Ready to get started?
There are all kinds of resources available so you can pack your bag, plan ahead, and chart your course to start on your Earth Science career path.
What do you already have?
Like any journey worth making, you need to be prepared. Do an inventory check to see what skills, knowledge, and interests you already have that lend themselves well to a career in Earth Science.
- Hiking and exploring outside
- Observing and gathering evidence to solve problems
- Working with your hands/tools/equipment
- Using computers and technology
- Playing games
- Reading
- Protecting the environment
- Discovering how things work through research
- Working with numbers
- Working with other people
- Playing team sports
- Sharing knowledge with others
What can you do next?
Check out CBC Kids for relevant headlines – more appear each week as our country and the world experience natural disasters, severe weather events, new technologies and discoveries.
Search YouTube for all kinds of Earth Science content. Earth Scientists often post videos from their workplaces, sharing new discoveries and experiments, even from space.
Listen to cool podcasts about our planet, like CBC’s What On Earth that tackles topics like the climate crisis, finding inspiration in unexpected places and solutions from everyday superheroes.
Watch documentaries – there are many fantastic shows and series hosted by a range of experts and actors, taking you all across our planet from the comfort of your couch.
Visit local science centers and museums to see what Earth Science-related activities they have, with special exhibits or visiting experts that interest you.
Find and join a local rock, mineral, and gem club – there are many across Canada. They meet regularly to collect rocks and fossils and learn about the Earth Sciences.
Volunteer for Earth Science events in your community, and help with exhibit setups and displays, hands-on demonstrations, and info booths.
Sign up for newsletters and email feeds that can keep you current on who’s doing what out in the working world and make connections with groups you didn’t even know were out there.
Who Can Help?
Talk to your guidance counselor and ask what they can suggest for exploring an Earth Science career path. They can help you research school program requirements to ensure you have the right courses, and can suggest extracurricular activities that will help you stay well-rounded. They can help you find summer internships, co-op programs, scholarships or bursaries you can apply for.
Look up Canadian Earth Science organizations – there are many across our country, including Geoscientists Canada. They can show you the pathway to becoming a professional geoscientist someday. Visit the Earth Sciences Canada HUB to find out more.
Do your homework! Dig deeper on the Where Can I Learn page to see what schools across Canada offer. Reach out to colleges and universities who offer student resources for prospective students. Many host career days for high school students.
If you or a friend knows an Earth Scientist, ask them for advice or how they found their career path. You could shadow them at work for a day and ask for guidance about your future. It’s a great idea to connect with real people in the workforce to find out what they do and imagine yourself doing and imagine yourself doing it!
Still have questions?
Reach out to the Canadian Federation of Earth Sciences Secretary who can put you in touch with relevant and helpful contacts.