I am an undergraduate considering a BS in geology and I really want to work in the public sector (for organizations like the EPA, USGS, or the nuclear regulatory commission). I realize that you will probably need a PhD, but how difficult is it to go from there to a job in the public sector?
Posted Jan 7, 2015, 4:09 AM UTC
It is very difficult to get a federal job in geology. It's more a matter of knowing the hiring manager or being a vet than having a PhD.
Public sector jobs at the state level are much easier to get. Most of my peers are either bachelor's degree or masters' degree (most) geologists. There are 50 states and all of them hire geologists to do environmental work.
The master's degree is the standard professional degree for geologists. However, many people are able to get jobs with just a B.S. I wouldn't bother with a PhD unless you want to do research.
Thanks for all the great info! I would be totally open to a job in the public sector, be it state or federal (probably should have made that more clear in the post). Thanks again!
[deleted]
Check out your state geological surveys and such as well, department of natural resources, whatever they call it. See if anyone in your school has connections there. If you work in a state with a lot of mining (Pennsylvania, Michigan, others further west) then inspector positions seem to be a fairly common entry point.
Its all about the internships with these guys. Try and get a STEP internship (http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/students-recent-graduates/) , GeoCorps or REU's as well ( I worked in a Nat'l Park and Monument). If you expand the public sector to the BLM and USFS it wont be impossible to get a job. Working for the USGS in a flagship office is very competitive though.
I second this. Get an internship with one of these organizations and make connections. Talk to potential employers and apply through USA Jobs. Not impossible at all if you put in the effort.
I hope to work at Menlo Park when I graduate. I don't think I'd want to work for industry. Ugh.
PhD + Mendenhall fellowship. http://geology.usgs.gov/postdoc/
I see summer techs for Menlo Park from time to time as well at the BS/MS level.