{"id":59202,"date":"2026-05-22T15:37:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T12:37:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/shorts\/geologist-knowledge-5-tips-from-those-who-have-been-in-the-fields-for-a-long-time\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T15:37:17","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T12:37:17","slug":"geologist-knowledge-5-tips-from-those-who-have-been-in-the-fields-for-a-long-time","status":"publish","type":"shorts","link":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/shorts\/geologist-knowledge-5-tips-from-those-who-have-been-in-the-fields-for-a-long-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Geologist knowledge: 5 tips from those who have been in the fields for a long time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The textbooks clearly state: to become a geologist, you need to know mineralogy, petrography, the basics of searching for mineral deposits, be able to read maps and work in GIS. That&#8217;s it. But what knowledge does a geologist actually need, we asked five practitioners: geochemists, geophysicists, geomechanics, and a \u201cpopularizer of the geoprofession.\u201d It turned out to be five tips &#8211; and not a single one about textbooks.<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is this important now?<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the forecast of the Ministry of Labor, by 2030 the mining industry <a href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/news\/kadrovyj-krizis-gornodobyvayushchej-otrasli-resheniya\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">will be missed<\/a> tens of thousands of specialists, and geologists with the necessary knowledge are very <a data-id=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/shorts\/zarplata-gornogo-inzhenera-2026\/\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/shorts\/zarplata-gornogo-inzhenera-2026\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">in demand<\/a>. The profession opens up a lot of prospects, but getting into it through short professional retraining courses is difficult: too much can be learned only with your hands.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 1. Field experience is the basis without which a geologist\u2019s knowledge is nothing<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">First, <a data-id=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/alekandra-volkova-universitet-obrazovanie\/\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/alekandra-volkova-universitet-obrazovanie\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">what a geologist needs to know<\/a> &#8211; no textbook or program can replace field experience. Everyone who works on the routes speaks about this unanimously.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ildar Kalko, geochemist and senior researcher at Moscow State University<\/strong>, has been going on expeditions since 2006 &#8211; he has a dozen field seasons and experience leading teams. He speaks directly: practice gives a geologist the necessary skills. It always seems to a beginner that he is working on his own, but behind this \u201chimself\u201d there is almost always an experienced leader who insures and advises. Therefore, the first field should be played next to professionals who have a lot to learn from.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Field experience is needed not only for those who will spend their entire lives backpacking through mountainous terrain. <strong>Geophysicist and teacher at Tomsk Polytechnic University Alexandra Volkova<\/strong> explains this using an example from seismic exploration. On a cross-section, a geological body is just a few reflected signals. Until you see a living exposure with your eyes, it\u2019s not clear in your head what these signals mean. Therefore, even an \u201carmchair\u201d geologist cannot get by with geographic knowledge alone; it is important to get to real objects.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-midnight-gradient-background has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-a50930d5961fa595e89a94954699634e wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>How to get your first field experience &#8211; in the material<a href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/geo-obrazovanie\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> \u201cWhere to study to become a geologist\u201d<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 2. Develop observation skills &#8211; the devil is in the details<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second skill of a geologist grows from the first. The field gives observation &#8211; the ability to notice what the untrained eye would miss.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Ildar Kalko<\/strong> recalls the Kupol field in Chukotka. Quartz ore veins there were hidden under black lichen. You can\u2019t tell by eye that it\u2019s quartz and not waste rock. Some of the veins had already been tested at one time, but the spectral analysis of gold at that time had an upper detection limit of about three grams per ton, and everything that was higher was simply \u201cnot seen\u201d by the device. The rich areas almost went unnoticed.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Conclusion: observation and knowledge of the limitations of his method insures the geologist against empty drilling and missed discoveries.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe devil is in the details. Life is in the details,\u201d says Kalko.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is where his principle follows: a real geologist on a route will not pass by the incomprehensible and will definitely use his skills. When you are a geochemist and your task is to sample the soil, so if you see a rusty zone, you need to stop, tap it with a hammer and take a sample. This is the only way to form a professional habit.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-scaled.webp\"><img data-dominant-color=\"7e7e79\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #7e7e79;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" alt=\"Ditches\" class=\"wp-image-58513 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-1024x684.webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-1024x684.webp 1024w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-1536x1026.webp 1536w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-2048x1368.webp 2048w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-1200x802.webp 1200w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/kanavy-600x401.webp 600w\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Search ditches in the Kaenmyvaam river valley, Chukotka. Source: Ildar Kalko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 3: Don&#8217;t be afraid to ask stupid questions<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The third skill of a geologist is the ability to ask others. talks about him <strong>Alexandra Volkova<\/strong>, which teaches both students and adult professionals. A future geologist should know that asking naive questions is natural.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s better if these are stupid, stupid, in his opinion, ridiculous questions than not have them at all,\u201d says Volkova.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The logic is deeper than it seems. When you read a textbook just like that, the information passes by. And when you have a specific question, you start looking for an answer, and the material is put aside. Any question triggers thinking.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This also works for experienced geologists who think they know everything. The technique is the same as that used by students: take an article or section of a textbook, point your finger at a specific place and analyze it in detail &#8211; \u201chere it is written like this, but how to do it in practice?\u201d This echoes the advice <strong>Ildara Kalko<\/strong>, which he gives to beginners: he found an unknown breed, brought it and learned about it from the elders &#8211; this is normal practice, and not a reason for ridicule.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-midnight-gradient-background has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-9f5002147ee1a9f88d92607e80a2fdad wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em>If you are just looking at a profession and don\u2019t yet know what questions to ask, start with a basic analysis &#8211;<a href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/shorts\/professiya-geolog-chem-zanimaetsya\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> &#8220;Profession geologist: what does he do&#8221;<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 4. Upgrade not only your hard skills, but also your soft skills<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A geologist can have deep knowledge, brilliantly calculate models, know all the processes of ore formation &#8211; and still not get used to it in production. This is what he says <strong>Sergey Kuzmin, geomechanicist and companies &#8220;Deep Engineering&#8221; and DEEPMINE LAB<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not only technical training is important in an enterprise. The geomechanicist has the right to stop production. In order for such a decision to be taken seriously, authority is needed, which still needs to be earned. And then begins what they don\u2019t teach at university: production is, first of all, communication, building relationships with people at all stages. To this, Sergey adds three more pillars &#8211; emotional intelligence, financial literacy and patience.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It is worth preparing for the load. The first years in the profession are difficult, and it is no coincidence that at one of the enterprises where Sergei worked, a strict motto was used: \u201cSleep is for weaklings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And one more practical thought from him: the path to the profession does not have to be direct. You can enter production in a related role &#8211; for example, as a surveyor &#8211; and from the inside, seeing the work with your own eyes, move into the direction that is really interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-white-color has-midnight-gradient-background has-text-color has-background has-link-color wp-elements-368ac2f2bd5acdd4d02cadc2184db188 wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><em><a href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/skolko-zarabatyvayut-geologi\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">\u201cHow much do geologists earn in Russia\u201d<\/a> &#8211; for those who think not only about the profession, but also about the salary<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tip 5. Learn to learn: reflection and working with your request<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The last tip is about the geologist skill, without which all the others quickly become obsolete. About him <a data-id=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/trendy-vuzov-farhutdinov\/\" data-type=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/trendy-vuzov-farhutdinov\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">speaks<\/a> \u201cprofession promoter\u201d &#8211; <strong>Ishak Farkhutdinov, Candidate of Geological and Mineralogical Sciences, Deputy Director of the State Geological Museum named after. V. I. Vernadsky<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The first thought is about reflection. Over the years of study, a geologist receives a gigantic amount of information, but a fraction of a percent of it goes into real work. Reflection helps turn a larger amount of knowledge into real skills &#8211; the habit of regularly stopping and asking yourself: what did I understand and what will I do differently now. Ishak spotted this life hack from IT teams: once every week or two you need to sit down and honestly analyze what worked and what can be improved.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The second thought is about the request for development. Previously, Ishak read books \u201cfor general development,\u201d but now he selects them for a specific task: <\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>you need to improve project management &#8211; read about project management;<\/li>\n\n\n<li>If you need specific software, you take a course based on it. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This way, knowledge is not scattered, but immediately goes into action. He reduces this thought to a short formula: \u201cYou can only know what you do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">And something else about the necessary knowledge for a geologist<\/h2>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you put all the advice together, the classic base &#8211; mineralogy, petrography, GIS, specialized software &#8211; remains mandatory. Field experience, observation, the ability to ask questions, soft skills and the habit of constantly learning &#8211; things that are rarely written about in textbooks &#8211; turn a geologist into a professional.<\/p>\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><a href=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved.webp\"><img data-dominant-color=\"a88c6f\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" style=\"--dominant-color: #a88c6f;\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" alt=\"Bear\" class=\"wp-image-58514 not-transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved.webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved.webp 1024w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved-300x225.webp 300w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved-150x113.webp 150w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved-768x576.webp 768w, https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/medved-600x450.webp 600w\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The field as it is: a bear&#8217;s track a few steps away from a human one. Source: Ildar Kalko<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Another bonus tip from <strong>Mikhail Perebatov, leading geologist from Kamchatka<\/strong>. When asked what the student should take for the first field, he said: \u201cProbably a guitar.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to him, the first field is not work, but an adventure, after which emotions remain for life. Through bears, deer, a stuck all-terrain vehicle and occasional hunger strikes, a person learns to leave his comfort zone. Perhaps the main skill of a geologist is not to forget, behind the models, samples and standards, why he came to this profession in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What would you add to this list? What skill was the most unobvious for you at work? Tell us in the comments and we\u2019ll write a sequel.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The textbooks clearly state: to become a geologist, you need to know mineralogy, petrography, the basics of searching for mineral deposits, be able to read maps and work in GIS. That&#8217;s it. But what knowledge does a geologist actually need, we asked five practitioners: geochemists, geophysicists, geomechanics, and a \u201cpo<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":58515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"Geologist knowledge: 5 tips from those who have been in the fields for a long time","_seopress_titles_desc":"What knowledge does a geologist need in practice: field experience, observation, questions, soft skills and self-study for growth in the profession and in production.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[41,8],"tags":[386,331],"class_list":["post-59202","shorts","type-shorts","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","category-geologiya","category-karera","tag-navyki-i-kompetenczii","tag-razvitie-karery"],"acf":[],"pbg_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-scaled.webp",2560,1920,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-150x112.webp",150,112,true],"medium":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-300x225.webp",300,225,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-768x576.webp",768,576,true],"large":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-1024x768.webp",1024,768,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-1536x1152.webp",1536,1152,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-2048x1536.webp",2048,1536,true],"bricks_large_16x9":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-1200x675.webp",1200,675,true],"bricks_large":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-1200x900.webp",1200,900,true],"bricks_large_square":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-1200x1200.webp",1200,1200,true],"bricks_medium":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-600x450.webp",600,450,true],"bricks_medium_square":["https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/geolog-otbor-prob-pole-kamchatka-600x600.webp",600,600,true]},"pbg_author_info":{"display_name":"Yulia Frolova","author_link":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/author\/giulia-nikolaevna\/","author_img":false},"pbg_comment_info":" No Comments","pbg_excerpt":"The textbooks clearly state: to become a geologist, you need to know mineralogy, petrography, the basics of searching for mineral deposits, be able to read maps and work in GIS. That's it. But what knowledge does a geologist actually need, we asked five practitioners: geochemists, geophysicists, geomechanics, and a \u201cpo","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shorts\/59202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shorts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/shorts"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/shorts\/59202\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/58515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/geoconversation.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}