Walk me through your background + geology experience.

What it tests: Story arc - geology training + field career + deposit-type exposure + reporting work.

Tell me about an exploration or resource project you've worked on.

What it tests: Geological rigor + field discipline + reporting awareness + outcome orientation.

What it tests: Authentic alignment - field work, applied ore-body science, commercial outcome of discovery, long career runway.

What it tests: Specificity. Generic 'I like rocks' answers fail.

What it tests: Real homework - asset, recent drilling + resource updates, team - not name-drop.

What it tests: Industry literacy - deposit types, project stages, drilling cadence, recent intercepts.

What it tests: Reporting-code fluency - tonnage, grade, classification mix, modelling assumptions, CP / QP sign-off.

What it tests: Targeting + program design - geology + geochem + geophysics integration, drill plan rationale, budgeting awareness.

Exploration geologists, project geologists, resource geologists, mine geologists, chief geologists.

Can the candidate read a deposit type + design a targeting + drilling program for it?
Do they understand QA/QC discipline - CRMs, blanks, duplicates, twin holes, lab cross-checks?
Are they fluent in mineral resource estimation workflow + classification (Inferred / Indicated / Measured)?
Can they work to JORC / NI 43-101 / SK-1300 reporting standards under Competent / Qualified Person sign-off?
Do they navigate field safety + remote-site discipline + drilling supervision?
Are they aware of social licence, indigenous engagement, environmental baseline?
Long-game fit - exploration / project / resource / chief geologist trajectory?

Walk me through your background + geology experience.
What it tests: Story arc - geology training + field career + deposit-type exposure + reporting work.
Tell me about an exploration or resource project you've worked on.
What it tests: Geological rigor + field discipline + reporting awareness + outcome orientation.
Why mining geology vs academic geology or oil + gas?
What it tests: Authentic alignment - field work, applied ore-body science, commercial outcome of discovery, long career runway.
Why this commodity + deposit type - gold / copper / nickel / lithium / iron ore?
What it tests: Specificity. Generic 'I like rocks' answers fail.
Why this firm?
What it tests: Real homework - asset, recent drilling + resource updates, team - not name-drop.
What's your read on our project portfolio + recent drilling results?
What it tests: Industry literacy - deposit types, project stages, drilling cadence, recent intercepts.
Tell me what you understand about our latest resource + reserve update.
What it tests: Reporting-code fluency - tonnage, grade, classification mix, modelling assumptions, CP / QP sign-off.
Walk me through how you'd take a greenfield target to a maiden drilling program.
What it tests: Targeting + program design - geology + geochem + geophysics integration, drill plan rationale, budgeting awareness.

Exploration + targeting workflow

Deposit model + mineral system: Conceptual model of source + transport + trap controls for a given commodity, used to define what to look for.
Geochemistry - surface + downhole: Soil + rock chip + stream-sediment surveys + downhole assays; pathfinder elements specific to deposit type.
Geophysics - airborne + ground: Magnetics, gravity, EM, IP, radiometrics - imaging concealed targets via physical-property contrasts.
Structural geology + mapping: Field mapping + structural interpretation - faults, folds, fluid pathways, dilational sites.

Drilling + sampling + QA/QC

Drilling methods - RC vs DD vs sonic: Reverse Circulation (RC) - fast + cheap chips; Diamond Drilling (DD) - oriented core, geotech + structural; sonic for soft cover.
Core logging + sampling: Geological + geotechnical logging of core or chips + sampling intervals tied to lithology + mineralisation.
QA/QC routine - CRMs + blanks + duplicates: Standard practice - insert Certified Reference Materials, blanks, field + pulp + lab duplicates at ~5-10% rate.
Lab + assay methods: Fire assay for Au (30 g or 50 g charge); ICP-MS / ICP-OES + aqua regia or four-acid digest for multi-element; XRF for Fe / bulk.

Mineral Resource Estimation (MRE)

Domaining + geological model: Subdivide the deposit into geologically + statistically homogeneous domains before estimation.
Statistics + compositing + top-cuts: Declustered statistics + composite to a uniform support + treat outliers via top-cut or capping.
Variography + estimation method: Variograms describe spatial continuity; Ordinary Kriging (OK), MIK, Inverse Distance (ID), Nearest Neighbour are common methods.
Classification - Inferred / Indicated / Measured: Confidence categories tied to drill spacing, geological continuity, QA/QC, twin-hole agreement, classification rationale documented.

Reporting codes + Competent / Qualified Person duty

Competent Person (CP) / Qualified Person (QP): Named individual with relevant experience + professional registration who takes responsibility for public statements of estimates.
Modifying factors: Mining + metallurgical + infrastructure + legal + environmental + social + governmental + economic factors required to convert resource to reserve.
Materiality + disclosure: Public statements must be material, transparent, and traceable to a CP / QP-supported technical report or release.
Technical report structure: Standardised sections - property description, geology, exploration, drilling, sample prep + QA/QC, data verification, mineral processing, MRE, mineral reserves, modifying factors.

You inherit a greenfield porphyry Cu-Au target with regional mag + IP + reconnaissance soils completed. Walk through how you'd take it to a 5,000 m maiden drill program.
A CRM in your latest assay batch returns 15% below expected mean. Walk through your QA/QC response + implication for the next resource update.
You have 25,000 m of drilling on a vein-hosted orogenic Au prospect. Walk through how you'd build a maiden Inferred resource - then size which fraction could realistically be Indicated.

Project pipeline - greenfield vs near-mine vs resource-definition vs operating mine balance
Commodity strategy + deposit-type focus - precious vs base vs battery metals
Reporting-code regime - JORC vs NI 43-101 vs SK-1300 jurisdictions + recent technical reports
Drilling cadence + lab partnerships - meters per year, RC vs DD mix, QA/QC protocols
ESG + social licence - indigenous + landholder engagement, environmental baseline

Drop your CV and a job description on the home page. A couple of minutes later you get a report with everything you need to land the job.