Career Opportunities with a Degree in… Earth & Ocean Sciences

Choosing a career involves more than just finding out what is open to you.  Knowledge about yourself is vital to the process.  It is valuable to start by looking at your strengths, weaknesses, interests, abilities and skills in order to relate career options to you.  The NUI Galway Career Development Centre will have resources to help you in your self-assessment and career planning including psychometric tests and reference books/files.  Drop in to see one of our careers advisers or browse through the careers library.

Your Acquired Skills and the Employment Market

Possible Career Opportunities

Sample Jobs

Further Study Opportunities

What Past Graduates Have Done

Resources in the Careers Information Room

Useful Links

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Your acquired skills and the employment market

Skills gained while studying for this degree include:

• Field work skills including Safety Training
• Numerical Analysis / Data Analysis
• Communication & Presentation Skills
• Team Work
• Research Skills
• Writing Skills
• Observation Skills

Earth sciences offer career opportunities that range from traditional areas such as oil, gas, and mining, to careers related to the environment or education. A strong science background can also be a great advantage in many other fields.

According to the British Geological Survey, 'There is a wide range of career opportunities open to geology graduates, for example:

• within the hydrocarbons,
• mining and quarrying and civil engineering industries;
• government and government supported scientific establishments,
• geological surveys,
• specialist geological consultants and research companies;
• teaching.'

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Possible Career Opportunities

The following links lead to the relevant section of our Occupational Pages, which may contain information or links relevant to your chosen occupation.

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Note: Further qualifications may be needed for certain positions. This list is a sample representation of positions available.

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Up to 40% of graduate employment opportunities are open to graduates of all disciplines.  In most cases, however you will need further postgraduate study or professional training. 

Call to the Career Development Centre and have a consultation with a career development advisor to explore your career opportunities.

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Sample Jobs

Some jobs advertised recently that may suit students / graduates (these jobs are not currently available and are shown here for illustration purposes only).

Geologist, Cleveland Potash, UK.  Suited to recent geology graduate looking for a career in the mining industry. Responsibilities include: logging borehole cores, updating database, interpret data, map/sample underground development headings. Ref. PT0703

Surface Logging Geologists, Baker Hughes INTEQ, Scotland. Degree in Geology or relevant Earth Science.  Offshore positions working with major clients in the North Sea and could be based anywhere in UK.  Ref. CM0103.

Non-Cephalopod Mollusc / Fossil Fish Curator, Natural History Museum, London.  BSc in Earth Sciences. Postgraduate qualification desirable.  To monitor collections, carry out remedial conservation and support research.  Ref. NewSc0703

Vacation work. British Geological Survey. Field work in East Anglia involving systematic collection of geochemical samples. Ref: CM12.

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Further study opportunities

For certain career choices, employers may look for candidates with further qualifications and training. 

To see the range of opportunities in NUI Galway please visit the go4th website.

The Careers Information Room has sections on Ireland and the UK (including individual prospectuses), USA (with guides to applying, funding and lists of courses), studying in EU countries as well as further afield.

Other postgraduate links:

http://www.postgradireland.com/ also contains useful information on postgraduate courses in Ireland

http://www.prospects.ac.uk/ is an excellent site for researching opportunities in the UK

http://europa.eu.int/ploteus covers the EU. 

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What past graduates have done

It is always interesting to know what fellow graduates have done after obtaining their degree at NUI, Galway.  Here is a sample of job titles and employers currently occupied by past students who studied Earth Science.  This has recently been taken from First Destination Statistics.  

• Ph.D (Science) - NUIG
• Environmental Site Suveyor - Minerax Dublin
• Geologist, Ferraus Ltd - Western Australia
• Surveying and Mapping - Arrigan Solutions Galway
• Mining Exploration Surveyor, Logan Mining, Vancover
• Geologist - Canada
  

To see the full list please click here.

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Resources in the Careers Information Room

 We have valuable information resources, experienced career development advisers and information staff on hand to help you with your queries.

Reference material in the Information Room includes:

• Occupational Files (yellow) R & S
• Sector Briefing “Oil, Gas & Petroleum Sector”
• New Scientist [weekly]
• Books such as:
  • Working with the Environment
  • Environmental Careers – The Inside Guide [CIWEM]
• Careers with a Degree in Science

Drop into our information room and we will be happy to assist you.

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Useful links

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