How to Find a GIS Job

University at Buffalo – GEO481/50611 November, 2010Steven W. Russell Jr.swr@buffalo.edu

My Background

3rd year PhD student at UBDissertation on urban impervious surface research using LiDARMasters in Geography, UB May ‘08

Sr. IT Engineer with Erie County DEP since 9/10/01I am the GIS Manager, GIS Tech, GIS Analyst and IT guy.Built Divisions GIS from scratchWeb GIS (ArcGIS Server, Geocortex), ArcSDE (SQL Server), Mobile GIS, GPS/RTK, LiDAR, IT projectsWeb design, SharePoint Design, Programming

Civil/Environmental Engineer (B.S. UB ’98)UB M.Eng Environmental Engineering ‘99

Water/Groundwater ModelingExtensive CAD experience in Microstation and AutoCADWater Treatment Plant Design Land Development Engineering Background

GIS Job OutlookWhat type of GIS jobs are there?

Where to look?Do’s and Don'ts

I’ve got my Bachelors/Masters, now what?NetworkingCover letter

ResumesUnpaid InternshipsClass Internships

AdviceFinal Comments/Conclusion

GIS Job outlook:

WNYNew York State

East CoastWest Coast

What type of GIS jobs are out there?

GIS TechsGIS Analysts

GIS ManagersGIS Programmers

Database AdministratorsAcademic (Teachers & Researchers)

GIS as a Tool in Engineering, Business, etc.

What is a GIS Analyst?You will find most employer's don’t know what a GIS Analyst is. They will ask for someone with 5 years experience, a Masters degree and will pay you $12 an hour.In addition, they will call it something else such as; Marketing Analyst, Disaster Response Analyst, Tax Policy Research Analyst.Need to look for keywords when applying for a job.

A GIS Analyst is someone with many different skill sets. They can be part cartographer, programmer, database administrator (DBA) etc. Ultimately you will use GIS as a tool to do some form of analysis of data.

You will need to have some form of programming experience.

How much money do they make?

Wide range depending on location, duties and skill set$22k – $45k to start ($32k is average)Max out at $60k.Consulting you will typically work 45-80 hours a week and be on salary. If you are with a successful firm, you will work weekends.Government you will make less money, but you will only work 40 hours a week

What is a GIS Tech?A GIS Tech is basically a full-time Intern at the start. You will be collecting the data a GIS Analyst will use.GPS data collection and most all Field Work is typically performed by a GIS Tech.However, most firms will also expect you to perform Analyst duties at the cost of a GIS Tech.

How much money do they make? Wide range depending on location, duties and skill set$20k – $30k to startMax out at $40k.

What is a GIS Programmer?A GIS Programmer is the most in demand GIS position out

there. He/She typically is a Computer Science major with an interest in cartography, geography and web-based technologies.

A dual major CSE/Geography can be assured of his/her pick of a good job upon graduation.

How much money do they make? Wide range depending on location, duties and skill set$65k to start. Should hit 6 figures quickly depending on how

many hours they are willing to put in.Rarely find programmers in Government because the pay is

so low.

What is a GIS Manager?

A GIS Manager is in charge of the day to day GIS operations for a firm. They are part Project Manager, Tech, Analyst, Programmer, DBA, network administrator, etc.

Typically after 5+ years of being a Tech, Analyst, Programmer, etc. you move into a management position.Once you move into Management you typically quit performing technical duties, and move towards managing people and projects.

How much money do they make? Wide range depending on location, duties and skill

set~ $50k to start Government tops off around $65k, Consulting

$80k+

Consulting you will typically work 50-80 hours a week and be on salary. If you are with a successful firm, you will work weekends.

Government you will make less money, but you will only work 40 hours a week

GIS is used a lot in Engineering, Business, Tax, Planning, etc.

GIS is slowly moving away from a career and into a tool such as CAD, Spreadsheets and Word Processing software.

Need GIS experience on your resume.How to get it? Internships, Classwork

People with GIS experience are going to get preference over those without for GIS jobs.

How much money do they make? Not much at first.$2,000 to teach a summer class$3,700 to teach a class during the school year.TA stipend is around $20,000/year. IGERT is around $30,000/year$40k-$50k to start on a path towards tenure

Need to decide if you want to work at a teaching or research university

Where to look?

LocallyNewspaper?

Email lists/RSS feedsNationally

Conferences

Twitter – gjc has a twitter feedhttp://www.gjc.org/map.html

Facebook/LinkedInAAG/ASPRS

Networking, Networking, NetworkingThere are UB alumni all over the US

http://www.gjc.org/http://www.usajobs.gov/http://www.idealist.org/http://www.cyber-sierra.com/nrjobs/http://giscareers.com/http://www.gisjobs.com/http://www.dice.comhttp://www.indeed.comhttp://www.linkedin.comhttp://www.monster.com (temp jobs)

Do’s and Don'ts:

Don’t misspell anyone’s name in email or cover letter

Don’t apply for another job and send that application to the job your

applying forDon’t cut and paste into your resume or cover letter in a different font than

the one you’re usingDon’t harass anyone

From: xxxxxx xxxxx xxxxxxx [mailto:xxxxxxxx@buffalo.edu] Sent: Tuesday, June 02, 2009 11:53 AMTo: xxxxxx, xxxxxSubject: GIS Internship

xxxxx xxxxxx, GISP,

Is this some sort of joke you cheap bastard, July 24, 2009 minimum wage increases to $7.25 an hour. Mighty Taco pays $10 - $12 an hour starting and you get free tacos. Why do local municipalities seem to think they can get top quality work for bottom dollar prices? You’re a Senior GIS Analyst do you really expect someone to do this mind numbing work $7.63 an hour?

http://www.dol.gov/esa/whd/flsa/ Department of Labor Websitehttp://www.mightytaco.com/jobs.html Mighty Taco Jobs Website

Sincerely,

xxxxxxx x. xxxxxxx, xxx x xxxxxxxx xxxxxxx xxxxxxxx

Do’s and Don'ts:

Don’t show up unannouncedDon’t call if they don’t offer a phone number

Don’t ask for help in finding housing

Don’t assume your going to be doing GIS tasks if you’re hired

“If you do shitty tasks well and without attitude, someone will give you better stuff to do”

- Garry Dell’Abate -They Call Me Baba Booey (2010)

Do’s and Don'ts:

Do send a thank you email or note after your interview. It’s not required, but

it’s a nice touch.Do email after a week. However, if you

haven’t heard within a week; odds are you didn’t get the job.

It’s acceptable to ask if there are any unpaid opportunities.

UB business cards are great to hand out.You need to learn how to market

yourself.

Networking

Networking is the #1 way to find any job. It’s not what you know, it’s who you

know.

Attend local GIS user group meetings.Attend as many conferences as you can

afford, and when you’re there talk to everyone and bring resumes.

I’ve got my Bachelors…now what?

UB Grad School?GPA > 3.0GRE’s > 10003 letters of recommendation, advisor supportMA Project vs. MA Portfolio vs. MS …..vs. PhD

Grad School elsewhere?Do I take time off, and then go back?Find a job in WNY?Find a job in US?

Cover letter:

Every resume should have an attached cover letter.

The purpose of the cover letter is to tell a little bit about yourself, and to highlight

your skills on the resume.Create a custom cover letter for every job you

are applying for and SAVE THEM.No specific right way to create a cover letter.

http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Cover-Letter

Resumes:What is the difference between a CV and a

resume?Your resume should be current and contain

zero errorsResume should be 1 page. Once you start applying to academic jobs or management,

then it’s acceptable to have more.No one specific right way to create a resume.Put resume and cover letter on good paper

Have a .txt version of resume for online app.

Paid Internships

They do exist, but they are rare in WNY. Can find them in Government &

Consulting

Pay: Minimum wage to $15/hour More for programming interns

You need to apply to get a job

Unpaid Internships:

The easiest way to get experience.Do small projects for local firms, and the experience can be added to your resume.

The only way you’re going to hear about them is to attend job fairs with GIS

representation, and local GIS user group meetings.

Erie County offers unpaid internships.

Class Credit/Geog InternshipsGEO496/742

They do exist, and it’s an easy 3 credit hour A.GIS experience for your resume

However, you have to find a job that will employ you for 10 weeks, and have an advisor that will

sign off on it.

Hard to find both.

How to Get a GIS Job?

Have a Resume and Cover Letter preparedTake the time to review your resume, cover letter for each job you are applying to (spelling!)Make sure you review where you are applying to

Career Planning and Placement, Friends, Faculty

Apply to all local jobs, and attend every interview for practiceMake sure you know what is on your resumeInternships are required to get a good first jobYou will do Intern work at an internship!

How to Get a GIS Job?

Network, Network, NetworkAttend GIS eventsVolunteer

Did I mention Networking?Networking is your best chance to get a job. Posting your resume to online websites is hit and missNetworking will let you know where the jobs are.It’s all about “Who you know”Your odds of finding a local GIS job are slim to none. Be prepared to move to DC, Boston or out West to find one

Hints from my ex-interns:

Do the research about the position and organization before the interview. (A big first interview question for me is, "have you seen our website?" or "do you know are mission?" It important to not only show interest in the job but also the organization and maybe even the people that are interviewing you. Interest goes a long way in an interview.)Keep a log or database of all the jobs you apply for and print out job descriptions. (Because I don't how many times I apply for a job and seven weeks later they want an interview, and by then I forgot which job I applied for. Especially jobs for big organizations like the Federal gov't where there are multiple vacancies you may apply for over time.)

- G. Schmidbauer UB ’05

What can you do as UB Geography students?

Think of taking a bunch of Computer Science/Programming courses if you plan on working with GIS outside of UB.

Problem is, there aren’t any at UB/ECC. I’ve taken CSE503 . It’s an intro to Java class. That’s my only option.

Need to learn on your own, or find an internship where you can learn on the job

UB doesn’t offer .NET or VB classes. This is “sorta” good because .NET and VB are being phased out for

Flex and Silverlight by ESRI. Programming is where the jobs are Plan to move. Government jobs in DC are the best place right now. Update your resume and make sure there are no mistakes Have a supply of cover letters to apply for different jobs

Attend a resume critiquing seminar (before ESRI interviews in February). Or use UB’s career planning & placement office

What can you do as UB Geography students?

•Stay updated on changing technology

•Watch the New York State, NEARC & UB Geography email list for information on internships, and user group meeting info

•Network, Network, Network!

•Attend as many conferences as you can afford.

•Show initiative and create your own Geography Blog/Podcast, or if you have programming skills, look into creating a Google/Yahoo Mashup (great marketing tool on job interviews!). Nobody else is doing it. You should do something to stick out from the crowd.

If you are interested in an unpaid internship…

My department will have 1 or 2 available starting in December

2-8 hours a week. 4-10 weeks in durationWill be project driven.Can be used for a 3 credit hour class credit in the Spring if your advisor signs off on it.

Email me your resume & cover letter by 11/19/10

russells@erie.gov

ESRI Interviews in January/February 2011

Apply!Interview!

It’s great practice for later.

Spring Career Fair, March 4, 2011 1:30-5pm

Bring a stack of resumes, and see what’s out there.

A couple weeks before the ESRI interviews I hold two (2)

Resume/Cover Letter critique sessions in the department.

Only 5-6 people show up at these sessions.

Last year MUP’s, Engineers and Computer Science students attended.But every year one of those that do

attend have been hired by ESRI.

Conclusion:You need GIS Experience

Paid InternshipsUnpaid Internships

Coursework

Programming Experience is preferred

Be prepared to moveNetwork!

Apply for jobs…you never know.

Thank you.

Questions???

swr@buffalo.edurussells@erie.gov