Geoscientist : Employers and vacancy sources

Principal employers of geoscientists include:

• international oil companies;
• specialist geophysical companies;
• petroleum exploration companies;
• mining companies;
• contractors;
• consultants;
• the water industry;
• software companies.

Exploration and extraction is a worldwide business and many jobs are based overseas. Employers recruit internationally and have many US and European applicants, so British graduates are competing with nationals of other countries.

In the UK, activity is currently located mainly off the east coast of England and Scotland, but exploration is also being carried out in the western approaches, the Irish Sea and west of the Shetlands. UK oil production generally has peaked and is now declining gradually, although gas production is still rising and both will last well into the current century according to Oil and Gas UK .

Environmental issues are of growing importance and the Geological Society  reports that demand for specialists in environmental assessment and management is increasing. Opportunities may be available with private sector companies, consultancies and government bodies in hydrogeology and water supply, waste disposal, pollution control and land quality/remediation.

Sources of vacancies

• Search graduate jobs on this site.
• Oil Online    
• Rigzone  
• Oil Directory   
• Geological Society Jobs  
• Gradcracker  
• New Scientist Jobs   
• Petroleum Economist  
• Nature Jobs  
• The Daily Telegraph Jobs   
• Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain (PESGB)  
• Scientific and technical journals.

Major oil companies advertise their vacancies through student/graduate directories, careers services' own vacancy lists, their own websites and increasingly at careers fairs. Closing dates are frequently around Christmas for entry to work the following autumn. Recruitment agencies specialising in the energy, oil and gas sector, such as Hays Energy  and Oil Careers , are also used by employers to advertise opportunities, particularly at more senior levels.

Vacancies for summer work experience programmes and short Christmas courses, usually advertised through careers services and on companies’ own websites, take place at the end of your penultimate year or during the Christmas vacation of your final year. Application deadlines are usually before Christmas for summer internships.

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