Searching for the right GIS job

Finally got started with my GIS Internship with the Florida Department of Transportation at District 7 (D7) Headquarters last week. The position affords me the opportunity to work on several GIS related tasks and with multiple departments. I am working with a great team and providing assistance to others with ArcGIS Pro.

Settling into my internship position at D7 went very smoothly. My initial task is working on a basic training manual for ArcGIS Pro to be used in future courses that the GIS department will offer employees. Additionally I was invited to join planning meetings for this year's GIS Day, which will include demonstrations and information on how various departments across D7 use GIS. I am excited to contribute ideas and provide input, and this will also aid in my eventual GIS Day assignment for GIS4944!

One of the assignments for this week in GIS4944 is to conduct a job search for what we could consider to be our Dream GIS Job. Working on road map production for a major mapping company in GIS would be it, but the paper map industry is minimal and becoming more niche. So my second GIS job choice is working in transportation. My positive experiences after two days at FDOT have already reinforced this! 

The job that is most appealing in my search is for a GIS Analyst I for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Generally all of the essential duties listed in the job posting fall somewhere within my knowledge wheelhouse. Collecting, preparing and digitizing GIS data is the first listed. Create, maintain, update GIS databases and cartographic products is another duty. Extraction of features from georeferenced scanner paper maps is a third duty that I have experience with. Even the bullet point referencing converting CAD and other formats into ArcGIS formats is a task I likely could master, given previous work with CAD at Mapsource and Adobe Illustrator for AARoads.

The position requires no prior experience, but a Bachelor's Degree in Geography, GIS or a related field is. However, the posting reveals that relevant work experience may be substituted for a degree on a year per year basis. I am confidence I can meet this requirement through my previous work with Mapsource, Universal Map Group, and GIS Cartography & Publishing Services, in addition to our coursework in the UWF GIS Certificate program.

The results of the GIS job search gave me a framework for what to look for in future job searches. The TxDOT position is about as optimum as I could get for both my skillset and interests. A job description for a GIS analyst position with FDOT would likely be similar. However, with ongoing budgetary issues, no positions at FDOT will be posted in the near future. There's always the private sector to consider as well.