Choosing
A Career - Geophysics & Forestry
By:
Eric Ricci
College Now Course - SD 11
There
are many different things that interest me, which I consider on doing
for a career. Since I am only 17 years old, of course, nothing is
yet set in stone. Still two fields of work that I am considering or
perusing is the physical science of geophysics, or in forestry (forestry
is more of a hobby, I just wanted to check it out).
Geophysicists study the physical aspects and history of the
earth. They identify and examine rocks, study information collected
by remote sensing instruments in satellites, conduct geological surveys,
construct maps, and use instruments to measure the earth's gravity
and magnetic field. They also spend much of their time either working
in offices, labs, or in the field. Since it encompasses such a large
amount of work detail, there are many different things you can end
up doing it with. Geologists and geophysicists held about 48,000 jobs
in 1992. In addition, thousands of people held geology, geophysics,
and oceanography faculty positions in colleges and universities. Along
with these numbers, the need for scientists in related fields had
been increasing, and shows to be a career which looks promising.
A bachelor's degree in geology or geophysics is adequate for entry
into some lower level geology jobs, but better jobs with good advancement
potential usually require at least a master's degree in geology or
geophysics. Persons with strong backgrounds in physics, chemistry,
mathematics, or computer science also may qualify for some geophysics
or geology jobs. A Ph.D. degree is essential for most college or university
teaching positions, and is important for work in Federal agencies
that involves basic research. In 1993, The Federal Government's average
salary for geologists in managerial, supervisory, and nonsupervisory
positions was $51,800; for geophysicist, $57,929; for hydrologists,
$47,793; and for oceanographers, $54,442. Geologists and geophysicists
will be needed to help clean up contaminated sites in the United States,
and to help private companies and government comply with more numerous
and complex environmental regulations. This is what a geophysicist
would probably most commonly do, and what I would end up doing if
I end up as one.
Foresters who work for State and Federal governments manage
public parks and forests and also work with private landowners to
protect and manage forestland outside of the public domain. They may
also design campgrounds and recreation areas. Foresters and conservation
scientists held about 35,000 jobs in 1992. About one-third of the
salaried workers were in the Federal Government, primarily in the
Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and Soil Conservation Service
and in the Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management.
A bachelor's degree in forestry is the minimum educational requirement
for professional careers in forestry. In the Federal Government, a
combination of experience and appropriate education can occasionally
substitute for a 4-year forestry degree, but job competition makes
this difficult.
Employment of foresters and conservation scientists is expected to
grow more slowly than the average for all occupations through the
year 2005, partly due to budgetary constraints in the Federal Government,
where employment is concentrated. However, an expected wave of retirement
in the Federal Government should create additional job openings for
both foresters and range conservationists.
The only thing I will have you keep in mind, is that both of these,
(especially the forestry one) are just ideas. I would want more money
in the case of the forestry and in the geological sciences I am not
sure if geo physics is the exact one for me. All in all, here is my
research on two possible careers.
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