Careers

I graduated in July 2011, from the University of Leicester and currently I am working as an Exploration Geologist on a fantastic project in Northern Finland. If it wasn’t for STEP I wouldn’t be here writing this testimonial.

STEP gave me an invaluable insight into exploration and the work that geologists do. The experience further cemented my desire to work as an exploration geologist. Living and working away from home for five weeks at a time is not easy but it is a big adventure. Learning about a different culture to your own is enchanting and rewarding. Our team is diverse with people coming from five different countries. This diversity creates great opportunities not only a good laugh but also for appreciating one another and making you feel you are not alone when times get tough.

The work itself is as diverse as the people doing the work. During my STEP placement I was involved in project planning with subsequent field trip to eastern Finland. We carried out prospecting work in the Kuhmo Greenstone Belt, looking for outcrops, collecting samples, and assessing target areas for future ground work such as geophysical and geochemical surveys.

Now, as an exploration geologist, during the drilling season, I spend a lot of time looking at fascinating rocks, identifying minerals, documenting structural observations, alteration styles, and trying to figure out the long history (~2Ga) of what we see now. This was the reason I studied geology and wanted to become a geologist. Now, in a large part thanks to STEP I’m living my dream. From my own experience I would highly recommend STEP to anyone who is passionate about mineral exploration and encourage them to ‘go for it’!