Geoscience Careers for Today’s 2YC Students

Anna GarciaMojave Water Agency

May 17, 2013

Background

Education AA – Theatre Arts, Cerritos Community College BS – Geological Sciences, CSUF MS - Geological Sciences, CSUF California Licenses PG & CHG

Career Path Staff Geologist for Environmental & Engineering

Consultants - URS Corporation Senior Hydrogeologist with Mojave Water Agency

Mojave Water Agency• Water management

agency for 4,900 mi2 area of the High Desert

• Serve a population of about 400,000

• Victor Valley• Barstow area• Lucerne Valley• Yucca Valley

• Have access to the water from the Calif. Aqueduct

Monitoring Wells

Stream Gage Training with USGS Staff

Water Quality Sampling Audit with USGS

Why Water?

Limited Supply Increasing Demand Steady

The Water Industry Does Not “Slow Down” Critical to Development Easily Mismanaged with Drastic Results Technically Challenging

Types of Jobs… Hydrogeologists Engineers Hydrologists Environmental Scientists Climatologists Biologists Chemists Planners Economists/Grant Writers Project Managers Geographic Information Systems Managers/Business Legal Public Information Regulatory Information Technology

Operators (Supply/Waste) Technicians Electricians Mechanics Instrumentation/Telemetry Database Administration Data Analysts Administration Health and Safety Maintenance Laboratory Tech Inspector Foreman Construction Green Jobs/Technology

POSITION EDUCATION EXPERIENCE (YRS)Administrative/Clerk I  H.S./Training 1-2Technician/Analyst IAccountantConstruction InspectorWater Operator I/IISr. Administrative/Clerk 

H.S. + Training/AA+ 1-3

Technician IIAnalyst II/Sr.Sr. TechnicianSr. Water OperatorScientistSr. AccountantSupervisor Misc.Exec. Assistant/Office Mgr.

H.S. + Training/AA/Bachelor

1-6

EngineerSr. ScientistDepartment Mgr.

Bachelor/Prof. License

5-6Financial ControllerSr. EngineerPrincipal ScientistIT ManagerCFO 

Bachelor or Better/Prof. Licenses

10+

POSITION BOTTOM of RANGE TOP of RANGEAdministrative/Clerk I  $30,000 $45,000Field/Analyst IAccountantConstruction InspectorWater Operator I/IISr. Administrative/Clerk 

$40,000 $60,000

Technician IIAnalyst II/Sr.Sr. TechnicianSr. Water OperatorScientistSr. AccountantSupervisor Misc.Exec. Assistant/Office Mgr.

$50,000 $85,000

EngineerSr. ScientistDepartment Mgr. $65,000 $100,000Financial ControllerSr. EngineerPrincipal ScientistIT ManagerCFO 

$75,000 $130,000

BC Water News http://www.bcwaternews.com/bcwn/California/CA051413.html

Free Words of Wisdom(you get what you pay for)

What am I going to be when I grow up? You will probably be several things during

your career. Try to find an area you would like

• Medicine, science, teaching, business, etc. Can you work with people? Do you enjoy being outdoors? Do you love or hate to travel?

Consider what won’t work for you (i.e. astronaut who can’t work with people and hates to work in confined spaces).

Free Words of Wisdom(you get what you pay for)

Know that focus, dedication, consistency, fearlessness and doing your homework will prevail.

Diversify, the industry changes quickly and having a broad range of experience can help you change with it.

Stay interested in what you are doing. It is paramount to your success.

Thank you

Resources Brown and Caldwell (BC Water News) http://

www.bcwaternews.com/bcwn/California/CA051413.html

Groundwater Resources Association http://www.ngwa.org/Pages/default.aspx

National Ground Water Association http://www.ngwa.org/Pages/default.aspx

Local geology organizations South Coast Geological Society Inland Geological Society Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration

Inc. Southern California Chapter (SME Socal)