How EAGE can boost your early professional career

Adapting to a constantly changing industry is a challenge that students and young professionals have to face when choosing their career paths. As an EAGE member, a multitude of resources are at your disposal to equip you with the necessary support to navigate every step: here are some pointers and success stories to get you inspired.

There is no better way to understand what the industry is requiring from its professionals than combining the valuable insights of experienced geoscientists and engineers with the fresh perspectives of our younger members. This is the objective of the EAGE Mentoring Programme, a one-year career development initiative led jointly by the Young Professionals and the Women in Geoscience and Engineering Special Interest Communities.

As a mentee, Richard Ayisi Mensah, a recent graduate from the University of Miskolc, has received guidance on how to upgrade his current skills to fulfill the industry’s needs. He explains that his mentor ‘has been remarkable advising about career choices and courses that could accelerate the attainment of my personal goals’. With this advice in mind, Richard accessed a job in a prestigious company and will showcase his research in an upcoming international conference. ‘My mentor showed me what accepting this job will look like in terms of development opportunities, career progression, and academia-industry transition. I ended up accepting the offer: the best thing I could have done for myself.’

Our mentors too have benefited from the innovative points of view they experience from motivated young professionals. Dragana Duric, associate professor, University of Belgrade, highlights that ‘the exchange of ideas and insights was intellectually stimulating and an opportunity for mutual learning’. Prof Duric, who lives in Serbia, was matched with a geoscience student based in Colombia. Having a ‘cross-continental collaboration’ has enriched her journey in unexpected ways. ‘Engaging in this type of mentoring was transformative for me personally. I embraced a fresh approach, fostering a supportive and collaborative environment rather than a purely instructional one. The experience opened my eyes to the immense value of mentorship in empowering students to achieve their goals and facilitating their personal and professional growth.’ as artificial intelligence, seismic acquisition, geochemistry, and many more. We have ten different technical communities you can choose from to explore the various paths you can take in your career.

Within the trusted network of professional associations such as EAGE, lies a phenomenal capacity to collectively guide students and young professionals to unlock their full potential and excel in their fields, as in the case of Richard Mensah. So whether you are willing to boost your career or to share your valuable experience, the EAGE Mentoring Programme is a great place to start.

Expanding your professional horizons

Another way people in their early careers can enhance their understanding of the industry is joining Technical Communities. These specialised networks aim to bring forward the latest trends, best practices, and professional development opportunities in various disciplines, such

For example, if you are curious about renewable energies, the Decarbonization and Energy Transition (DET) Community is, in words of Board member Carla Martín-Clavé, ‘the perfect place for any student, early career or senior professional looking for support to make a change in his/her career and to join the new low-carbon technologies energy sector’. Speaking of her own experience, Martín-Clavé stresses the importance of joining technical knowledge exchange initiatives: ‘When I first joined a community, I was still a student, and being part of the DET committee has helped me to learn from senior professionals driving and shaping the energy transition in geoscience’.

Our Special Interest Communities also have a lot to offer. Take for example the

Young Professionals’ special session at the 84th EAGE Annual: Career Diversity Within and Beyond Geoscience

It was an interesting session in which the skills that might be useful in future careers, as well as how the careers can look like with the skills on hand, were addressed through the lens of various disciplines.

Yuriy Ivanov, chair of the Young Professionals community explained that ‘the motivation behind the session was to emphasise that geoscience is a multi-disciplinary field that addresses a variety of problems and challenges. It is important that young professionals at early stages of their careers don’t lock themselves into a narrow subject by selecting a certain area, but have access to exciting opportunities by capitalising on the multi-disciplinarity of what we do.’

One participant at the session, Juan Manuel Jiménez, an undergraduate geology student, said that attending the Young Professionals session was an enriching experience. ‘Engaging with industry professionals and fellow young geoscientists broadened my horizons and fostered meaningful connections. This session highlighted the vast opportunities available and inspired me to explore diverse career paths within geoscience.’

In your early career, there are plenty of opportunities to shape and enrich your professional journey through EAGE. Take advantage of them all.

If you are also interested in supporting your fellow colleagues, the Young Professionals committee is looking for new members. Find