I came across an interesting article recently in Nature Geoscience called “Rare Earth Scientists” that discussed how there is a large demand for scientists in the earth science fields, yet the availability of scientists is falling short. Here are some interesting parts of the article:
As a result of these emerging job opportunities for geoscientists, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment of geoscientists in the US will grow disproportionately, by 21% between 2010 and 2020.
And this one:
Compared with other science subjects — physics, chemistry and biology — there are only a small number of Earth-science graduates. Registrations for undergraduate courses at US institutions are on the rise (http://www.agiweb.org/workforce/reports.html), but the job market globally is expanding even faster.
It then discusses how geoscientist need to speak with teachers and students to encourage them to enter the profession. I think being a “geoscientist”, or a soil scientists specifically, gives me the perfect opportunity to do computer and lab work, but add a healthy balance of field work. It’s not just doing the same repetitive things over and over like engineering, or other lab-only science professions.
Colby Digs Soil 