Career Possibilities
What sort of things do people with Earth Sciences degrees go on to do for a living? Most of our undergraduates who wish to pursue scientific careers go on to work for a research degree; an MSc or PhD. Some go directly into industry, management, teaching and other fields. Nationwide, about half of all professional geologists work for the petroleum industry, but Cambridge graduates are also particularly prominent in hydrogeology and environmental geology.
The study of the Earth is an integrated science that draws on a vast range of knowledge from every scientific discipline. As a graduate, you'll be uniquely positioned to apply this knowledge to almost any career you can imagine. From publishing to programming, finance, teaching, oil exploration and engineering, the possibilities are infinite, limited only by your imagination and ambition ...
If you have been a member of the department in the past we would love to hear what you are doing now. You may also like to look at the Cambridge University Alumni web pages for details of any upcoming events.
Kate Mort, Graduated in 2007.
"After graduation I got a job at a company called Equipoise Solutions, based in Croydon. We're an oil and gas consultancy, so energy companies come to us with data that they don't have the people or expertise to figure out, and we get to do the figuring!
Because we work for a whole range of companies, the area of the world and type of project you're working on can change by the week, so you constantly have to get your head around a different geological story. So far I've looked at data from UK coalfields, some fantastic channels offshore China, mass slump and canyon deposits from Madagascar, salt in Netherland North Sea, messy onshore 2D seismic from Poland.... I could go on.
Having the knowledge base from studying geology at uni I think is vital. I didn't specialise in hydrocarbons but you can learn specifics on the job. The main use of geology in my work as I see it is an understanding of how materials (are supposed to!) behave: how faults offset brittle horizons and flex others, how salt can distort stratigraphy, and how you'd expect environments and specific bedforms to develop and be reworked. Also just how to look at whatever dataset you have (well logs, seismic, old reports, maps, papers) and get the most out of it, judging what to trust and what not to."
Nicholas Whiteley graduated in 1996.
"I joined BP in 2000, following a year's internship with the company.
During my three years at BP I have worked on a variety of exciting
exploration problems in locations ranging from deep-water Angola,
Alaska, Texas, and the Pyrenees, to field work in the Zagros Mountains,
Iran.
Looking back on my enjoyable three years in Cambridge, I recall the quality of the education and encouragement of questioning thought - experiences that have prepared me well for my current role and my future".
Gillian Kirby graduated in 1999.
She now works for BP, on projects that span the realm of Exploration and Production, from choosing where to drill the first well in an area of frontier exploration to gathering data in the Arctic Ocean to help recover the last remaining oil in a mature Alaskan oilfield.
"The diversity of courses offered at Cambridge provided the foundation of knowledge and skills I need to solve the geologic problems I face every day. The opportunities for individual research and independent thinking, encouraged in the Cambridge education, were excellent preparation for joining a large company. I graduated with an education that has enabled me to find a job that I enjoy and that continues to offer many opportunities for the future."
Sally Thomas graduated in 1995.
"I came to Cambridge wanting to study physics, but chose Geology as my final option in the first year and soon found that I was hooked by the fascinating variety of subjects within geology, and the friendly department.
After graduating I had the opportunity to spend 6 months as a
geological field assistant in Oman, and on palaeontological digs in
Nevada and Patagonia. As a result I was inspired to do a PhD in
vertebrate palaeontology, moving across the road to the Museum of
Zoology. I am now a commissioning editor for
Earth Sciences at Cambridge University Press, working with academics to
produce new books for research and teaching".
Paul Shipway graduated in 1981
"After graduation I worked for an oil company in Dhahran in Saudi Arabia as a town-based 'geophysical engineer', where I also learned some computing. My 2-year contract finished there and I transferred to one of the company's software groups in the UK. This gave me the background I needed to work as a software engineer in a Reservoir Geophysics research group in Bedford. The company later moved to London so I took the opportunity to move back to my home city of Birmingham, where I now work for Fujitsu, developing and supporting telecoms network management software. As far as I'm aware I'm the only geologist here!"
Last updated on 12-Mar-12 11:43