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Five Steps to

Build Your GiS Career

Education

1First

Experience

3Learning the Tools

2Expand

Your Resume

4Career

Advancement

5

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Geographic information systems, or GIS, offers extensive career opportunities. Many companies, governments, and other organizations actively seek individuals who possess the technical and analytic skills to use location as a way to bring together vast amounts of data and then to find insights.

But there’s a difference between filling a market need and building an actual career. Under the latter, you not only prepare yourself to satisfy the market, but understand how to move through the industry to satisfy yourself. That takes time, preparation, and a systematic approach to developing your professional credentials and experience through five different steps: education, learning the tools, first experience, expanding your resume, and career advancement.

According to market analyst firm Technavio, the GIS industry in North America is predicted to grow at a compound annual rate of 11 percent through 20151. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, geospatial technology, of which GIS is a part, is experiencing “high growth.”2 The market is growing at 35 percent a year while the private sector is experiencing 100 percent annual growth, according to the Geospatial Information and Technology Association.

1 TechNavio; “Large Geographical Information Systems Market in North America 2011-2015”; July 2012; http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/nxrtd5/large_geographical

2 U.S. Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration; High Growth Industry Profile - Geospatial Technology; March 8, 2010; http://www.doleta.gov/brg/indprof/geospatial_profile.cfm

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EducationWorking in GIS requires mastering a number of fields and technologies, including understanding data analytics and technical geography to a degree that goes far beyond anything you might have learned in primary or secondary school. In geography alone you will need to learn cartography, the science of map-making, which is far more than drawing lines on a piece of paper.

For example, any geographic system for identifying a position on the planet uses a theoretical model (because the Earth’s surface is not neatly regular) and an extensive set of coordinates, called a datum, which correspond to physical locations. One model can have multiple potential datums that work with it. Different model and datum combinations might offer their own advantages and disadvantages and a GIS specialist must understand the variations to choose the right one.

GIS also uses other technologies. As Dr. Stephen McElroy, GIS program chair at American Sentinel University, explains, people doing such GIS field work as taking measurements and performing other physical mapping duties may need to know how to use such devices as laser transits and GIS equipment.

Computers form an extensive part of GIS training. GIS systems rely heavily on databases, analytic systems, and even advanced statistical applications. They

need visualization capabilities to display maps and layers of information to users. GIS personnel might have to program specialty systems and websites using a variety of languages. Companies also typically integrate GIS software with other major corporation applications to acquire and tag business data for analysis, meaning at least a familiarity with corporate computer systems and the ability to work with IT departments.

Depending on the type of job you would like, you will need a different degree of education. According to Dr. McElroy, an associate degree would best prepare you for a technician’s position—for example, employment with city governments or in construction or transportation companies—although even many of these jobs are beginning to require a bachelor’s degree as an entry-level requirement.

If someone’s interest is in office work, supervisory positions, and the more planning and analytic aspects of the industry, a bachelor’s degree becomes a necessity. For more senior analytic positions or a path into management, someone would more likely need a master’s degree.

With the growth in popularity of GIS, there are both traditional classroom and online paths you can take.

1

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2Learning the ToolsSome aspects of GIS—in particular, learning to use equipment common in the field—are actually best learned in a physical, hands-on setting, Dr. McElroy says. However, in the broader analytic, tactical, and strategic realms, online degree programs like the ones offered by American Sentinel University can provide what you need in a convenient way that is minimally disruptive to work and family life.

The software tools are by far the most widely used in the industry. There is a wide variety of applications, both proprietary commercial systems and open source options. It’s best to get a broad exposure to number of tools. You might find that a potential employer that interests you uses a less common application, in which case you might take a separate class or experiment on your own with a book or computer instruction. Ultimately, you want to show a perspective employer that you can hit the ground mapping, so to speak.

In addition, solving GIS-related problems means finding the right tools for the particular situation.

Often, that means the family of products from GIS software vendor Esri. Most employers will likely look for relevant experience with these. “But there are other tools that cost a lot less and have many of the functionalities,” says Dr. McElroy. Those tools may prove invaluable in some situations and even open doors to some smaller organizations as well as experiences that can eventually broaden your resume.

There may be other tools that will be professionally useful to learn. Not only should you consider software written specifically for GIS, but other analytic and development tools meant for either more general data analysis or software development. The analytic aspect of the industry may require statistical functions. Development could require writing, debugging, and testing code using standard programming tools as well as creating websites and moving applications and operations into cloud deployments.

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3First Experience Will your first job be the dream one? Maybe so, maybe not. The important thing is to remember that you need some solid professional experience to help round out the base of your preparation to gain the practical experience necessary to cement into place what you have learned. Employers also want proof that you are capable of performing a position for which they’re seeking candidates.

Getting a first position can be difficult, even if you are well trained. Internships or part-time jobs are two traditional ways to get a foot in the door, but they aren’t the only ones. “The best approach is networking and being involved with your local GIS community,” Dr. McElroy says. That can mean becoming a volunteer at a local networking group, or at least attending meetings and participating to become known to professionals in the area. This gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your background by discussing technical or local GIS issues and to eventually learn the names of the local movers-and-shakers (and perhaps a chance to meet them).

Another route is to volunteer your services to an organization—perhaps a school or non-profit—that could use help, providing some real world experience in return. Even if that doesn’t directly lead to a job, you can then offer a presentation on the project and its results at the local GIS networking group. Conferences often have student rates or ways for volunteers to offset registration costs. The important thing is to put yourself in front of organizations that might be in the market for help.

While undertaking your studies, investigate professional organizations that might have student memberships. Lay the groundwork early on for networking. Remember as well that GIS is not isolated, but rather integrated into other industries. Look into the professional and trade organizations of areas that interest you and teach others about the possibilities the technology offers. Similarly, volunteer with those organizations and give presentations of the work you do with non-profits, underscoring the analogies between your experience and what a company in that industry could similarly do.

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4Expand Your ResumeAfter the first job, you want to work your way up the ladder. In some cases, the title may be the same, only with greater responsibility or more challenging duties and projects. Other times, you might explore a promotion within your current organization or the chance to advance by switching employers.

In either case, first take stock of where you are. There are always areas of theory and technology that you could learn more about. Understand not only your technical strengths and limitations, but how well you grasp basic business and other functional areas of your organization. GIS goes nowhere in a vacuum. You will always either be working with other groups or seeking data from them.

Expanding your academic resume is a wise move. You could benefit from a variety of approaches, from learning more about some aspect of GIS or computers through self-study, making use of free professional development materials that Esri offers, taking an online or local class in a subject like computer programming, or undertaking an online degree program and obtaining

a bachelor’s or master’s in GIS. Another possibility is to get an MBA to bolster your business knowledge and credentials, like the American Sentinel Master of Business Administration.

Whatever you learn might be put into action at your current employer. Develop ideas for projects that make use of your new knowledge and that would offer a benefit to the organization in a short amount of time. This way, you build credibility and get to add specific responsibilities and skills to your resume as well as demonstrating initiative and ambition. If the opportunities don’t exist at work, then use a strategy similar to the one you might have employed when first starting out: volunteer your time and knowledge to a non-profit organization that would welcome them.

Whatever path you take, document your role so there is something to show potential future employers. Also, Dr. McElroy suggests having two types of resumes or CVs: a full one and a shorter technical one that focuses on software skills and project-based work that quickly shows you to be current in the field.

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5Career AdvancementAlthough some people are happy to be practitioners in a field, others want to move into management. For that step, you might consider not only experience but some additional schooling, whether getting a master of geospatial information systems degree or perhaps an MBA with a data analysis concentration so you can bring the new education to bear on what you already know. As GIS continues to grow in use, organizations will increase their reliance on degrees and certifications to help identify job candidates.

The traditional way to advance your career is to work your way up a single organization. That means much more than transferring from one department to another—although that can give you a valuable chance to broaden your experience—or applying for a promotion. In a way, that is a passive approach, waiting for the organization to recognize when you have developed “enough” and to reward you with an expanded position.

You can always pursue more responsibility. Show your interest in professional development and willingness to take on a bigger role. “Ask if you can be the project lead on a small project so you can prove yourself,” Dr. McElroy says.

“It’s an easy way to do it because you’re not going to have the direct responsibility in the full sense of the job. But if you successfully carry out a small project or two, you begin to demonstrate that you are capable of a larger role.”

ConclusionBuilding a career is not something you do overnight. It is like preparing yourself to run a marathon. You lay the groundwork of skills, build strength and stamina through practice, and open paths for yourself by networking and showing initiative. Entering into a rapidly growing industry can be a help, but it doesn’t replace the work of developing your ability to profit from opportunities that you create for yourself.

Expand your horizons with education. Volunteer your services, whether to a non-profit or to your supervisor at work, to create something the organization will need. Document the skills you have learned and the experience you gained. Even after a short while, you will see how robust efforts will quickly offer a surprisingly rich payoff. Before you know it, you’ll have a solid career and be ready to mentor others coming up in the same field.

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Dr. McElroy has been in the GIS field since 1999, working as a GIS technician for the USDA-ARS; a senior research specialist for the Udall Center for Studies in Public Policy and the Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Sciences at the University of Arizona; and as a geospatial

technologies manager for Statistical Research, Inc. Dr. McElroy holds a Ph.D. in geography from the joint doctoral program at San Diego State University and the University of California, Santa Barbara, a master’s degree in Latin American studies from the University of Arizona and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the University of Cincinnati. He also holds a GIS professional certification from the GIS Certification Institute.

About American Sentinel University American Sentinel University delivers the competitive advantages of accredited associate, bachelor’s and master’s online degree programs focused on the needs of high- growth sectors, including information technology, computer science, GIS, computer information systems and business intelligence degrees. The university is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC), which is listed by the U.S. Department of Education as a nationally recognized accrediting agency and is a recognized member of the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

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Dr. Stephen A. McElroy