Summary
Highlights
GIS is used in nearly every industry, not just environmental sciences. A background in other fields like real estate, business, or transportation can make a GIS professional more valuable. Don't limit yourself as spatial thinking can solve various problems.
The GIS industry is constantly changing with new tools, capabilities, and ways to solve problems. It's impossible to know everything, so embrace continuous learning and understand that your unique strengths are valuable. The speaker also promotes a GIS career course for job applicants.
GIS professionals are often perceived as the office's tech-savvy person, even if they identify more as a scientist. Be prepared for colleagues to ask for help with general computer problems.
The speaker regrets not taking more computer science courses to build a stronger foundation in programming and networking. Such a background is crucial in the evolving GIS field, and colleges are improving in integrating this into GIS programs.
Many people don't understand where data comes from. Solutions are often sold without considering the necessary data input. GIS professionals frequently create data and must speak up if a solution is being pursued without sufficient data to support it.
The GIS community is both small and vast. While you get to know people in your local area and even at international conferences, there are many people doing GIS in diverse industries that you might not encounter regularly. This close-knit aspect allows for recognition and connections.
GIS professionals constantly need to explain what they do, as family and friends often don't understand. It's important to develop an 'elevator pitch' that can be tailored to different audiences, from detailed explanations for bosses to simpler analogies for family and friends, like making 'digital Google Maps.'