Geologist

You’ve heard of the proverbial “diamond in the rough.” Well, when you’re a Geologist, you’re a Scientist who studies the real diamond and the real rough.

That’s because your profession, simply put, is rocks. Someone who studies the earth and everything it’s made of — including, for example, soil, stones, minerals and gems — you collect them, analyze them and hypothesize about them.

Employed by governments, universities, museums and corporations — particularly those in the oil and gas industry — you study the composition of the planet in one of several fields: If you’re a Mineralogist, for instance, you study rocks, minerals and gems. If you’re a Paleontologist, meanwhile, you study the history of the earth by examining layers of fossils and rock. You study oil and natural gas if you’re a Petrologist, and the best places to build bridges, dams and roads if you’re an Engineering Geologist. If you’re a Volcanologist, you study volcanoes, and if you’re a Seismologist you study earthquakes. And that’s only the beginning.

No matter what kind of Geologist you are, you typically spend your days in one of two places. In the field, your duties include setting up geology equipment and collecting samples, as well as assessing land for viability in construction and mining applications. In the lab, meanwhile, you analyze specimens, interpret data and write reports, your goal being to literally “unearth” new earth science knowledge.

In summary: Because you study everything beneath the earth’s surface, you’re something a professional mole, perpetually burrowing your way into the center of the earth!