Through the eyes of a geologist

On the 14th November, a colleague and myself attended the Women in Mining Conference based at K&L Gates. It was an annual education event, giving students an insight into potential careers in mining and resources. The first lady to speak was Froydis Cameron, an inspiration successful geologist, whom empowered her audience that evening. The main aspects I took away from Froydis's speech, as she gave us a brief overview of her education and career so far, was to listen to yourself and make decisions that are best for you, and most importantly never be afraid to ask for help. It's comforting to hear that from a professional with such a diverse and successful career. As a geology undergraduate, it didn't occur to me that the mining industry would need anthropologists, biologists and medics just to name a few. The diversity of skills within the mining industry from both men and women is it's success, where there is no longer this perception of just men in the workplace.

Last weekend, the University of Leicester Trampoline Club, including myself, competed at the Manchester Open 2013. It was my first time competing, so yes I was nervous! My first routine went well, but the second less so, think the nerves got to me. It was a great experience, and now I know it's not that bad, I will be competing more often. It was a great turn out and we ended the Saturday off with a pyjama party with all the competing universities. Team Leicester I am off home for Christmas now, but my trampoline is up in the garden, ready for practise!

Yesterday, I finished my training and have become a fully qualified Leicester Student Ambassador! It’s a highly competitive by casual role, great for balancing between studies and work. A few hundred applicants applied, where they were aiming to hire 70-80 Ambassadors. At first, we had to apply via an application form which gets graded, then had to attend a selection event at university. Before attending, it was very daunting, but my mum reminded me to just be myself, so I did! The first training we received, we were placed in groups and given real life scenarios Ambassadors have come across in previous years. It was really interesting with regards to what questions and situations Ambassadors have been in before. We discussed how we would approach the situation in hand, and then we got told how it was actually handled. The following week, we received Campus Tour Training. In groups of 6 or 7, we gave our group a mini tour, where each of us got given an area to talk about. I

Having finally received my certificate in the post with regards to the Online Networking Leicester Award, I have now begun my second - Future Leaders Leicester Award which is sponsored by Enterprise Rent-a-Car. I had my first training session yesterday, 5-8pm, which at first I was dreading as it would be a long day at university from 10am till 8pm, but I was pleasantly surprised. The session was informative and informal, led by terrific examples of successful leaders (rather than managers). What type of leader am I? Having completed the Situational Leadership Styles Questionnaire, I was dominantly a 'coaching' leader, as opposed to an 'encouraging', 'delegating', or 'structuring' leader. Being a 'coaching' leader demonstrates high directive behaviour entwined with high supportive behaviour. I did expect this result, as I do not see myself as a delegator, and do enjoy getting stuck into the work myself. What I also wasn't completely awar

- The bitterling fish - Unio bivalve - A pregnant woman Unio sucks in the bitterling fish eggs via siphons. The eggs mature whilst similarly the Unio itself breeds. Unio releases the larvea, which symbiotically sticks to the fish. The bitterling fish can then be used as a pregnancy test. If a woman is pregnant, the ovipositors of the bitterling fish protude. Learn something new every day!

Today was my first practical as a second year undergraduate for the module of Major Events in the History of Life. It was called 'To see a world in a grain of sand...' and has completely opened my eyes. Using sand from Dogs Bay, Galaway, and a stereomicroscope, I observed the skeltal remains of micro-organisms and matched them up in order to name and identify what exact microfossil was. I was able to distinguished sponge spicules, gastropods, sea urchin spines, foraminifera in the form of Textulaira, Gaudryina, Cibicides and Elphidium, and ostracods too - all of which were below 1mm in size, so very challenging when 'picking' individual specimens from the Dogs Bay sand slide. Grace enjoying a challenge Luke concentrating Myself in utter awe Dogs Bay sand I think I have found my niche!

Having attended the PCSB Society talk yesterday (the university's main geology society), I was given a great insight into the career of Dougal Jerram. To some of you, he may be known as Dr. Volcano, named by  BBC the One Show, but he has had a history of educational television episodes aired, revolving around geology.  Whilst speaking about current affairs, he was sharing his experience with Eyjafjallajokull, which caused mayhem to worldwide airports not just the UK. Having not known at the time, people were then placing bets on which volcano was next to erupt. I didn't even know volcano betting existed! So now I'm currently waiting for the next big eruption to place my bet. Watch this space... Dougal was able to share with us a clip of his Grand Canyon expedition which was filmed in August 2013, and will be aired 2014. It looks very exciting but that is unfortunately all I can say. So keep your eyes peeled for a new series on the BBC.

Today I went to a session at university regarding being prepped for the Festival of Careers 2013. Having gone to a prep session last year, I was disappointed to see no Geology companies. Having listened to feedback, this year CGG will be visiting the University of Leicester on 7 th November on the Engineering, Science and IT day. Today I have learnt that there are 400,000 graduates from UK universities every year. I was quite surprised to hear that for every graduate role, a company receives on average 85 applications. Whether or not 85 had the desired qualities, this still shows the competitiveness graduates are now facing and how it is vital to now stand out in a crowd. My objectives of attending the careers festival this year will be primarily to make contacts with companies that appeal to my interests – I will primarily be researching the geological companies first, but will keep my horizons open as I never know what the future entails. I hope to gain an insight into the c

Click for my video demonstrating my journey through the  Leicester Award for Online Networking It is something I'd recommend to all - old and new, Leicester students as my perception of social media has completely changed! I thought I was 'in the know' with regards to technology, but only now do I realise the importance of taking advantage of the internet.

I've always had an interest in world development. If I hadn't of fell in love with and chosen to study Geology at university, I would have definitely taken the option to study international development. I'm actively researching how I could possibly interlink these as a career. I follow Geology for Global Development  regularly, and find the work they do ever so interesting. I'm hopefully attending their national conference in October as I'd love to meet people of similar interests but still within the geology field of work. Their website actually took me to The Association of Geoscientists for Internation Development  which I've now become a member of. It costs merely £3 for a student in the UK which I personally think it worth paying if you have such an interest as I think it's important to be globally aware.

I've recently been introduced to Weebly - where you are able to create your own online CV. I'd been inspired from a few (links below) and thought I'd give a go at my own attempt. My inspiration: http://kristin.fm/sm/index.html http://ulrikeschulz.weebly.com/index.html Let me know what you think of mine: Jo Miles Online Résumé

C.V.I.V - what is it? It stands for curriculum vitae interactive video and is a new approach to portray yourself in the simplest of ways to potential employers. Over the past couple of days I have been researching into how effective professionals are in using their online presence to portray themselves to future employers. The video below from YouTube, has got to be my favourite so far. Not only does Graeme Anthony introduce himself and explain why he now thinks it is important for him to portray himself this way, he's made his introductory video interactive - you can choose to then watch videos that are specific to his skills or portfolio. This is something that has really excited me - because building an online presence and network online can be fun! In his introductory video alone, he has had over 200,000 views which I would deem incredibly successful for a home video. He has set an example of how technology has changed the employability world. It has inspired me in the futu

"Having searched Google, I didn't find myself. I thought I would have a digital footprint, as being a regular Facebook and Twitter user. After searching on www.123people.com, there are obviously other Jo Miles's in the world that have a greater presence online than me as I couldn't find myself on this website either. Although what did surprise me was that two of my best friends were in the 'Related People' section. Whether Jo Miles is a common name or not, I'd like to think I have an active presence online, but from this exercise I can see that I need to take advantage of social media to heighten my digital footprint further and actually be found when searched for by employers.” I wrote this at the beginning of the course and initially I was hoping to have a digital footprint by the end of the course. I searched for myself again on www.123people.com and although I did not come up on Facebook or Twitter again, I was pleasantly surprised to see my blog

Having only just realised the importance of a personal brand online, it was fair to say when I searched for myself on www.123people.com that I did not have an effective digital footprint. I was disappointed with this and so here is my blog – the beginning of my digital footprint. My first ever fieldwork experience in Geology was at Colchester Sixth Form College. I was 17 and visited the Isle of Arran for a week. This was not a compulsory trip, but felt it was necessary to get out in the field, and see real formations for myself. It allowed me to practice my strike and dip in the field, which I am now completely happy with calculating by myself.  This took place at Easter in 2011, where we worked in small groups during the day, getting to know what it feels like to be a geological mapper, followed by one days’ worth of independently mapping. Easter 2013, I returned to the Isle of Arran and completed another ten days of fieldwork but in a different area of the island. Not only did

I am a first year Geology undergraduate at the University of Leicester, with a particular interest in applied Geology such as mining and oil/gas exploration. My goal of this networking Leicester Award is to understand the importance of making a personal brand online, effectively showing my talent and potential as a future employee as I progress on to my second year at the university. I hope to eventually distinguish myself from other Geology undergraduates in the same field and I hope to show this from the beginning of my reflective blog. My audience: you; will be potential employers as well as peers who enjoy a similar amount of enthusiasm for Geology. I believe it is important to not only be enthusiastic, but passionate about your subject area. The aim of the next three reflective blogs will hopefully give you an insight into being a Geology undergraduate in a very challenging and competitive market, which may create awareness of the issues undergraduates face. I hope to port

Sorry for the lack of blogging, I've been holidaying in the Dominican Republic. Here are a few photos of the fun I've been up to: On the 'Bridge to Nowhere' Getting ready before our big adventure... Ziplining through the Samana rainforest White water rafting  White water rafting team Practicing before the 13km session The route ahead Floating with the flow of the river In my element It's been a fun filled two weeks, so sorry for the lack of blogging.

The first year of university is over. I've had the best year of my life, not only do I have incredible flat mates who I'm sure I'll stay friends with till we're old and grey, I have the best course mates I could ask for. We're a little Geology family, very sociable and have a great mix of work and play. I do miss being at home, but right now I want to stay at university for ever! I got my exam results and am very pleased, roll on second year I say.  Barkby family, John Foster Hall

After a nine hour journey, finally back home to Leicester for two days anyway. Sleep is definitely on the cards...

First lay in in weeks - well if you call 9am a lay in. Yesterday we mapped inland geology on the peninsula, and were tourists for the day! Coloured in my nearly finished map, just need to do expand my notes into proper, concise annotations. Today is going to consist of making a GVS for the area and doing cross-sections. Tomorrow we'll enter the field for the last time to get any information we may be missing. The Langness peninsula is a combination of straightforward and challenging - would recommend it for practice. Getting a view from above Is anyone home? View for lunch Tourists for the afternoon

Today I've finally finished the bulk of the mapping and will most definitely be celebrating tonight. We've finished ahead of schedule so have a few days to go back over any localities we've missed taking measurements for or to take photos that may come in handy when report writing over the following months.  Jo

So the seals made a visit today, making the heat and fieldwork more bearable. We're now on day nine, and the tiredness has kicked in. We practically work from 9am to 11pm, so my body is feeling the burn. Although I may moan, I absolutely love fieldwork - the idea of exploring and interpreting a geological area by yourself and solving the puzzle really is an accomplishment. When you don't understand what happens, you think of all the possible theories that could have happened and with the process of elimination, work out which is the most appropriate. Seals sunbathing on the SE tip of Langness peninsula Sunbathing seal, posing for me Blue sky, blue sea View of Jeremy Clarkson's back garden quite literally

I better start saving! Volcanology and Ecology in Nicaragua

Today we had the best weather yet - t-shirt and shorts weather all day, with a gentle breeze. It was perfect as we got everything we wanted to done, as well as have a spot of sunbathing. We've only got four full days of fieldwork left, so the panic is beginning to set in. We're on target timing wise, but we can never estimate for an unforeseen back set. And to think in just over a weeks time, the hard work will be paid off and I will be sunbathing and exploring in the Caribbean - sounds like heaven to me. Jo

When we wasn't mapping drift onto our maps, we was exploring... Myself (left), Zeinab (centre) and Grace (right)

Today isn't going to be totally wasted. We've used Google Maps to look at the expected drift geology and this afternoon we're going to confirm it. The rest of the day is going to be spent catching up and reviewing what we've done so far and planning the rest of the trip now that we've only got seven mapping days left. Best get cracking on with it then... Jo

Mapping is taking it's toll, so we're going to the pub tonight, in need of a drink or three. Today the weather was pleasant, making mapping much more enjoyable. As you can see though, my mapping colleagues are not the photogenic types:   "What is going on here?"   Having a heated debate Conglomerate in the distance, mudrock by Zeinab

Today's playground: It took a couple of hours, but we finally debated it out as to the geological history of the area. Today has been rather productive, nearly finished the West coast of the Langness peninsula, onto the South end by tomorrow, hopefully on target to finish in time to return to any localities if questions arise. When we're not working in the field, we like to have fun too:   The funniest moment of the day (see above photo). Zeinab splitting her waterproof trousers at the bum, providing plenty of banter on the way home! 

Day three in the field The view of Castletown in the distance:  Today mainly consisted of heading out during low tide to find today's baffling rock boundary. Except as you can see, it was more than just challenging!

This has most definitely caught my eye: Lets hope I get a ticket! Jo

Day 2 of Fieldwork Today it was a comfortable temperature of 19 degrees Celsius - more days like this please! We thanked the fairies as we crossed the Fairy Bridge on the way home for the lovely weather, fingers crossed for more. This was our view at lunchtime: Today we focused primarily on the limestone, of which is only visible at low tide, so we had to cherish the few hours we had with today's outcrop.  Working hard as usual:  Zeinab for scale, on the bedded limestone outcrop Grace (left) and myself locating ourselves using bearings Unfortunately this blog is going to be short and sweet due to the amount of work I need to do tonight, in preparation for another 8 hours in the field tomorrow. Wish me luck! Jo

Currently blogging from the Isle of Man. Today was day one of fieldwork, what I like to call the 'Reckie Day' (Reconnaissance Day). We walked around the area, got the feel of the place, and have planned the rest of the two weeks here. It rained all day, but I like to think we got as much as we could done, powering through 9-4pm in constant rain! I'm going to write a daily blog while I'm here, going through the ups and lows, my group and I experience whilst we independently map for the first time as Leicester undergraduates. Meet the Isle of Man mapping group:

Welcome to my first ever blog as an undergraduate student. I dream big, aim high and even though I may be disappointment along the journey, I never give up. I love to learn and never want to stop. I’ve had some set-backs this year, having applied for Aggregate Industries bursary, G-Base work experience, putting myself forward to be elected member of the PCSB Geology Society and numerously applying for part time employment and being unsuccessful in them all, my eyes have been opened as to just how competitive university life really is. So as I begin this blogging adventure, I plan to share with you my current experiences as an undergraduate Geologist within a very competitive world. I plan to take advantage of blogging using the internet and hopefully will be able to define to you my very own personal brand. Having read through Clare Whitmell’s blog post, titled ‘Why a traditional CV isn’t always enough’ on the Guardian’s website, it emphasizes how an online presence is &qu