Technical Skills

Leanna Biddle & Lisa Stright

Geosciences Professional Development Workshops

Announcements• Google Calendar of Networking Events

Preparation for the Workforce

Expectations for the Workforce• The ability to think critically and independently• Quantitative skills• Proficiency in computer skills (ArcGIS, Programming, Excel)• Communication skills (verbal, written, graphical) • Collaborative work (interpersonal skills)• Problem-solving• Systems thinking - Integration of multiple lines of evidence• Research and research-like experiences - Acquisition and use of data, modeling• Applications to societal issues, cultural sensitivity • Business acumen and understanding of economics• Ability to complete and present a project• Understanding how values affect policy and decision-making

Workforce Expectations—Personal Traits• Critical-thinking

• Problem-solving

• Curiosity

• Persistence

• Resilience

• Initiative

• Flexibility

• Adaptivity

• Self-direction

• Social and cross-cultural skills

• Productivity

• Accountability

Non-traditional careers for Geoscientists

Marketable Skills

• Temporal and spatial reasoning

• Connecting science to societal issues

• Analyzing and interpreting incomplete data sets

• Dealing with complexity

• Written and oral communication skills

• Problem solving

• Research skills (finding information, forming and testing hypotheses, synthesizing information)

• Evaluating the credibility of information

• Data analysis and statistics

• Use of data from a variety of fields

“Having a successful geoscience career is not solely about mastering the technical fields of study, but additionally includes how students seamlessly integrate their interests and competencies to build a professional portfolio that will bolster their geoscience career. Recognizing the importance of emphasizing the transferability of skills across different fields is imperative to students' employability as geoscientists.”

Gaining Insight into the Workforce: Employer Perspectives and Career Profiles

Examples

• Environmental Consulting: Terri Bowers, Gradient

• Mining: Rich Patelke, Project Geologist, PolyMet Mining NorthMet Project

• Petroleum: Mike Loudin, Manager for Global Geoscience Hiring and Development ExxonMobil

https://serc.carleton.edu/integrate/programs/workforceprep/employer_profiles.html

Job Boards• https://www.asmr.us/Resources/Positions

• https://aipg-jobs.careerwebsite.com/

• http://www.aipg.org/sectionCO#Job%20Board

• http://www.earthworks-jobs.com/

• http://www.geosociety.org/classiads/

• American Water Works Association

• http://www.awracolorado.org/careers/

Technical Skills

Leanna Biddle & Lisa Stright

Geosciences Professional Development Workshops

• Technical Skills

• Resume Development

• Using Your Employer Lens

The Flow

Technical Skills “Technical skills are the abilities and knowledge needed to perform specific tasks. They are practical, and often relate to mechanical, information technology, mathematical, or scientific tasks. Some examples include knowledge of programming languages, mechanical equipment, or tools. [We develop our skills through the transfer of knowledge].”

• How do you identify technical skills?

• Are there any skills that will give you an “edge”?

Resume Overview• Develop a Master Resume and Target

Resume(s)

• Create your resume as a Word document and avoid templates!

• Describe employer-relevant duties or responsibilities.

• Include jobs, internships, research, projects, coursework and other relevant experiences.

Designing Your Resume

• Header

• Education

• Professional Experience

– Jobs

– Internships

– Research

– Projects

• Other Relevant Experience

– Volunteer

• Professional Profile or Summary

• Relevant Coursework

• Leadership & Skills

• Honors & Awards

• Professional Associations

• Conference Experience

• Presentation Experience

Essential Sections Additional Sections

Header

• Should I include my address?

Professional Profile or Summary • Highlight skills,

experiences, and focused professional direction that aligns with job description, responsibilities, and qualifications.

• Showcase accomplishments and unique contributions.

Education

• Should I include my GPA?

Professional Experience• Change section name as

needed.

• With each description, include specific examples and quantitative data, if you can provide it.

– What kind of quantitative data are employers looking for?

Research Experience

• What information from an internship, research, or project is relevant?

Project and Field Experience

• What might you include from projects in your major program?

Other Relevant Experience

• Do you have employer-relevant study abroad or volunteer experience?

Leadership & Skills

• How have you demonstrated leadership in your degree program?

• What additional relevant skills you have acquired?

Aesthetics • When designing your resume, be aware of

aesthetics:

– Narrow margins

– Font size (10 pt. - 11 pt.)

– Font color, consistent throughout

– Organization, most recent down

– Spacing

– Make sure your sections are properly separated – including observing logical page breaks if the resume is two pages or more.

Federal Resumes• Federal resumes are typically much

longer than traditional resumes, even 7 pages in length!

• Be specific.

• https://www.usajobs.gov/

Additional Resources• Resource Center

https://career.colostate.edu/resource-center/

• WCNR Career Services: http://warnercnr.colostate.edu/resumes

• Go Government - Federal resume help: http://gogovernment.org/

Using Your Employer Lens In a group, you will review a resume with errors. Please revise as needed.

Would you add anything?

Using Your Employer Lens

Questions?Leanna Biddle

Career Education Manager, Warner College of Natural Resources

leanna.biddle@colostate.edu

Lisa Stright

Assistant Professor, Geosciences

Lisa.Stright@colostate.edu