• Question: Being a geographer.. how hard do you have to work in order to finish your job? how much are you willing to put to the risk to do this job?

    Asked by Ned on 25 Jan 2026.
    • Photo: Alex Cartwright

      Alex Cartwright answered on 25 Jan 2026:

      Being a geographer doesn’t mean you have to work harder than everyone else – that’s true for any job. What matters more is how you work. I’ve learned that working smarter is better than just working longer hours. For example, I know I’m not very focused in the middle of the afternoon, so instead of sitting at my desk getting frustrated, I might go for a bike ride or walk the dog. Then I’ll do some work later in the evening when I can concentrate better and get more done.

      The “risk” part of the question is a bit tricky to answer, as I’m not totally sure what you are meaning – i’ll give it a go though. I don’t usually put myself in danger, but during floods or emergencies I might work longer hours or be on call to help decision-makers. I’m willing to do that because the work helps protect people and communities, which makes it feel worthwhile.

    • Photo: James Ward

      James Ward answered on 26 Jan 2026:

      There are deadlines to meet but with support from people leaders and good preparation and time management this can be controlled. I try and prepare well which will help with managing work through the week.

    • Photo: Alan Jones

      Alan Jones answered on 26 Jan 2026:

      I work until the job required is finished. I attended pollution incidents and you cannot walk away from solving the problem

    • Photo: Keith Thomas

      Keith Thomas answered on 29 Jan 2026:

      As most have said we have largely all found “jobs” we actually enjoy doing and do not feel as if we are simply spending time at someone else’s control simply to complete a shift and escape – believe me i have had some jobs like that when i first graduated.

      As I work for myself independently and have to complete projects to client satisfaction and then win new work through competition and tenders it is important to do a good job every time – meet the deadlines – provide a quality report/correct first time and no spelling or other errors – and ensure the client is satisfied with the outcome. This builds my quality reputation to win more work and get paid. So you do have to put in the effort and juggle lots of different tasks whilst bidding for new work and completing existing projects and completing admin tasks keeping the accounts/VAT returns and paying bills. Sometimes that means long hours when there is a lot to do but i also have control when and how i work. I work best in the morning and find it easy to do things at 530 or 6 am then go see my horses at 8 and start again around 10 but rarely work beyond 4 or 5pm unless have a consultation meeting.

Comments

  • Photo: Connor W

    Connor W commented on :

    Anyone in any job works hard to meet deadlines or the needs of the job. Some tasks require a lot more mental real estate to get ideas moving, or conceptualized, and some just require a bit of teeth-gritting to get done.

    I often find at the start of the day tackling the smaller tasks helps you build the momentum to make a start on your bigger projects. Small wins in life help with achieving anything in the long-run. I’d say I work hard each day to ensure that when I close my laptop for the day I can completely relax and not focus on work into my free-time!