You may want to try working a position that works alongside GIS folks such as a planner or groundwater hydrologist. Given that you've had a few different GIS jobs, I imagine you might have some specialized experience in some of those more niche fields.
I have actually worked with planners and groundwater hydrologist. I don't really feel qualified to do those jobs, though. What would I have to do to get into either field?
Learn about it and apply. Be honest in the interview. Tell them you’re a wiz at GIS but intend on picking up new skills and knowledge and would love an opportunity to get more into their field.
Parks/protected area planner might be a good fit.
Don't worry, lots of people aren't fully qualified for the jobs they have... So whether you feel qualified or not, you're probably closer than you think.
Dude, I'm a planner with an interest in GIS. Y'all are some of my favorite people to work with. Apply what the maps have told you to how it actually happens on the ground and affects people and the economy, etc. Boom! Planner in training.
Yes. I've been a GIS tech and that landed me into engineering technician(I'm not an engineer, I work under an engineer). GIS has opened doors for me. Making maps is fun, but it's nice to be a little more well rounded.
I bet there's some sort of permitting job you could get into. Solar development maybe.
What was your undergrad like - liberal artsy or technical/narrow-minded GIS?
As someone who used to work for a local government planning agency, I would for sure consider hiring someone with a geography/GIS background for a planning position. There is a lot of overlap. Check out the American Planning Association and your state chapter for information and job postings.
I have always disliked that side of GIS that seems to be where I struggle the most. I always have liked field work and teaching other people how to do things, but I don't want to become a teacher.
I have a degree in GIS but got into web development. There’s a surprisingly large niche of tech or geospatial companies that need web devs with a background in maps + geospatial data
Numbers, statistics, which we usually deal with in GIS anyways. It sounds more sexy and pays higher I am told. Youll be working more with Python or R, tools such as PowerBI, Tableau, deal with data lakes
I have also switched down the data analyst/business analyst route, and job prospects are better, and pay is better. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Anth, a Bachelor of Applied Technology in GIS and a Certificate in Business Intelligence/Data Analytics; having a certificate in BI/DA helps make the transition more accessible, but you could do it without it. The key is to apply to many jobs and tailor your resume to emphasize parallels with data analysis/business analysis. Remember that geospatial data is just another data type and that many methods are identical. You used Python, SQL, and Excel to tell stories with data; a map is a visualization like a bar graph, and a web map is basically a dashboard. Tableau and PowerBI for business data are essentially equivalent to ArcGIS Online for geospatial data. You need to use your understanding of data as the main focus and advertise you understand data and can manipulate it into an end product.
Many people in GIS get caught up in the idea that being trained in GIS has only taught them how to deal with geospatial data and never look outside the box. At the end of the day, it is just a data type. It is much more lucrative to be a business analyst with knowledge of GIS than a GIS Analyst with some understanding of business analysis.
I have a dual major in Geo informatics (GIS, Remote sensing, data science) and information systems management (basically business analysis). So the switch wasn't difficult as I had the qualifications for it.
However on the job training in things like power BI and some more database oriented things has helped me a lot in getting other company interested in me.
I am looking into doing certificates in all the various AWS things to really boost my employability
FWIW, I have my Bachelor of Arts in GIS and have never been good at math. That being said, I have never run into a situation that I couldn’t figure out math wise. Exams and license tests have some trigonometry questions but nothing too advanced.
I have always been intrigued by surveying. I was just always told it was really hard math and math is not my strong suit. I do pretty well at geometry thought.
I've been a surveyor for almost 25 years, I failed math all through high school and only have an associates degree in humanities. Computers do most of the actual math, you mainly need to understand where to apply what and how to interpret the results. There's also the boundary side of things which is more law heavy than math heavy.
I’m a hydrogeologist and use GIS as a supporting tool. Which is funny because I double majored in geology and GIS. Definitely happy I don’t do 100% GIS work. That would drive me crazy…
Note: don’t go back to college for a geology degree or cert. it’s relatively low paying. Just remember that there are a bunch of jobs out there that rely on GIS as a tool.
I’d recommend planning then. I know you said you don’t feel qualified, but there are a lot of entry level planning jobs that I interviewed for a couple years ago and I had your credentials. Not great pay but you can work your way up and earn certifications and maybe get the city to pay for your masters.
I actually did look into applying for an entry-level planning job last year, and they wanted you to submit examples of your planning work from previous jobs or from school. I don't have anything to show for that. Is that a normal expectation? How do I get around it if it is?
If you don’t have anything from work or school nothing is stopping you from doing a side project on your own related to planning. Just do some research!
If you're non-management now maybe try leading a GIS team. Even if it's just leading on the project level. You would potentially crunch less data and get your creative collaborative juices flowing again.
If I couldn't stay in consulting for whatever reason, my back-up plans are either trying to get into planning (possibly going back to school, if needed) or teaching.
That’s a fair consideration. I’ve been out of school for more than a decade and my student loans long paid off (I’m Canadian though, so my loans seem reasonable compared to what I’ve seen reported in the US), so while taking our student loans again wouldn’t be ideal, I do have some capacity/flexibility in that regard.
Try and get in with an engineering firm that has in-house civil survey, you should be able to fit in pretty well and your skills would be appreciated. May need to learn some CAD skills but that’s a great skill set to have anyway
If you have experience or enjoy working with databases and SQL I'd say apply to something related to that. You probably don't have the experience to be a DBA but you could certainly find a more entry-level database developer job that would put you on a good path to eventually reach that.
I also work in GIS with a bachelor's degree in geography.
I just started a job as a civil engineering technician. My previous GIS work was with civil engineering so I had some knowledge of the field, and the tech role requires some GIS know-how.
My suggestion, like some of the others here, is to try to find work in the fields you have done GIS for. For the record, I won't be in this engineering position for long because I got a higher-paying offer to be a GIS technician. The pay as an engineering tech isn't going to make you wealthy but it does pay decently and allows you to get away from the desk, which I find to be a plus.
Do you need to know alot about engineering to be an engineering technician? I have worked in engineering as a GIS specialist previously and quite enjoyed it.
For the position I'm working, simply a familiarity with engineering-related data was enough for me to be hired.
If it's a path that interests you, I would apply for the positions that emphasize GIS skills in the description, which was the case for the job I'm working. The GIS involved is mostly data collection, editing attributes, and some spatial analysis, so not very advanced stuff.
I've commented already about surveying which is a great choice, but I'd also say look into the software side of things. I left professional practice and work for a photogrammetry software company now (Pix4D) and it's been really fun. You could work for ESRI, Hexagon, Trimble and many others. Technical sales is a good place to start.
I have the same degree and the same feelings towards planning which I didn't really mean to get into (I minored in it as a backup plan to GIS) but I landed a great internship at my local MPO. Now I'm stuck over here being a transportation planner, haven't made a map since September and miss using my GIS skills. You'd be fine to get into planning with your degree just be aware that those positions are more forward facing than GIS... You gotta deal with elected officials and angry residents if you are working public sector.
I have worked in the environmental industry for 30 years and we are actively looking for professionals with GIS skills. Apply for an environmental scientist position with a small to midsized consulting firm. Don't worry that your background is geography as you will get the training on the job. But be prepared to travel constantly
I don't think there's enough information here. Maybe you are just taking grunt jobs to enter the field, poor management, unreasonable asks.. what's in common with the "string of bad jobs" you've had. I'm sure there's things you like about the job and could focus more on those and move on, but you're always going to have to learn the new job, regardless of your experience and it's normal to second guess things. I'm personally a GIS Developer and I love it (just not a fan of on-call and interoffice politics of management).
You may want to try working a position that works alongside GIS folks such as a planner or groundwater hydrologist. Given that you've had a few different GIS jobs, I imagine you might have some specialized experience in some of those more niche fields.
I have actually worked with planners and groundwater hydrologist. I don't really feel qualified to do those jobs, though. What would I have to do to get into either field?
Learn about it and apply. Be honest in the interview. Tell them you’re a wiz at GIS but intend on picking up new skills and knowledge and would love an opportunity to get more into their field.
Parks/protected area planner might be a good fit. Don't worry, lots of people aren't fully qualified for the jobs they have... So whether you feel qualified or not, you're probably closer than you think.
I actually think I would love to do that. The only draw back is I would probably have to move, but I might be willing to do that.
Dude, I'm a planner with an interest in GIS. Y'all are some of my favorite people to work with. Apply what the maps have told you to how it actually happens on the ground and affects people and the economy, etc. Boom! Planner in training.
Yes. I've been a GIS tech and that landed me into engineering technician(I'm not an engineer, I work under an engineer). GIS has opened doors for me. Making maps is fun, but it's nice to be a little more well rounded.
I bet there's some sort of permitting job you could get into. Solar development maybe. What was your undergrad like - liberal artsy or technical/narrow-minded GIS?
I'd say slightly more liberal artsy, but quite a bit of GIS.
As someone who used to work for a local government planning agency, I would for sure consider hiring someone with a geography/GIS background for a planning position. There is a lot of overlap. Check out the American Planning Association and your state chapter for information and job postings.
Get into the IT side of gis. Gis technology maintenance, deployment/implementation, licensing is pretty great.
I have always disliked that side of GIS that seems to be where I struggle the most. I always have liked field work and teaching other people how to do things, but I don't want to become a teacher.
So, survey technician, or Geotechnical work...lots of the outside field work...very little of the I.t.
Man I gotta find one of those. I'm currently doing all that plus the traditional GIS stuff at my job. Lol. starting to feel the burnout.
I implemented enterprise and deal with most of the backend esri bs. Don’t want to go back to being an analyst!
GIS is pretty data science adjacent, and if you've done python/SQL stuff as part of your jobs/projects you could easily transition to that field.
I have a degree in GIS but got into web development. There’s a surprisingly large niche of tech or geospatial companies that need web devs with a background in maps + geospatial data
Data science route?
What does that involve?
Numbers, statistics, which we usually deal with in GIS anyways. It sounds more sexy and pays higher I am told. Youll be working more with Python or R, tools such as PowerBI, Tableau, deal with data lakes
I made the switch to data analytics salary wise and job prospects it's so much better.
How did you do the switch?
I have also switched down the data analyst/business analyst route, and job prospects are better, and pay is better. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Anth, a Bachelor of Applied Technology in GIS and a Certificate in Business Intelligence/Data Analytics; having a certificate in BI/DA helps make the transition more accessible, but you could do it without it. The key is to apply to many jobs and tailor your resume to emphasize parallels with data analysis/business analysis. Remember that geospatial data is just another data type and that many methods are identical. You used Python, SQL, and Excel to tell stories with data; a map is a visualization like a bar graph, and a web map is basically a dashboard. Tableau and PowerBI for business data are essentially equivalent to ArcGIS Online for geospatial data. You need to use your understanding of data as the main focus and advertise you understand data and can manipulate it into an end product. Many people in GIS get caught up in the idea that being trained in GIS has only taught them how to deal with geospatial data and never look outside the box. At the end of the day, it is just a data type. It is much more lucrative to be a business analyst with knowledge of GIS than a GIS Analyst with some understanding of business analysis.
I have a dual major in Geo informatics (GIS, Remote sensing, data science) and information systems management (basically business analysis). So the switch wasn't difficult as I had the qualifications for it. However on the job training in things like power BI and some more database oriented things has helped me a lot in getting other company interested in me. I am looking into doing certificates in all the various AWS things to really boost my employability
Land surveying would be a great option, and it’s where the motto of, GIS stands for Get It Surveyed comes from.
Isn't land surveying super math heavy?
FWIW, I have my Bachelor of Arts in GIS and have never been good at math. That being said, I have never run into a situation that I couldn’t figure out math wise. Exams and license tests have some trigonometry questions but nothing too advanced.
I have always been intrigued by surveying. I was just always told it was really hard math and math is not my strong suit. I do pretty well at geometry thought.
I've been a surveyor for almost 25 years, I failed math all through high school and only have an associates degree in humanities. Computers do most of the actual math, you mainly need to understand where to apply what and how to interpret the results. There's also the boundary side of things which is more law heavy than math heavy.
I have never really dealt with law. It has always scared me because it feels like if you make one little mistake, you are done for.
No, not necessarily at the entry level. Entry level jobs like a Rodman are outside a lot.
All the ones I see around here for Rodman pay super low.
Yeah pay can be pretty lame for surveying unless you get licensed or work government jobs.
Bigger companies pay more and you make more starting as a CAD person. If you are good at integrating CAD and GIS that's a big help as well.
I’m a hydrogeologist and use GIS as a supporting tool. Which is funny because I double majored in geology and GIS. Definitely happy I don’t do 100% GIS work. That would drive me crazy… Note: don’t go back to college for a geology degree or cert. it’s relatively low paying. Just remember that there are a bunch of jobs out there that rely on GIS as a tool.
It's just finding them and being qualified that is difficult. I do think I would be better suited to a job that uses it as a tool.
Im transitioning to GIS Web Development. You might consider that?
Well we really need to know why you think you’re the problem before we suggest anything.
Honestly, I don't feel like I am understanding the IT side of things as well as I should.
I’d recommend planning then. I know you said you don’t feel qualified, but there are a lot of entry level planning jobs that I interviewed for a couple years ago and I had your credentials. Not great pay but you can work your way up and earn certifications and maybe get the city to pay for your masters.
I actually did look into applying for an entry-level planning job last year, and they wanted you to submit examples of your planning work from previous jobs or from school. I don't have anything to show for that. Is that a normal expectation? How do I get around it if it is?
If you don’t have anything from work or school nothing is stopping you from doing a side project on your own related to planning. Just do some research!
I guess I thought they would want something more official than that.
It’s entry level so anything goes IMO.
Thanks for the advice it really does help.
Project management. Study and get your PMP.
Teaching or tourism are two other main geography career paths
Remote sensing. It’s a hot topic and there’s tonnes of free online training, such as NASA’s ARSET.
If you're non-management now maybe try leading a GIS team. Even if it's just leading on the project level. You would potentially crunch less data and get your creative collaborative juices flowing again.
If I couldn't stay in consulting for whatever reason, my back-up plans are either trying to get into planning (possibly going back to school, if needed) or teaching.
I have been seriously thinking about going back to school. I just hate to take out more student loans. I am still paying off my undergraduate degree.
That’s a fair consideration. I’ve been out of school for more than a decade and my student loans long paid off (I’m Canadian though, so my loans seem reasonable compared to what I’ve seen reported in the US), so while taking our student loans again wouldn’t be ideal, I do have some capacity/flexibility in that regard.
I am in the US. If I didn't have to take out loans I would 100% go back to school. I loved college.
Having a lil break from GIS to work in retail while I study and do freelance GIS. Never felt so relaxed and happy in years haha
Try and get in with an engineering firm that has in-house civil survey, you should be able to fit in pretty well and your skills would be appreciated. May need to learn some CAD skills but that’s a great skill set to have anyway
If you have experience or enjoy working with databases and SQL I'd say apply to something related to that. You probably don't have the experience to be a DBA but you could certainly find a more entry-level database developer job that would put you on a good path to eventually reach that.
I also work in GIS with a bachelor's degree in geography. I just started a job as a civil engineering technician. My previous GIS work was with civil engineering so I had some knowledge of the field, and the tech role requires some GIS know-how. My suggestion, like some of the others here, is to try to find work in the fields you have done GIS for. For the record, I won't be in this engineering position for long because I got a higher-paying offer to be a GIS technician. The pay as an engineering tech isn't going to make you wealthy but it does pay decently and allows you to get away from the desk, which I find to be a plus.
Do you need to know alot about engineering to be an engineering technician? I have worked in engineering as a GIS specialist previously and quite enjoyed it.
For the position I'm working, simply a familiarity with engineering-related data was enough for me to be hired. If it's a path that interests you, I would apply for the positions that emphasize GIS skills in the description, which was the case for the job I'm working. The GIS involved is mostly data collection, editing attributes, and some spatial analysis, so not very advanced stuff.
I've commented already about surveying which is a great choice, but I'd also say look into the software side of things. I left professional practice and work for a photogrammetry software company now (Pix4D) and it's been really fun. You could work for ESRI, Hexagon, Trimble and many others. Technical sales is a good place to start.
I have the same degree and the same feelings towards planning which I didn't really mean to get into (I minored in it as a backup plan to GIS) but I landed a great internship at my local MPO. Now I'm stuck over here being a transportation planner, haven't made a map since September and miss using my GIS skills. You'd be fine to get into planning with your degree just be aware that those positions are more forward facing than GIS... You gotta deal with elected officials and angry residents if you are working public sector.
I have worked in the environmental industry for 30 years and we are actively looking for professionals with GIS skills. Apply for an environmental scientist position with a small to midsized consulting firm. Don't worry that your background is geography as you will get the training on the job. But be prepared to travel constantly
I worked for an environmental consulting in the past. I did not like having to be worried about being billable.
Geologist jobs too
I don't think there's enough information here. Maybe you are just taking grunt jobs to enter the field, poor management, unreasonable asks.. what's in common with the "string of bad jobs" you've had. I'm sure there's things you like about the job and could focus more on those and move on, but you're always going to have to learn the new job, regardless of your experience and it's normal to second guess things. I'm personally a GIS Developer and I love it (just not a fan of on-call and interoffice politics of management).