MGeol Applied and Environmental Geology, University of Leicester
Associate at SRK Exploration Services
Tell us a little about yourself!
Hey, the name’s Omar. I’m a British Tunisian Muslim born in Derby who enjoys the outdoors, sports, travelling and sleeping.
What degree did you do at university and where did you do it? How did you decide to study that degree?
I graduated from the University of Leicester with an MGeol in Applied and Environmental Geology (an MGeol is an integrated masters’ which is a 4-year course). Initially I enrolled onto the Applied and Environmental Geology BSc and switched to the MGeol in my 3rd year of study as I saw the huge potential the integrated master’s degree had for my professional development, particularly given I had the opportunity to complete my masters’ dissertation in collaboration with a company in the industry I currently work in!
I decided to study the Applied and Environmental Geology degree after completing my A levels, with Geology being one of the subjects I took at A level. Before I went to sixth form, I wanted to work in a career connected with the natural world and I was leaning more towards zoology (herpetology in particular – might have to google that one!). However, after learning geology as a subject, as opposed to learning bits and bobs of geology from other subjects and the odd documentary here and there, I decided I wanted to pursue a geological career. What made me change my mind? A bit of having excellent geology teachers at A level (shout out to Mr D’Elia and Mrs Cairns), being face to face with rocks in the classroom and out in the field and fundamentally realising what geology is all about! I became fascinated with understanding how the earth developed over billions of years and how the earth and what’s inside it were intricately associated to our everyday lives, from the toothpaste we hopefully use everyday to the bricks that make up the buildings we live in.
… I have vivid memories of collecting fossils on sunny days at the beach when I was younger so maybe the geologist in me was just waiting for the right time to be awakened?! Don’t think that’d make the cut for even a very low budget superhero movie sadly…
What did you enjoy most about studying geosciences?
I really enjoyed the practical aspects that came with studying geology, from investigating fossils and rock samples close up while on campus at university to being involved in field trips throughout the UK and further afield in Spain, Italy and Turkey! Although I eventually specialised in economic geology, I really enjoyed the diversity of subjects we learnt in my first year of university which also opened my eyes to the many geological fields you can specialise in with a degree in geosciences.
What job do you have now and what does it involve? Tell us a little about how you ended up in this job?
I’m an exploration geologist currently looking for gold in Senegal, West Africa.
There isn’t really a typical day with my job and it really depends on what is needed from day to day! My daily responsibilities can range from manipulating data in GIS (geographic information system) software and 3D modelling of how we’ve interpreted ‘gold zones’ and rocks to be trending below ground to supervising drilling rigs out on site and describing the rock fragments and core we drill out of the ground. I say daily but my job can and does involve night shifts too! Not your typical 9 to 5 office job and that’s for sure! The diversity in what I get to do is one of the reasons I love it so much.
I managed to get the role by the will and grace of Allah. I directed my studies at university more towards the economic aspect of geology (i.e. courses focusing on mineral deposits) so that helped greatly in making me appear more prospective to industry. I also formed a strong rapport with my lecturers and people from industry while at university and they helped guide me during my studies and advised me about next steps after graduating. It was actually one of my lecturers who got me in contact with someone who was looking for a graduate geologist which ultimately got me into the role I’m in today, thanks again Dave!
However, I cannot emphasise the importance of hard work. Without it I wouldn’t be who and where I am today. When I was doing my GCSE’s at secondary school and even during my A levels I didn’t have my mind in the right place and didn’t put as much effort into my studies as a result. It’s only at university I woke up to the real world and if I could advise my younger self, I would tell myself to start working harder a lot earlier, would have made some things a lot easier down the line.
What skills from your degree do you use in the role you have now?
I’d say university taught me a lot of the theory behind the practical activities I do on the job as well as developed some of the interpersonal skills necessary to work with people from different backgrounds and in different situations.
I also gained a fair bit of experience with different software packages such as ArcGIS, Micromine, Leapfrog Geo and Adobe Illustrator, some of which I still use on the job today.
Are there any challenges you faced along the way?
Living away from home was a challenge initially as it came with a whole bunch of responsibilities that I always used to leave to my parents with like paying bills and cooking food. With all new things, it takes time to get good at it and for example the quality of my meals started off as plain buttered pasta and ended up still mostly at buttered pasta but with some sweetcorn and tuna. Honestly though you learn to become a lot more independent at university which definitely helps you prepare for life as a working adult.
What do you most enjoy about the job you do now?
I could write an essay on the things I enjoy about being an Exploration Geologist! If I was to name my top three, it would be:
1. The thrill of working with a team of people to discover a mineral deposit. There’s something behind being involved in a discovery and to find and see things that no one has before!
2. Being able to travel to locations not many people get to go to and to see and experience things not many people would. To find myself in a new culture, taste food and drink I never even knew existed and meeting some of the friendliest people I’ve ever met in a country a couple thousand miles away from home really is something.
3. Looking at rocks! Should come as no surprise that a geologist loves looking at rocks, haha.
What do you anticipate for the future of the geosciences?
I’d like to see the geosciences going in a direction that is more appealing to young people, to people from more diverse backgrounds and the public. I see a lot of misinformation about studying geosciences and fewer people are taking up a degree in geology than ever before. A lot of people from a geography or geoscience background are realising this and are taking steps to show our subjects and fields for what they are and it’s awesome to see projects like the GAIA coming about and I hope to see more like these in the future.
The geosciences already play and will continue to play a crucial role to humankind and the world. From ensuring we have clean water to drink and providing critical minerals for green technologies to helping us build the infrastructure for future generations and mitigating the impacts company operations have on the environment to even estimating when a volcano will likely go boom so that the local population can be evacuated safely in advance – it’s all in a day’s work for someone in a geoscience career.
The Geological Society of London put together a great infographic on the many careers geologists are involved in and they do a good job highlighting the importance of these jobs to society today and in the future. Make sure to have a look!
What advice would you give to someone who is thinking of studying geosciences?
Learn how to swim before you jump into the deep end of the pool!
Make sure to research your options and where the subjects you want to do can take you and especially make sure you are choosing something that you think you will enjoy. That’s the most important part in my opinion, as hopefully you might end up in a job that doesn’t actually feel like one because of how much you enjoy the subject!
Also talk to people who are already in the profession you are looking to pursue. I’ve personally found Linkedin to be a great platform to connect with people and ask questions and share ideas.
There are loads of resources on the internet which show you what you can do in a career in geology and what you need to get that job, here’s an helpful one from the Geological Society of London: Careers.
Any way for people to reach out to you?
Yeah sure! I hope my profile here helped you get a better feel for the geosciences but if you have any other questions feel free to drop a message to me on Linkedin or by email.