Mineral Exploration

F A L L 2 0 1 5 29 her path, she turned to McAndless for his mentoring and expertise. Three people had made big impacts on McAndless's career: Art Soregaroli, a geologist; Guenter Plassman, a prospec- tor; and Don Coates, a businessman. "All of them recognized that I was unique and driven to make a difference for others," McAndless says. "They sup- ported me in my vision and allowed me to grow in a way that fuelled my passion to serve others." that mapping was her passion. Her focus was narrowing, which was a good thing. "We live in a world of specialization," says McAndless. "To stand out and excel, it is important to become very proficient in a particular aspect of geoscience, so you can carve out a niche and a demand for your skills and expertise." After graduating, Bros headed west for the pursuit of big mountain ski-tour- ing and the Cordilleran geology scene. Not sure where to start, but now sure of together in a confined and remote place. The intimacy creates an instant family. Bonds are tight and networking happens easily. The first job or two opens the industry. Breaking in is the tricky part, and that's where McAndless comes in. In 2011, he was asked to give a talk to master's students at Oregon State University about Imperial's projects. Instead, he suggested a speech about the skills he saw lacking in students, titled "How to Have a Successful Career: Getting Discovered." The students responded with lots of questions. From then on, whenever he visited Imperial's project sites or travelled to conferences, he offered to speak at nearby universities. He's spoken at more than 100 universities around the world, all on a volunteer basis. When he retired in 2014, he took everything he'd been talking about for the past three years and built a website, Geodude Corner. ("A Grade 3 student said to me during a tour of a museum, 'You must be Geodude.' That stuck.") The site is a resource for resumés, business cards and networking strategies that stand out from the crowd. Or, as McAndless likes to say, "Be the purple cow." Every geology student has taken roughly the same courses, he explains. What employers want to know about is work ethic and personality. "It's about showing that you can add value and be a difference maker." After hearing McAndless's talk, Bros was intrigued, and reached out to him for more information. With the end of her degree came an offer from the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office to be a part of its regional mapping program. Working in the field on Baffin Island, she realized Deakin.indd 1 15-02-16 8:38 AM How to find a mentor Finding a mentor may seem monu- mental and intimidating. It's not. People like McAndless are common in the geosciences field. Many industry organizations have programs that pair mentors with students and recent graduates. APEGBC, the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, is a good place to start. Visit apeg.bc.ca to learn more.

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