“I just read your article about job preparedness with quotes from job
seekers. I just want to comment from the employer's perspective.
We recently opened an entry-level position for a GIS Technician.
We advertised on the internet and received 85 applications, at least a
third of which were very qualified for the job. We held 10 interviews
and 4 second interviews. We felt that all 4 of the latter (and even
a few of the former) really could have done the job. I think the
problem is the economy. There is a lot of competition out there among
new graduates for probably fewer jobs.”
Mary
Note: Mary is right, but employment numbers are looking much brighter. We anticipate a very good Spring and Summer for employment opportunities for entry level candidates, as well as, experienced GIS professionals.
“I found your article in Directions Magazine quite intriguing, even
though it seems to focus on US only (but the issues are the same worldwide).
Since you asked about bragging, I found the best way for a student to achieve
industry take-up is to adopt an approach inspired by the stock market:
spread your risk, and thus impress with a varied portfolio.”
Thierry
“I would highly recommend Texas State University to anyone interested
in Geospatial Sciences. I am an alumnus and obtained a GIS
certificate from the Geography Department and it was a spectacular experience.
The faculty is great, the courses are interesting and very informative,
and the town of San Marcos is a fabulous place.”
Mario
“I graduated from Central Washington University, which is a smaller
university than most, but their Geography department is regarded as one
of the best in Washington State and their GIS/techniques program is highly
thought of throughout the west coast.”
Dan
Note: We received many recommendations for college and university programs. There are good programs in virtually every state.