Becoming a Geologist for Dummies

geologist in the field

The more irksome of content-farm freelancers were prone to some bad habits, among them the habit of plugging random factoids into a template instead of actually learning about the topics in which they pretended expertise. Not long ago, our staff geologist ran across a post at LoveToKnow.com that purported to describe the process of "Becoming a Geologist." He snorted in derision, since the process Sally Painter laid out didn't match his experience.

We looked, and Sally – whose byline claims she's a "Human Resources Corporate Recruiter" – pounded out dozens, if not hundreds, of posts attempting to explain careers. If they're all like this one, though, they aren't worth the electrons they're printed on. Geo-guy said that because of Painter's opening claim:

"Becoming a geologist requires more than just a college degree. You need to have certain natural abilities in order to master the required skills."

And what, pray tell, are those "natural abilities"? Painter didn't say. Instead, she rattled off a potpourri of misinformation, a sampling of which follows.

• "A geologist studies rocks, sediment formations and any kind of natural or manmade processes or activities that can affect these.the [sic] term natural includes volcanoes, earthquakes, gas and oil pockets, water tables, sediments deposits and layers, and much more." –  A) WTF are "sediment formations" and "sediments deposits"? B) Oh, boy: another scientific illiterate who thinks hydrocarbons are found in "pockets." 

"Mining operations depend on a geologist to determine the appropriate places to drill for mineral deposits, oil and sometimes water." – No, you moron, oil (and water) production is not the same thing as mining! "Working as a geologist can be a meaningful career, but a degree isn't enough for success in this profession. You will need to specialize in what is termed as a subfield... subfields include: Atmospheric Science [not geology], Climate Science [not geology], Environmental Science [not geology], Hydrology [not geology]." – Apparently, Sally cribbed that list from the Earth and Space Sciences department at her local university. She managed to include geochemistry and geophysics, but omitted sedimentology, vulcanology, petrology, structural geology, economic geology, petroleum geology, stratigraphy...

Painter neglected to point out that, unlike her course to a commercial art degree, geologists are expected to obtain a BS and MS; degrees that require a firm grounding in science and mathematics. Geologists are increasingly expected to be computer-literate as well, and not merely in word-processing software. Oddly, according to our staffer, geologists of his acquaintance are disproportionately left-handed and many are artistic. Maybe our Dumbass of the Day could have been a geologist if she'd ever taken a science course... copyright © 2020-2023 scmrak

DD - CAREERS