Besides counting kangaroo corpses and engaging in various underground misadventures, how does a geologist in the outback occupy the days? I was quite unsure myself when I first accepted this international contract. Even throughout my university years, my actual awareness of the role and responsibilities of a real-life geologist was somewhat speculative and vague. I was sure it had something to do with the recollection of long chemical formulas from a library list of minerals or maybe it involved the attentive colouring of maps (such as my university courses had me convinced). Even though the need for those scholarly skills comes up once in a while, I find the majority of my work demands a much broader pallet of proficiencies in order to be regarded as an effective employee.
The whole ‘looking at rocks’ part of the job comes as a secondary skill, even though it appears to manifest the stereotypical function of a geologist. When looking at rocks, I am sometimes reminded of the ‘panning for gold’ exhibit from the old Edmonton Klondike days. However, the pan is replaced with a sieve and the sediments are washed with water to reveal the information we are looking for. Information is as good as gold these days and my field notes represent a product that is of great value to my client.
Then what is it like working in the field? Well, it primarily involves orchestrating subcontractor movements and a lot of four-wheel driving over rough tracks and creeks. Sprinkle with some data entry and report making then bake at 35ºC for 12 hours and you have my day.
“So… you look at rocks, right?” Inquires the tipsy blonde girl through her Smirnoff glossed lips and synthetically fashioned smile.
“Why yes, I do look at rocks.” I picture myself saying. “But more importantly, I organize the process of obtaining the rocks in a cost-effective manner ensuring the database is constantly updated and the samples are properly prepared and sent to an appropriate laboratory for analysis”
My mind searches for methods of glorifying my work experience while emphasizing attributes that might make me appear to be an attractive partner before I finally respond with,
“Yah, something like that… but enough about me, let’s talk about you…”
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