Feb, 2019 – I presented “Working in the Mineral Exploration Industry” to the Imperial College student chapter of the SEG, in-line with my keen interest in developing young geoscienists. As part of this “giving back” some of my accumulated knowledge from 28 years of experience in the industry, key factors in career development in the “majors” was outlined.
One of the main focus areas was to address the question “what`s missing from a typical graduate’s skill set?” This included guidance and discussion around practical application of skills learned at university to mineral exploration projects. I feel this is a key area of focus, a view formed from many years participating in talent reviews at a global level in major mining companies. Also, I can draw on experience working with collaborative research groups in my capacity as Partner Investigator for the Australian Research Council and Project Chair of the geochemistry project in the Deep Exploration Technologies Cooperative Research Centre (DET/CRC) from 2010-2014.
During the talk, I also outlined how in-house graduate development programs work. They are generally designed to include project generation, design and execution. They tend to be modular and employee driven and involve significant mentoring from more experienced explorationists. Such programmes can be clearly linked to career progress and completion may be celebrated with ‘graduation’ ceremonies and linked to a company bonus scheme.
For further discussion, assistance or advice on any of these topics, or more, please don`t hesitate to contact me at [email protected]
