GIS ppl, how'd u get into the field?

[gcg]

hi, i just graduated from UofT w/ a econ major and stats + geography double minor, and currently doing the GIS certificate in ryerson... so basically not much experience yet w/ GIS.... do u guys think that i can find a GIS related job now? ive alrdt compiled a longggg list of GIS company as well as company that has GIS department, but rarely do they have any opening for entry level position.. should i just send them my resume anyway and let them know im taking the GIS cert. now and hope something opens up?

[dubjk]

hi, i just graduated from UofT w/ a econ major and stats + geography double minor, and currently doing the GIS certificate in ryerson... so basically not much experience yet w/ GIS.... do u guys think that i can find a GIS related job now? ive alrdt compiled a longggg list of GIS company as well as company that has GIS department, but rarely do they have any opening for entry level position.. should i just send them my resume anyway and let them know im taking the GIS cert. now and hope something opens up?

hey gcg,
I graduated from GIS last year from ryerson (not the cert but the actual geography program), and i have to agree with you that there arent too many openings, probably because its still a relatively small field. i did land myself into a GIS-related job a couple months after graduation, but it could be because of good timing and a bit of luck for the opportunity to arise.
You should try to get some networking with ppl or your friends regarding GIS positions. I find that a lot of times, the position isn't openly listed, or that they do hire GIS people but its within a different department (ex- real estate, marketing, etc) Unless its a big company or a GIS-specific company, its quite rare that you'll see a "GIS department".
you should definitely try to apply anyway. It doesnt hurt trying, and sometimes companies like to 'create' new positions just because they find value in your skills and its something they may not currently have. I know thats what happened to me, although in the end they still didnt hire me because they wanted someone with GIS and some other technical skills that i dont have.

hope it helps.

[coriolis]

A long shot but perhaps inquire with Doug Banting about what options you have and what you can do. He's the head of the Geographic Analysis Co-Op program.

http://www.geography.ryerson.ca/internship

This year I have Geo 771, which is a prep for internship for next summer, where students will be given chances to build up a resume and find a summer internship in a GIS related field.

GEO-771 Practicum
Related work experience acquired under supervision at an approved sponsoring organization. (formerly GEO 700). This course is graded on a Pass/Fail basis.
Lab: 3 hrs.
Prerequisite: GEO 441 or GEO 614
Course Weight: 1.00
Billing Units: 1

In regards to GIS programs, you should try and get as much experience with the ESRI solutions, MapInfo and perhaps Geomedia. Since you mentioned you're more business oriented then environmental/physical/social oriented in terms of GIS, you'll probably use MapInfo more often.

[dubjk]

A long shot but perhaps inquire with Doug Banting about what options you have and what you can do. He's the head of the Geographic Analysis Co-Op program.

In regards to GIS programs, you should try and get as much experience with the ESRI solutions, MapInfo and perhaps Geomedia. Since you mentioned you're more business oriented then environmental/physical/social oriented in terms of GIS, you'll probably use MapInfo more often.

yup, i was fortunate enough to have him as the co-op professor. i know the year after they had to find another prof because Doug was not teaching that year, and that prof wasnt too good at finding openings. But going back on topic, Doug has a lot of connections, and he knows a lot of opportunities that are not listed.

[gcg]

still no luck so far... do you guys think that its a good idea for me to find jobs such as sales analyst, inventory analyst, or even lower data entry position for now? as my focus will be on the business side, any experience in data entry/ business decision making should help me when i finish my cert nxt yr? (my bank balance is dropping fast.. need a job asap)

[onexeyed]

For people with experience in GIS, the University of Western Ontario has a position open.

Although they prefer someone with a Master's degree and some C++ knowledge, I think they'll take anyone with a GIS certificate because they've had the posting up since the summer and has been reposted many times before. Go to www.uwo.ca, "Careers at Western", and search for staff positions.

[dubjk]

still no luck so far... do you guys think that its a good idea for me to find jobs such as sales analyst, inventory analyst, or even lower data entry position for now? as my focus will be on the business side, any experience in data entry/ business decision making should help me when i finish my cert nxt yr? (my bank balance is dropping fast.. need a job asap)

sorry to hear that, but i was reading the newspaper today and it talked about how most industries are suffering from the poor economy, so there are less openings by employers, and current employees are less likely to look for other jobs (reducing opportunities for those looking for openings). Don't be discouraged, keep trying.

[dubjk]

For people with experience in GIS, the University of Western Ontario has a position open.

Although they prefer someone with a Master's degree and some C++ knowledge, I think they'll take anyone with a GIS certificate because they've had the posting up since the summer and has been reposted many times before. Go to www.uwo.ca, "Careers at Western", and search for staff positions.

yah, i noticed that too, i saw it on Workopolis. if it wasnt out-of-town for me, i think it might actually be a pretty neat job to try out. I wonder why it takes a Master's degree though?

[Binden]

it took me 8months, a handful of interviews and pure luck to find a decent job.

Lack of experience and competition makes the GTA market harsh.

Gov jobs are the golden ticket but impossible to get into without knowing someone or doing an internship within.

The rest are jobs are at private GIS companies who work you hard for little to no money. Turn around is high...but at least you gain experience.

If you want a job right away and want to get paid, go up north or to alberta/calgary/oilsands.

[EM_K19]

Another Ryerson Geographic Analysis graduate here. For my internship I was fortunate enough to land a placement at the LCBO for the past summer. Technically, it is government, and I didn't really have any insider hookups either. Unfortunately, because of their budget they couldn't bring me back right away, but I left in very good terms with a very good evaluation for my performance so I still have that established contact with them... and they will let me know of any openings that may be forthcoming. It was a fantastic experience, since I worked with really nice people and gained some excellent on-job skills. Was always more of an ArcGIS guy, but my stint at the LCBO really helped me with my MapInfo/PCensus/Anysite skills. Before that, I was a research assistant with my professor at Ryerson, as a health GIS analyst. That was more of a part time/work study thing, but the experience helped me get the job at the LCBO.

Until then, I got about a few months off, then I will be starting a new job at Metroland, who are owned by Torstar and is in charge of producing and distributing most of the community newspapers around the GTA. Was the first one to get interviewed and got the job about 2 weeks later... they said it was largely thanks to my good references. Because of the licensing renewal issues with Mapinfo though, I won't start until January.

My main suggestion to you would be to be PERSISTENT. Apply to everything feasable out there, be ready for interviews, and follow up accordingly. One of the places will eventually call you back, and even the most insignificant jobs at first will give you some experience to build on, to move on to something better. It's all about establishing your resume and building your connection network. Perhaps look for something in campus first, if you qualify for it. Mobility is a good thing as well if you are willing to go elsewhere, since there are many GIS jobs out in the west right now. Here's a helpful link if you do not know of it already: www.geographyjobs.ca . It's like any other job sites out there but it is specifically made for geography jobs.

And with that said, I gotta say Doug is a fantastic professor. Maybe a tough marker, but he really cares for each of his students at his personal level and does his best to help you out. In all I was pretty fortunate to have gone to Ryerson for Geography, since it seems to prepare you better than any other geography programs out there. And there are lot of Ryerson grads out in the workplace right now who evaluate Ryerson applicants with priority, Ryerson grads help each other out. Once again, it's all about connections!

[dubjk]

it took me 8months, a handful of interviews and pure luck to find a decent job.

Lack of experience and competition makes the GTA market harsh.

Gov jobs are the golden ticket but impossible to get into without knowing someone or doing an internship within.

The rest are jobs are at private GIS companies who work you hard for little to no money. Turn around is high...but at least you gain experience.

If you want a job right away and want to get paid, go up north or to alberta/calgary/oilsands.

oh yah, definitely. i know that BC also has a lot of jobs, probably because of the developments and also for the 2010 winter olympics.

It really depends on what you're looking for though. from what ive seen, the alberta jobs tend to focus more on geology and surveying, so if you're into the city stuff, you might need to look harder. i know Calgary and Edmonton have a good GIS department.

[dubjk]

Because of the licensing renewal issues with Mapinfo though, I won't start until January.

My main suggestion to you would be to be PERSISTENT. Apply to everything feasable out there, be ready for interviews, and follow up accordingly. One of the places will eventually call you back, and even the most insignificant jobs at first will give you some experience to build on, to move on to something better. It's all about establishing your resume and building your connection network. Perhaps look for something in campus first, if you qualify for it. Mobility is a good thing as well if you are willing to go elsewhere, since there are many GIS jobs out in the west right now. Here's a helpful link if you do not know of it already: www.geographyjobs.ca . It's like any other job sites out there but it is specifically made for geography jobs.

haha, for my internship i had the same issue too. my internship period ended just as their Anysite license expired. i know i stayed for a little bit during the school year to work for them part-time, but eventually i had to leave because there was no work and no support for GIS in their company.

btw, thanks for the link. i know a lot of occupations have their own specific directories, so its good to know that geography also gets one.

[Binden]

Here are the jobsites i checked religiously everyday...

http://www.urisaoc.ca/subPage.asp?id=248

http://www.geomaticscanada.com/jobs.cfm

and workopolis.com has tons of GIS listings... Monster.ca isnt as good.

[FreshGibs]

i work for a land development engineering firm that does abit of GIS. i know our lone GIS person is swamped with work right now. if you guys forward me your resumes i can ask the department head whether he's looking to hire another GIS person.

[dubjk]

Here are the jobsites i checked religiously everyday...

http://www.urisaoc.ca/subPage.asp?id=248

http://www.geomaticscanada.com/jobs.cfm

and workopolis.com has tons of GIS listings... Monster.ca isnt as good.

Looks like I have to start looking... thanks for the site, it's definitely a helpful resource.

maybe it's the declining economy, but things are starting to look pretty grim on my side

and you're right, theres quite some competition and not enough opportunities available in GTA.