[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
Also want to add that it’s not useful to think of “GIS” as a “field”. It’s a tool.
Large scale map production shops outsource labor, typically to India. Lower level programming often gets outsourced as well.
The real meat of GIS is implementing the “S” part of GIS. It’s a system, a tool, that integrates with a business.
Again, think of an electric or gas utility. Engineers, analysts, and professionals use GIS as a tool to do their work. They are first engineers, or inspectors, or asset managers, (or IT people who got assigned to ‘do GIS’). They learn GIS and usually become versed in it.
You don’t apprentice in “hammer”, you apprentice in carpentry. GIS is a map hammer… (lol?)[/quote]
We have a winner. I think GIS jobs are a little harder to find than most people think. I know many folks with MS in GEOG that have a hard time finding work. [/quote]
Capt - Do you do the GIS boogie?
Well I have to come out of perpetual lurk mode and join the GIS love-in. The beauty of GIS (and geography as a whole) is you can pretty much use it to study anything. I work in GIS and Remote Sensing (satellite image and airphoto interpretation) for an engineering, geoscience and environmental consulting company. Got the job 9 years ago with a B.Sc. in Geography and added a M.Sc. while working.
I’m in Canada and don’t know anything about the job market down there but I suspect the combination of environmental science and GIS would be a good one. Geology wouldn’t hurt though either.
Masters in Industrial Hygiene. Good pay to great pay, starting median salary around $70,000, you can work almost anywhere and the field is only going to advance.
You will be applying your science to keeping a workplace environmentally friendly. The coursework isn’t the most interesting but it attainable. And you can do it online!
Ucm job placement is crazy high too for this and their safety management programs. And you get to be a mule!
This was my backup plan as a Biology major.
OP -
Here’s an idea of what’s around for GIS employment. This is by no means exhaustive.
These are fairly good sources:
http://gjc.org/gjc-cgi/listjobs.pl
Online trade mag:
http://www.directionsmag.com/
If anything, they show what skills are currently in demand.
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]SteelyD wrote:
I just realized OP is in Texas? Houston is a perpetual hotbed of GIS. I talked to several companies down there but I couldn’t be sold on Houston.
But, if you’re already there…[/quote]
0_o
Yes Steely you could have been in Houston[/quote]
One company was listing the ‘pros’ of living in/near Houston. They mentioned “Astros”.
I said “You didn’t really just try to sell me on ‘The Astros’, did you?”. She said “OK, point taken”.[/quote]
But you would have been near me and the wife.
That is money enough.
Fletch I responded to your email and waiting your response. [/quote]
I just sent my response.