Career Mirror -- by Mark Sproxton

They plow through waist-high snowdrifts, work month-long stretches without a day off and are intimate with explosives. They are dumped all over western Canada by helicopters, boats and trucks to work long days fighting backcountry bush, but they are holders of some of the highest earning and most sought after jobs for young people in the country. Officially they are called recording crew helpers, or a variation thereof, but whenever someone asks what they do, they simply say, "I work seismic." Seismic crew workers have a tough job, but the work they do is integral to oil and gas exploration throughout western Canada.

"Being away from home for 28 days can be both an advantage and a disadvantage," said Kristine Williamson from Veritas DGC, a Calgary seismic data acquisition company. "You pay no rent, but you miss friends and family." Working 28 days in a row can be exhausting, said Williamson and Veritas recording crew helper Chad Deetjen, especially considering many of them run over 14 hours in the middle of winter. "You must like the outdoors," she said, "and be ready to persevere through rough terrain."

Though working seismic is demanding physically and mentally, its biggest attraction is potential earnings. Williamson said salary usually starts at $7 an hour, but by working out of town and living on company food and board, many workers can put every dollar they earn into the bank. Working so many hours also means there is little time to spend money, so many find it easy to build up a savings fund quickly. Workers travel all over Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories, so Williamson said working seismic is also a good way to see the country.

Seismic workers, however, don't need to spend their whole careers pushing through nameless parts of the Canadian wilderness; experienced seismic workers can travel all over the world. "There are opportunities to work in other countries after a year of service," Williamson said. "Specialized skills are developed which are needed by our crews in the U.S., South America and the Middle East." Raises and benefits also come quickly, based on experience and performance.

Aside from having a high tolerance for exhaustion, job requirements for seismic workers are fairly soft. Anyone over 18-years old is eligible, providing they have a drivers licence with less than 10 demerit points. Williamson also said preference will be given to those with a high school diploma or labour experience. The availability of jobs, however, comes and goes with oil prices. Low prices bring down exploration initiatives, so the need for recording crew helpers diminishes. When prices are high, however, that trend is reversed and workers are recruited through newspapers, job banks and by word-of-mouth. "Talk to people who have done it and make sure that field work is for you," Williamson said. "It is a great time to meet people and build friendships."