CAREERS IN GIS

Archive for November, 2009

International organizations, such as the ones listed below, provide some assistance in developing countries when it comes to finding GIS jobs.  Simply put, everyone needs maps.  All organizations included on the list have GIS/mapping needs to further their purposes (either currently or in the past few years) in various parts of the world.  Having staff that not only know GIS but also know about local culture, environment, language, or politics provides a massive benefit.  Possessing these skills allows the international organizations to move their plans forward with much greater speed.  As a result, they will reach their goals of helping the environment or the people they are trying to assist more quickly.

As with most employment opportunities around the world, networking is necessary.  Acquiring a job with one of the organizations below is not extremely easy in certain cases, but it is still possible.  Here are a few bits of advice when exploring the given options.

1) Do a simple keyword search for GIS on each organization’s website.  If that does not produce anything, try a Google search with the organization’s name and GIS.

2) Follow the maps.  If you see a map associated with a project, try to find out who made it.  That will likely lead you to a GIS source within the organization.

3) Locate contact information on who may be in charge of hiring staff.  It can be a project coordinator or a human resources department.  Some of the organization’s websites have links to available jobs.  However, if there is no job link do not be afraid to email a contact that you may find.  You never know what an inquiry may produce.

4) Examine the requirements for working with the organization.  Certain skill sets, certificates, or citizenship are often necessary to acquire a position.  But once again, I would still inquire about projects that spark your curiosity.

I intend to update the list below with even more international organizations so please stay tuned for future posts about this subject.  Happy job hunting!

Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED)
AlertNet
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC)
Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED)
Conservation International (CI)
Cooperative for Relief and Assistance Everywhere (CARE)
European Commission Humanitarian Aid Department (ECHO)
Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET)
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Food Security and Nutrition Analysis Unit (FSNAU)
Inter-American Development Bank (IADB)
International Federation of Red Cross And Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)
International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
International Organization for Migration (IOM)
International Relief and Development (IRD)
International Rescue Committee (IRC)
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
Management Systems International (MSI)
MapAction
National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (varies by country or region)
Network for Information, Response and Preparedness Activities on Disaster (NIRAPAD)
Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA)
Oxfam International
Panthera
Snow Leopard Conservancy
Snow Leopard Trust
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA)
The Nature Conservancy
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC)
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)
United Nations Operational Satellite Applications Program (UNOSAT)
United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
World Bank
World Food Programme (WFP)
World Health Organization (WHO)
World Resources Institute (WRI)
World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

New data capture devices, new data sources, new media, new types of distribution…all of this has a foundation in the realm of GIS development and will not go away anytime soon.  There will always be something new around the corner that will require some sort of technical/computer programming know-how in relation to GIS.

However, what happened to the GIS analyst? I know plenty of developers who can create a mobile device application that collects the geo-location of people who bought coffee this morning and display their location on a map.  And?  What good is that data?  Will it improve society and tell us more about ourselves?  Where is the analysis?  Do not misunderstand.  These new Web 2.0/NeoGeo data collection and display applications are awesome.  They have driven the GIS industry to new and interesting places.  However, how can we have all these great new data and applications and no new analysts?

Unfortunately, the need for “pure” GIS analysts has fallen off.  A single analyst accomplishes more work now than most can imagine due to better software and methods.  Another fact is that many positions have been disguised.  GIS analysts are currently placed in jobs titled Market Research Analyst, Crisis Management Analyst, Property Tax Policy Analyst, etc.  All of these positions and many others utilize GIS in major ways but subject matter and the employer’s focus will dictate the occupation title.

A title change is not necessarily a bad thing but it does make it more difficult to find a GIS analyst position.  (Make note of that when doing keyword searches on jobs.)  It also brings into question what someone may need to know beyond just spatial analysis methods and GIS in order to get a job.  Do you need to have experience in Marketing and GIS or Retail Management and GIS or Medicine and GIS to be qualified for these “disguised” positions?  It definitely will not hurt you to know about a subject outside of your GIS “comfort zone”.  Getting experience is the tricky part.  Getting a dual-degree in Geography/GIS and another subject is one route you could take.  Another is to become familiar with a particular industry’s language and interests.  Look into books and trade magazines that discuss different applications.  Future GIS analysts must become chameleons.  If the position that you want is disguised, fight fire with fire.

As you search around for jobs related to GIS analysis and especially GIS development, you may run across the terms “neogeographer”, “neogeography”, or “neogeo”.  Do not be afraid of these terms.  These terms grew out of the need to describe how people acquire knowledge or how they do their jobs relating to new ways of collecting, distributing, and viewing spatial data.

For those of you wondering what these terms mean or even if they apply to you, the best place to start is by first defining Neogeography.  Wikipedia is a simple first stop to get a decent definition.  In addition, O’Reilly Media actually published an entire textbook a few years back named Introduction to Neogeography.  Some other prominent GIS bloggers like Peter Batty and James Fee have also framed this subject.

So is a neogeographer a good thing to be?  This is usually a self-applied label with no real certificate or degree program associated with it yet.  Therefore, I would probably say that if you like the label, then go with it.  Or I can even do one better.  Go to the Ogle Earth NeoGeo jobs board and see if you are qualified for any of the jobs listed.  If you are, go ahead and proclaim yourself as a neogeographer.  However, you can just as easily label yourself a GIS Developer or GIS software engineer or GIS database guru and people will still likely understand what your speciality is.

Personally, I like to identify with a term coined by Don Meltz on his blog…“geoagnostic”.  Therefore, before you get nervous about whether or not you need to add one more description or label to your resume, I will encourage you to calm your fears.  Neogeographer is a cool, flashy title to associate with but only time will tell if it is here to stay.  My question with this type of label is what the next generation of neogeographers will call themselves…superneogeographers, perhaps?

Anyhow, if you deal with GIS or geography on a regular basis, you should already know that there are all types of applications and users out there.  There are GIS applications that are geared towards such things as criminology, archeology, real estate, or mining.  In the same vein, there are cartographers, biogeographers, cultural geographers, economic geographers, and medical geographers.  There are also software designers, media specialists, and database admins that deal with spatial applications.  The list goes on and on but in the end, we all love maps/space and how they relate to our particular interests, no matter what we call each other.

Having a GIS certificate will always help when looking for a job in the GIS industry.  Unfortunately, no major magazine or online publication ranks GIS certificate programs the same way business schools, law schools, and undergraduate colleges receive ranks.  Therefore, it is up to you to decide.  However, you should not necessarily look for the “best” GIS certificate program. You should look for the “best” program that fits your needs.

There are GIS Certificates offered at colleges and universities all over the world but each of them have different curriculums, different instructors, and different requirements.  Here is a list of of GIS certificate programs maintained by the University Consortium on Geographic Information Science (UCGIS). The list is fairly comprehensive but I will let you be the judge.  I recommend using a select set of criteria to decide whether a certain GIS certificate program is for you.

1)      Cost:  Many certificate programs do not offer specific financial aid.  Some public colleges and universities may offer needs based assistance but you will likely need to qualify.  However, the rest of us will be paying out of pocket to enroll for a given number of credit hours.  Does the program fit your budget?  The most expensive programs do not necessarily mean they are the best.

2)      Online or in-person:  You need to consider how well you retain information acquired in different environments.  I have taught students in online courses and traditional courses.  Some students do well in one environment but not in another.  Everyone learned from a live person at some point in his or her lives.  However, not everyone has taken classes online.  I would definitely ask an online program administrator if you can see some examples of how classes are taught before enrolling to make sure you would not have difficulty.  Some online programs convey information very well while some others are not that good.

3)      Number/diversity of instructors:  It is usually not a good idea to learn everything you know from just one instructor.  You want to become a well-rounded student.  Look for programs that are taught/administered by at least more than one person.  The reason is to absorb different perspectives on the same subject.  I would say the more instructors, the better.

4)      Curriculum: The Geographic Information Science and Technology Body of Knowledge published by the Association of American Geographers (AAG) and the University Consortium on Geographic Information Science (UCGIS) is probably the most comprehensive document put together on what sort of curriculum you should expect from a GIS program.  However, it is extremely rare to find a certificate program that includes everything listed in the GIS&T Body of Knowledge.  Nonetheless, look at the list to see what sort of things YOU want to learn more about and then make your judgment about a program.  Personally, I would also look for a program that requires more than four classes for certificate completion.  Six to eight courses is average.  That should give you a comprehensive exposure to what is necessary for GIS proficiency.