I quickly checked the local buying prices for Kernite ore and luck would have it someone was buying in the system at a very high price! (209ISK/unit of Kernite). After completing the objectives of the mission, I did not submit the mission to the agent right away. Instead, I warped back and forth until I felt that I have mined enough for the day.
Even though, you have about 2 hours to complete this particular mission in order to get the bonus reward, taking more time to mine the available Kernite asteroids may be much more profitable. I am unsure whether the presence of Kernite in the mission deadspace was just a random occurrence, or specific to Caldari space Industrial Career Agent, but keep your eyes peeled for valuable ore when you're doing missions!Additionally, while mining in the asteroid belt of a 0.7 sec system, I had trouble successfully tanking the belt rats. My one Hornet I drone wasn't destroying the rats fast enough and they were draining my shields pretty quick. That is combined with the annoyance of Gurista rats (prevalent in Caldari space) completely jamming the sensors so that you are unable to target them or anything else. That's why I decided to splurge a bit and buy four different skillbooks that train various shield-related skills (Shield Operation, Shield Upgrades, Shield Management, Tactical Shield Manipulation).
Two of these skillbooks - Shield Management and Tactical Shield Manipulation - are a little on the expensive side for a new player, and if you're strapped for ISK, they're not very necessary at this point. Since I gained quite a large amount of sum from doing the Career Agent missions and mining the Kernite asteroids, I was able to afford them no problem.
The skills added to the training queue on top of the ones from last day were:
- Scout Drone Operation I
- Hull Upgrades I
- Targeting I
- Shield Operation I
- Shield Upgrades I
- Shield Management I
- Tactical Shield Manipulation I
After completing all of the available Industry Career Agent missions, I received a Badger industrial ship as a reward. I am not sure whether I will be using it or selling it at this point. It may be useful when I decide to start jetcan mining or using secure containers. For now, my intention is to fast-track training towards Osprey, then travel to whatever systems have highest ore buying prices and mine there. So for now, the Badger will stay put in the ship hangar bay. I don't even have the skills needed to fly it yet.
All in all, at the end of the day, my wallet was already at 2.5 million ISK. About 1 more million and I will be able to afford the Osprey hull.