This month The Professional Edge chats with Jason Craven, P. Geo., a uranium exploration geologist working with Cameco in Saskatoon.
Tell us about your personal and professional background.
I was born and raised in Bengough, Saskatchewan where I went to the K-12 school. It was a place that had a great small-town atmosphere. The world seemed pretty big coming from Bengough. After high school, I went to the U of R where I studied geology with a minor in geography.
Why did you choose to go into geoscience?
I actually started out as a history major. In my first year in university, I took a variety of classes including geology. I found that geology is the ultimate form of history. People normally have appreciation for time in human terms but with geology you can study the history of everything.
I became fascinated – as I still am to this day – with solving the mysteries of the Earth one piece at a time. So I reassessed where I was headed with my life and switched to geology.
Looking back, the decision was crazy and very naive. There were no jobs in the field at the time. But I got lucky and got a job with Cameco right of university. Many of my peers weren’t so lucky. I look at the summer students we have working for us today and they are all so much more savvy about jobs and their careers than I was.
What was your biggest challenge in college?
My biggest challenge was adapting to city life coming from a small town. I didn’t know anyone when I arrived on campus. But I solved that by living in Luther Residence. It helped me meet people and helped me bring out my extroverted side. My experiences there played a big role in how I have come to carry myself at work and in life.
I also met a lot of people through the program. Geology was a small, close-knit group. We all knew each other’s names and so did the professors – for better or worse.
You went to work for Cameco straight out of college. What was the transition like from school to work?
I was thrown into work at Cameco two days after my last final. It was a big adjustment – shocking, really. In the industry, they take what you’ve learned in school and mould it into a new purpose. But there wasn’t a point where I felt what I had studied was useless. The great thing about working with Cameco is that you take what you’ve learned in school and use a lot of it in your career which is validating.
What do you feel was your single greatest accomplishment as geoscientist?
I can’t think of one particular accomplishment but I’ve been a part of some exciting times on discovery teams. As a supervisor, I find it gratifying to be able to see my teams grow and develop and to see what they go on to accomplish later in their careers.
What are your interests outside of work?
I think I’ve lost childhood memories to make room for the amount of pop culture in my head. These interests led me to comic conventions. I find they have a great culture of accepting everyone. Through that channel I’ve done a little bit of cosplay, dressing up as science fiction and video game characters.
I love team sports where, like the conventions, I appreciate the inclusive accepting atmosphere with the bonus of competition. I also love being outdoors so it’s great to have a job that lets me do that.
Have you ever met anyone famous?
I have a wall of photos with celebrities from the comic conventions but my favourite celebrity encounter was a random one. At a Calgary convention, I ran into Anthony Daniels (who played C3PO in Star Wars) in a liquor store. He was picking out wine. I chatted with him for a bit. He was very gracious and I got a photo with him.
What is your favourite vacation spot?
I like to travel a lot – First World, Third World, doesn’t matter – and I don’t like going to the same place twice. Among the places I’ve visited, some places that have stood out to me include Brazil and the area around Darwin at the extreme northern tip of Australia. And, of course, the Grand Canyon – as a geologist, I was pretty blown away by the sight of that.
Who has had the greatest influence on your life and career?
For my life in general, I would say my wife. Her drive and work ethic humble me on a daily basis. She is a doctor. She had a tough time getting into medical school but she knew it was her passion so she just worked harder to get in. I can’t complain about anything in life because she works so hard and is an inspiration. We are both doing what we are passionate about so we provide a positive feedback loop to each other.
As for my career, a couple of guys come to mind. Ralf Maxeiner, P.Geo., with the Geological Survey, taught me to lead by example. Chris Hamel, P.Geo. taught me a lot about the nuances of being a leader and supervisor.