"You have to be a little bit of the adventurous type to do this work. You have to be resourceful, and you have to be able to combine scientific analysis with physical work."

Canada ranks first in the world for production of potash and uranium.

Geologist Marilène Larocque wanted a career that would take her outdoors, but she couldn't decide between ecology and geology. Geology won out and she's never looked back. Now she's Chief Geologist with a mining exploration company and is responsible for all exploration forays into Northern Quebec.

Did you know? About 360,000 Canadians are directly employed in the mining industry.

Marilène is involved in the exploration end of the mining industry. She works for Socem, a company interested in finding and identifying mineral deposits. Though Marilène really loves the part of her work that takes her outside, she also has a lot of work to do in the office – that's where she does a lot of her primary research and also where she writes all her final reports after her field trips.

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SYNOPSIS:

When Marilène does field work, it's not limited to looking for rocks and gathering samples. She also has to make the travel arrangements to all those remote locations and secure accommodations and food and all within the budget established for that particular project.

Even if technological advances have made the field work a little safer and a little faster, some things haven't changed. You still have to be in good shape for the weeks of 12 hour days in the wilderness. It's not surprising that your colleagues become your family.

PERSONAL DATA:

Education: Bachelor of Geology from Université du Québec à Montréal and a Masters in Earth Sciences

Hobbies: Squash