Geospatial Employment Sites
Public sector job listings are generally easy to locate. Many services, some provided below, provide a way to search and apply for public sector jobs. Private sector employment can be more problematic. A common employment statistic reports "80% of jobs are never advertised." While technically the statistic might be accurate, the proof is in the details. A company may not pay to advertise a position but post the position to its own public web site. Think about who you would like to work for, the type of work you would like to do, and visit the web sites of those companies.
While job hunting, think about what job or career sounds attractive, think about what geographic locations are attractive. Bear in mind, the first job will probably last 18-24 months before moving on to a second job. Also, remember, urban areas are going to be more ripe for geospatial jobs than rural areas, and state capitals have a high concentration of geospatial services.
Many careers may use geospatial technologies and not technically fall into the realm of "geospatial career." Many fields and careers may require a background in geospatial technologies. Wildlife biology, geology, archaeology, market analytics and location analytics, museum and library curation, health care, law enforcement, sports and leisure all have job components which tap into the geospatial realm.
A good place to look into employment possibilities is by attending local, state, or regional mapping conferences. For instance, the Commonwealth of Kentucky features an annual GIS conference, usually in the fall. Tennessee has annual GIS conference each spring, as does Illinois.
The Association of American Geographers (AAG) has 9 divisions. Kentucky is a member of the Southeastern Division of the AAG (). Meetings and conferences usually include a job board for helping members network.
Make sure and check the employment sites of local, state, and regional employers.
- (CIA)
- (search for job title, keywords (arcgis, gis, etc.))
- (NGA)