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EXAMPLE OF INFORMATION WE PROVIDE YOU, USING GEOLOGY AS AN EXAMPLE

WHAT IS GEOLOGY AND WHO IS A GEOLOGIST?
A geologist is a person who studied geology in university. Geology is the study of the earth materials such as soils, rocks, water, petroleum and minerals and processes under which they were formed. When geologists understand these processes under which the materials were formed, they use that knowledge to locate new mineral deposits or new water resources or petroleum that are useful in the economy of countries. Minerals provide sources of metals for industrialisation while water is an input in domestic homes and all forms of industries and agriculture.

WHERE DO GEOLOGISTS WORK?

Geologists can work for the department of water affairs for the government where they explore for new sources of water, typically ground water. Also, non-governmental organisations like the world Vision or SNV can employ geologists to help them locate good sources of ground water that they can access using boreholes typically in rural areas for rural communities to use. A geologist who specialises in water exploration is called a hydrogeologist.

A geologist can also work as a mineral exploration geologist for a mineral exploration company or for the geological survey department of the government to look for new mineral deposits. Mineral exploration companies are typically foreign private companies who come into the country to make mining investments. Once new profitable mineral deposits have been discovered, a mine such as that of Copper on the Copperbelt province is opened. At the mine site, a geologist continues to direct the mining company in terms of the quality of the mineral at each stage of the mining process. At the mine site, a geologist also helps to locate ground water and pump it out so that mining activities are not disturbed by flooding of water.

A geologist can also work in different environments such as road construction where they assist with understanding the types of rocks and soils over which the roads are being constructed. A geologist can work at a company that creates and distributes geology software as someone in sales and marketing department of a software company. A geologist can also work at a quarry where they mine industrial minerals like limestone for cement production or granites for decorative products manufacturing like floor tiles, kitchen table tops etc.

WHAT TASKS ARE INVOLVED IN THE WORK?
For the geologist who work in water exploration (hydrogeologist), their day to day job involves going out in the field with special equipment called geophysical equipment that is used to take measurements of specific factors on the ground. From those measurements a hydrogeologist will sit on the computer to use a computer software that will help the geologist interpret those readings to be able to know if there is water below the ground and at what depth and what the volume of the water is. Then boreholes can be drilled to confirm the presence of that water and borehole pumps are installed for people to access that water.
For the geologist who works in mineral exploration, it involves going out in the field in remote areas to stay there for a few weeks typically. This is because areas where mineral exploration occurs are typically remote. In the field, a geologist will collect soil samples and rock samples that are taken to the laboratory for chemical analysis to determine if the soil or rocks have minerals in them. If the soils and rocks show signs of minerals in them, the geologist will drill into the ground using drilling machines and bring out rocks from depths as deep as 1000m below ground in a systematic pattern to define the size and quality of the mineral deposit. A mineral exploration geologist also uses geophysical machines like the ones a hydrogeologist uses to measure factors in the ground that could indicate the potential of minerals even before drilling into the ground is done.

WHAT IS THE WORK SCHEDULE OF A GEOLOGIST?
The work schedule or shifts of a geologist depends on the organisation one is working for. If one is working for a government department, they typically follow the normal 08hrs to 17hrs work schedule Monday to Friday. If one is working for a mining company, some mines work 08hrs to 17hrs while others have some geologists who have to work in the night shifts to monitor the quality of the mineral deposit being mined in the night. A mineral exploration geologist goes away from home for about 4weeks to 8weeks and returns home for a break of about 2weeks to 4weeks and repeats the process. This is so because they work in remote areas sometimes with no proper communication back home, depending on the company one is working for if they cant afford to buy satellite phones or satellite internet.

WHAT DOES THE JOB MARKET LOOK LIKE?
The job market for geologists lies in four areas and the chances of finding a job is explained in order of highest probability as follows. A geologist can find a job in a mining company, some mining companies continue to look for more minerals around the mine area. Therefore, the mine can have geologists working at the mine and working as mineral exploration geologists around the same mine. The chances are higher that one will find a job in the mine. Some companies are just mineral exploration companies before they can find a mineral deposit, therefore a geologist can find a job here as well. There isn’t a very good number of exploration companies, many of them explore for about 5 years, and if they don’t find anything to mine they close or move to another country and carry some of their geologists from Zambia. The government is another employer in its various departments such as the geological survey department or water affairs department or ZCCM-IH. Non-governmental organisations are another employer as discussed earlier.
The job market in the mining industry is sort of a see-saw, when the metal prices are doing well mining companies want to mine more and invest in exploring for more mineral deposits and when metal prices are low, they reduce labour and jobs are hard to find. It goes in those cycles. Typically, its not a very stable industry, but its worth the risk though.

SALARY RANGES AND WHAT CONTROLS IT
Entry level salaries for a graduate as of 2020 started from about 8500zmw to 14000zmw depending on the size of the company. As one gains experience and changes companies, salaries can go to 25,000zmw with 4years experience and more. Thereafter, depending on experience and the skills one develops on the job, salary can go from 30,000zmw to 35,000zmw. For top geology manager’s salaries can go to 80,000zmw depending on the company the geology manager is working for.

WHAT SORT OF CAREER-PERSONALITY MATCH IS REQUIRED?
To enjoy being a geologist, you need to be a person who loves science based subjects. In your first year you will learn these and you need to pass them. After graduation, to enjoy work, you need to be a person who loves investigative science because geologists go out to collect data to interpret and make a judgement whether there is water or minerals below the ground. All that needs some good analytical skills and an interest in learning how to use computer software. Not to design software, but just to learn how to use them. You learn them on the job not really in school.

WHERE CAN I STUDY GEOLOGY, FOR HOW LONG, TO EARN WHAT QUALIFICATION?
In Zambia there is the University of Zambia and The Copperbelt University that offer a degree program in Geology. At the time this summary was written, there was no known institution that offered geology at degree level or diploma level apart from these. However, a reader is advised to explore more possibilities by carrying out further research. Geology degrees run for five years.

WHAT SUBJECTS WILL THE PROGRAM COVER?
When one enrols into university to study geology, they will learn A level science in the first year i.e. Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and in the following years they start to narrow down to more specific subjects of geology such as Petrology, Sedimentology, Economic geology, Geochemistry, Geophysics, Engineering geology, Hydrogeology and Mineralogy as examples of subjects to be covered among others.

WHAT MODES OF STUDY ARE AVAILABLE?
As at the time this summary was written, only full-time was available at UNZA and CBU.

WHAT ARE THE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS?
As most science based programs, its competitive and entry depends on the levels of competition in the University. Typically, they look for 12points in six subjects and below which should include Mathematics, Science, and English with three other subjects.

WHAT OTHER PROGRAMS OF STUDY CAN MAKE SOMEONE A GEOLOGIST?
To work as a geologist, there is no alternative qualification apart from earth sciences based qualification such as geochemistry or geophysics, but typically a Zambian geologist needs to have a degree in geology.

WHAT ARE THE FUTURE ADVANCED QUALIFICATIONS AVAILABLE AND WHY?
Once you study geology, you may decide to peruse a master’s degree in Exploration Geology, or Geophysics or Geochemistry or Business Administration or Mineral Resources Estimation or Hydrogeology. A master’s degree gives you a upper hand when it comes to finding new jobs in competitive environments especially abroad. It’s a sign that apart from general skills, you have taken keen interest to master one area of your job more than other people. With a master’s degree one would become a university lecturer as well.

Disclaimer: Zeyuni tries as much as possible to provide you with verified information by speaking to people who have studied these programs and are experienced in their field. This information provided to you has been compiled as a result of research carried out by Zeyuni. However, it does not guarantee any accuracy because all research work in the world has some form of variation from what the exact situation could be. It is to be used with caution in combination with your own research. To view details for any other program of interest, click on ADD TO BASKET and purchase the information using mobile money.