Keeping with the theme of this month’s Geospatial Frequently Asked Questions, let’s explore several websites that might help you break into the geospatial industry. First, there is the old standby, a website with a ton of links to free job boards. I poked around and the best one I could find (well perhaps I am a bit biased as a former Buffalo) is found here and is managed by the University of Colorado Geography department. While this list is not 100% GIS or geospatial, many of the links are for jobs in related fields.
When I was looking to break into the GIS world, I focused my attention on larger companies figuring they would have more entry-level positions than would small firms. Perhaps I am correct with this assumption and perhaps not, either way, here are two large geospatial firms that commonly post entry-level positions:
- Trimble – a leader in position-centric technologies, Trimble has secured more than 1,800 patents in their 34 year history. The jobs you will find working for Trimble might not be based around GIS per say but they do frequently advertise entry-level positions for those with geographic and spatial skills in general.
- DigitalGlobe – a leader in the world of commercial satellite imagery, DigitalGlobe has more than 400 employees in offices spread across the globe. In fact, DigitalGlobe is where I started off my GIS career in customer service. An added bonus is their corporate headquarters which is based minutes from the Foothills of Boulder, Colorado.
A final place I can recommend is the GIS Colorado (GISCO) list server. You will need to sign up for the service (see the instructions included in this article) and once you do, you will become a part of perhaps the most dynamic email discussion about GIS and all things geospatial. I would say that at least once a week (and increasingly in our improving economy) there is a job and/or internship posting on GISCO. Most/all of the jobs are based in Colorado, but hey, there are worse things than moving to the Rockies for your first job!
Until my next edition of Free For All, happy hunting for free geospatial goodies!
Brock Adam McCarty
Map Wizard
(720) 470-7988
brock@apollomapping.com
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