Geological Engineering
Luke
Role: Geological Engineer
Company: Xstrata (at time of interview)
What do you like about working for the minerals industry?
The career I'm into now certainly allows me to get out and explore Australia which is something I'd never be able to do if I was stuck in a city somewhere. There's plenty of opportunity to go overseas both with my company and with others. There are rock mechanic positions all over the world.
What happened in Year 10 at high school to enable you to be where you are today?
To tell you the truth, I always loved geography in high school. I completed Year 11 geography in Year 10. Year 10, we had to do work experience, so I went to my Careers Advisor and said, 'I like geography and I'm doing pretty well in maths and sciences, where can I go, what can I do?' He sorted out work experience with the Victorian Water Board. I spent two weeks as a hydrographical engineering assistant taking bore hole samples and stream water flow samples. I had to take that data back to the laboratory and analyse it. So I basically spent half of my time out in the field, half of my time in the office and found out that the career I wanted to get into was out in the field.
What do you see as the key skills & personal qualities that young people need to be successful in the Minerals Industry?
I guess the skills you need is that you've got to be committed, you've got to be passionate and you've got to be dedicated to your job. Good communication skills are certainly important. The ability to work in a team or lead a team, those sorts of skills; and being outgoing as well. You need to keep learning. I didn't know everything when I left university, I've learnt heaps since I've been here. Not necessarily just about technical things either but it's usually about the practical side of things and mining in general.
How relevant do you see the Minerals Industry to young people, and/or everyday life?
The relevance of our industry, well it is integral in today's lifestyle. We've got our farming, our fishing, our forestry and then we've got mining. Mining supplies all of the resources that we build our houses with, that we construct our roads with, that we eat our food with, everything. So certainly relevant to today's lifestyle.
