verystormy

Russia i believe from guys i know is hard to get into and the visa thing a nightmare.

There is work in the South Pacific - a smattering of gold and copper operations and exploration projects, so would consider it. Though not going anywhere just yet. Quite like where i am - good team and interesting work, but it will happen eventually.

Canada is crap on the holiday front. I have been offered a few jobs there and that was a factor. Though they are usually good rosters of 1:1 and i would happily take a pay cut to have extra days off, so think that could be arranged. But consulting you can have most of the winter off if you want - your sort of self employed.

I would happily go back to South America as well and occaisionly get pestered to go back to China by a previous employer and might think about it eventually if i could fifo from Hong Kong.

Also agree with Laura on pay. This isnt a job you come into for $$$. Its a job you have to love. You have to have the facination with rocks and not many people do.

laven

mm., So there is work for geos in Russia and other former Sovietn Union republics. good to know.. Although a bit cold in Russia or Kazakhstan..Anyway, hopefully there will be options..

verystormy

Been in WA comming up 3 years and will probably stay another 3ish

laven

I would try mining first with 70-80k as entry level..

laven

thanks for that, god you know a lot about the profession))

verystormy

You are laughing then with a russian passport. There is a fair bit of work in K'stan. A mate of mine has done a fair bit with Rio on gold exploration and he loved it - though he likes being out in primative places. He is moving to Oz next year but refuses to work here (his missus has a job here) because its too civalized. Takes all sorts lol.

Seems to be a lot kicking off in Greenland as well these days. Again mainly gold and i believe some Zn and REE.

laven

haha)) well I dont think I will be laughing but thanks)) we ll see, at the moment I dont even study. Did you think actual studying geology at uni was hard

reading Practical Encyclopaedia of Rocks and Minreals and Geology of WA at the moment. Cannot get Geology of Australia by Johnson though in the local library, somebody else is reading it. The books I read are just fascinating but surely it will be very different at uni, very technical and mathematical, more science like physics, chemistry, etc..

verystormy

It wasnt easy and there is a LOT to learn. Put it this way, many years ago i did a differnt degree - law. But geology was a lot harder. But it was a lot more fun. The field courses were some of the best times of my life.

There isnt very much math unless you opt to take some of the geophysics subjects, but there is a lot of chemistry and some biology - paeleontology is part of geology.

A lot of geologists are spectaclarly bad at math.

There are many an hour spent staring down microscopes at thin sections of rock and in first year learning how to identify rocks. I loved microscope work. It still amazes me how stunning something like a boring bit of basalt can look in thin section.

I would say go for it. Who knows where it will lead you!

laven

did you have to have a bridging science course to start studying geology at Uni? i mean I wouldnt remember much biology or chemistry.. Did you do postgrad after your law degree or still bachelor?

verystormy

Yeah i did a post grad in Law - solicitors exams and also have a post grad in Geology and maybe i am a mug but am debating doing another masters. But havent decided yet.

I studied in the UK so not sure how the system works here, but i did a foundation course for year to get me up to speed on the science. I am sure there must be something similar here.

Though my geology degree possibly could have been done without the foundation year as because differnt students had different A levels they took every one from scratch with things like what is an atom.

laven

Curtin wants applicants to have related undegrad degree to do postgrad..Interesting..

So employers didnt think anything you did postgrad not bachelor without any previous science background?

verystormy

Ah, sorry, no you have misread me. I did a law degree, followed by a post grad. Then years later a science foundation, followed by a undergrad degree in geology followed by a masters

laven

undergrad law degree - postgrad law degree - foundation science course - undergrad geology degree - postgrad geology degree..and thinking of another degree.. was it a Superhuman uni you studied at)) and i was thinking im nuts thinking of another undergrda degree at my age, haha

verystormy

Yeah, i am a little nuts. Though i do love learning. How old are you?

laven

early 30s