Geologists
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Job description
These individuals improve the human environment and its safety, particularly regarding the prediction of risks related to soil and subsoil. They discover and extract solid and fluid components from the earth’s crust to evaluate the effects of certain projects on the environment. They also seek to study the soil and subsoil on planets, asteroids, and natural satellites. They are self-employed or work for:
- Oil and mining companies
- Engineering and geological and geophysical consulting firms
- The government
- Educational institutions
Environment
- Climatic conditions
- Humidity
- Uncontrolled ambient temperature
- Hazardous workplaces
- Noise
Main tasks
- Carry out geological studies on:
- The surface and groundwater (research, evaluation, exploitation, and protection of water resources).
- The search for and exploitation of deposits of ores, coal, and other useful substances extracted in mines or quarries.
- Underground and surface storage.
- The search for and exploitation of geothermal deposits.
- The characterization and remediation of contaminated sites.
- The protection of the environment and the preservation of natural resources and environment.
- Carry out geological study surveys and geological map surveys (photo-geological interpretation, data provided by remote sensing, geochemistry, etc.).
- Carry out surveys and studies by interpreting data provided by boreholes and drilling, and their exploitation.
- Carry out geological surveys and studies for work on structures and developments.
- Carry out research to study and prevent natural geological risks (landslides, earthquakes, soil erosion, etc.).
- Teach geology in higher education institutions.
Advancement and mobility
- Experience leads to senior, supervisory, or management positions.
- Possibility of specializing in a variety of fields:
- Development geology
- Geochemistry
- Geotechnics
- Geophysics
- Remote sensing
- Mineral prospecting
- Petroleum geology
- Reservoir geology
Training and requirements
Formation
Most training programs are offered in French only.
University
Geology or mineralogy
Bachelor’s degree
Placement rate: 53.3%
46.7% of graduates pursue further studies
Master’s degree
Placement rate: 100%
Also required
- Membership in the Ordre des géologues du Québec (OGQ [Quebec Order of Geologists]).
Main skills and characteristics
Skills
- Data collection
- Information processing
- Reading comprehension
- Critical thought
- Science
- Oral expression
- Active listening
- Solving complex problems
- Written expression
- Judgment and decision-making
- Active learning
- Mathematics
- System analysis
- Result evaluation
- Time management
- Coordination
- Teaching
Abilities
- Inductive reasoning
- Awareness of issues
- Classification
- Written comprehension
- Oral comprehension
- Deductive reasoning
- Written expression
- Verbal skills
- Speech clarity
- Information organization
- Mathematical reasoning
- Speech recognition
- Near vision
- Idea generation
- Basic numeracy
- Distance vision
- Originality
- Processing flexibility
- Selective attention
- Perception speed
- Visualization
Knowledge and attributes
- Critical thinking
- Sense of responsibility
- Capacity to influence and mobilize
- Capacity to adapt
- Spoken and written bilingualism (French and English)
- Capacity to work in a team
- Capacity to delegate
- Rigour
- Respect standards and regulations
- Knowledge of physics
- Knowledge of geography
Interests
- Direct, organize, and manage
- Draft, communicate, and inform
- Work with numbers
- Carry out research
- Develop and exploit natural resources
- Collect, verify, sort, and classify data or information
- Work outdoors
Personality profiles (RIASEC)
- Conventional
- People with this profile prefer specific, well-defined tasks. They like to respect the order of things and follow established rules.
- Investigative
- People with this profile prefer relying on theoretical knowledge before acting. They like observation, analysis and problem solving.
- Realistic
- People with this profile prefer carrying out concrete tasks and being physically involved in what they do.
Appellation d’emploi liée (à traduire)
Geoscientists and oceanographers (CNP 21102)
Skill type
Natural and applied sciences and related occupations
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Last update: January 29, 2026