Breaking Ground: Embracing the Zigzag Career Path in Mining & Construction
- Geovert
- Jun 5
- 3 min read
"I've gone up, down, sideways, inside out in my career – it's all gaining experience," says Marianne Rogers, an experienced mining and construction professional, reflecting on her journey from mining engineer to lawyer and back to industry leadership.
In an era when many still expect careers to follow a predictable upward trajectory, a zigzag path offers a refreshing alternative. Rogers’ experiences demonstrate how seemingly unrelated pursuits can ultimately create a unique and valuable professional profile.
The Mining Engineer Who Became a Lawyer
After establishing herself in the mining industry, Rogers made a surprising pivot – to law school. "I was working in the Outback, looking at job opportunities and thought, 'Am I just going to go from mining town to mining town through my career?'" she explains.
This curiosity led her to explore an entirely different profession: "I love studying law. It's fascinating in terms of the way language is used. There's a whole philosophy of law around how we organise ourselves as a society."
Though Marianne practiced law for only about a year before returning to mining, this experience wasn't a detour – it was an expansion of her skills and perspective that continues to benefit today.
Learning Through Variety
Traditional career advice often emphasises vertical advancement – climbing the ladder in a single discipline or company - but lateral moves can be equally valuable. It can create a unique profile that would be impossible with a strictly linear career path.
For Hannah Thomas, Marianne’s conversation partner and a geological engineer earlier in her career journey, this perspective is validating. Hannah, a Geovert US team member and passionate advocate for increasing awareness of career opportunities for women in mining and construction, has her own varied path that includes political campaigns, IT internships, and various roles within geotechnical engineering.
"If you're not being introspective and being like, 'I like this about law, I didn't like this, but I like this about engineering,' and now I get to combine it all together, then you're going to be happier that way," Hannah reflects.
Both women agree that trying different paths isn't about "finding yourself" once and for all – it's about continuous learning and adaptation throughout your career.
When the Path Isn't Clear
Making unconventional career moves requires courage, especially when others don't understand your choices. Marianne remembers the constraining environment of corporate law firms compared to the creative freedom she found in construction and mining.
"I had to wear the right clothes, the high-heeled shoes, the suit for work, and everybody behaved in a certain way," she recalls of her law firm experience. "Whereas in construction, I feel like there's a lot more room for individual self-expression and creativity."
These realisations only come through experience – you can't know which environment suits you best until you've tried different options.
The Myth of the "Perfect First Choice"
Both women challenge the pressure to find the perfect career immediately after education. "To me, that's unheard of," says Hannah about the idea of someone finding their ideal career on the first try.
Marianne agrees, questioning whether people who stay in one career their entire lives are truly content: "Are they really happy, or are they just settling? Or are they afraid?"
This perspective offers freedom from the pressure to get it right the first time. Career exploration isn't failure – it's necessary research for making informed decisions.
Advice for Career Explorers
For professionals considering a change or just starting their journey, both women offered straightforward advice:
Follow curiosity: "Try different things. Be curious. Have an open mind."
Say yes to opportunities: "If an opportunity comes along, take it – even if it scares you."
Value all experiences: "If I fall flat on my face, I've had a learning experience, and if I succeed, that's also been a learning experience."
Look for connections: Notice how skills from one field apply in unexpected ways to others.
Trust the process: "I think it's not a realistic expectation to see one's career as a linear, continual upward trajectory.
The Future of Careers in Mining and Construction
As industries evolve and roles transform with technology and changing priorities, the ability to adapt and integrate diverse experiences becomes increasingly valuable. Companies like Geovert benefit from professionals with these varied backgrounds, bringing fresh perspectives and cross-disciplinary insights to complex challenges. In safety-critical fields like mining and construction, this breadth of experience can lead to innovative approaches to problem-solving.
This article is based on a conversation between Marianne Rogers, an experienced mining and construction professional, and Hannah Thomas, Geovert US team member and advocate for increasing awareness of career opportunities for women in mining and construction.