Jobs for the Major
How this major affects a job search
Don't you love technical majors? You're going to school with a specific goal in mind, and at the other end of it, a job. It sounds so magical what with the current job market. We weren't kidding when we said that mining is constantly in demand. It's entirely possible that you've had an eye on mining engineering since you were old enough to know what mining was, so good on you.
What a lot of tech majors lose sight of is that there are options. Sure, you have one specific career in mind, and it's a possibility, but there are other things you might not have considered. Not just fall-backs or second-choices, either. You might find that your dream degree perfectly trains you to do something you never thought of.
No, not dinosaur breeding, but something else maybe.
Common Career Fields
Mine Engineer. No, not your engineer—mine…engineer. Okay, sorry. That was kind of a flop. Moving on. Ahem. This is the job you were probably thinking of for the major. It's a good one, too. This is the person that oversees a specific mine and generally makes sure everyone is using the equipment responsibly and not falling into any nearby parallel dimensions. It's a hands-on job, perfect for the brainy person who doesn't mind getting their hands dirty.
Maintenance Engineer. The quickest way to break most machinery is to repeatedly hit rocks with it. This is also how a lot of mining equipment is actually used. Unsurprisingly, there's a lot of maintenance to be done in various mines, and someone with your expertise would be perfect for the job.
Construction Engineer. You might be thinking buildings here, and then wondering why a mining engineer would be doing that. You would be right in wondering this. Construction engineers in this context are constructing mines. As you probably know, dirt and rocks get pretty heavy in significant quantities, and there's no bigger quantity on Earth than the earth. Your job will be to build a mine that won't collapse, as that's pretty much the worst thing a mine can do. The nice part is that your job is never really done; as the mine goes deeper, it also gets bigger. You job, that is.
Machine Engineer. The goal of every engineer is to build a better mousetrap. Well, not literally. That would be strange. What they actually do is create a machine that does what we need it to do, only better. Or they'll create something entirely new. The sky's the limit. Actually, no, this is mining, so the opposite of that. The core's the limit.
Drill Operator. Oh yes, these monsters really exist. They're not quite like you see in the movies, but they're very real. Knowing the equipment is important; operators must be fully away of everything from the simple operation of the machinery to the amount of stress a drill can take before it destroys itself.
Environmental Compliance Engineer. We mentioned before that mining can have adverse effects on the environment, either due to what you're trying to pull from the ground or the techniques you're using. The point is, you can kill all kinds of things when you're not trying to kill anything. There are environmental regulations that go with mining, and it would be your job to see that they're followed.
Mineral Processing. The stuff pulled out of the ground isn't always in the state it needs to be in. Think of it this way: a cheeseburger is tasty, but if you tried to buy one and were given a cow instead, you might complain. Processing would involve harvesting the milk for the cheese, slaughtering the cow for the beef, and dealing with the crippling guilt of betraying your friend like that. We're sorry, Bessie. We'll always love you. Mineral processing is like that, only without the sad parts. You're taking the raw stuff and making it into the good stuff.
Current unemployment of the major
3%Percentage of majors who get a higher degree after college
37%Stats obtained from this source.