made by the peers in the AAPG publication (Sternbach et al., 2017). I have chosen those tips made by at least three persons. Even though these tips come from petroleum geologists, they are equally applicable to all young geologists.


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1. Enjoy Your Profession. Be Passionate (25 persons)


n. Be Passionate


First and foremost, become a geologist if you really love it because your inner passion is the strongest force that will lead you through the ups and downs of the career path. It is equally important to show your passion for your ideas and projects in the workplace; if you are not passionate about your own work, do not expect others to appreciate it either.


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a geologist if you really th 2. Persistence and Patience (19)


Persistence and patience pay off. Don’t give up easily. Take an optimistic attitude toward your work – whether learning a new skill, conducting a project or looking for a job. Instead of having a fear of failure, ask yourself “What will it take to make this work?”


3. Technical Competency and Flexibility (17)


Get a strong technical knowledge and excellence in your field. Evaluate your knowledge and identify the gaps. Learn new skills as necessary. Be versatile and flexible.


4. Think outside of the Box. Welcome Challenges (17)


Do not merely follow the crowd. Prepare for new opportuni- ties and changes. Welcome unusual challenges. Find links and patterns between seemingly different data and disciplines. One way to get out of the box and challenge the conventional wisdom is to ask “What if?”


5. Networking (14) 58 TPG • Jan.Feb.Mar 2019 b


Do not isolate yourself; do not try to be a lone wolf. Friendship is richness. Associate, correspond, and collaborate with peers, colleagues, and classmates.


6. Membership in Professional Societies (14) societies like the AAPG, AGU, AIP


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7. Lifelong Learning (12) Graduation f


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Maintain your ethical stan- dards and integrity through- out your career. As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day but it can be ruined in a single day.” Do not ruin your credibility for a short- term interest. Be trustworthy: deliver what you promise to do, and do it rightly.


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We learn most when we teach because it is then that we learn to articulate what we know and also notice the gaps in our knowledge. Teach courses whenever you can and mentor junior students and colleagues.


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you can and mentor junior you can and mentor jun 10. Good Mentors and Supervisors (10) 10. Good Mentors and Superviso


Tip #3 is also related to schooling. What is emphasized here is to have good mentors and supervisors – those who are not only top experts but also care to train and help you. Indeed, graduate students often carry the imprints of their supervisors for the rest of their lives.


11. Hard work (10)


There is no free lunch; nothing is achieved easily, especially in our age of competition. Remember Edison’s famous maxim: “Genius is one percent inspiration, ninety-nine percent per- spiration.”


12. Volunteer (9)


We owe all of our successes and achievements to the help, care and generosity of many others. Give back to your community. Serve in professional committees and projects. Volunteer to convene conference sessions or lead field trips. Review papers for professional journals. All these help your own professional growth as well.


13. Read Well and Widely (8)


This is actually part of tip Number 7: lifelong education. But several peers singled out reading as a very important method of learning, possibly because we can manage it in our own


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One important way of networking is to join professional societies like the AAPG, AGU, AIPG, GSA, and SEG. Read their publications and be involved in their activities.


Graduation from a university is not the end of schooling. We actually learn more after we graduate and while we work. Attending workshops and taking training courses are parts of continuing education.


8. Integrity and Ethics (11)


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