Another Success Story from a Geography Alumni
This week we heard from Michael, an MA graduate from the department, who recently landed a full time GIS position in Oregon. He wrote to Dr. Leonard the following message:
“As you may remember, my wife is a travel nurse and we have been traveling the U.S since I graduated two years ago. Our journey has now ended in Oregon, as I was offered a GIS Analyst/Manager position with one of the Portland metro cities. In addition, my wife has accepted a nurse management position in one of the dialysis clinics here. God is great!
I was one of 53 applicants, 3 of which, along with myself, made it to a second round interview. God and my Master’s degree from Marshall landed me the position. In the past two years I have had my resume on indeed.com and turned down many GIS job offers for logistical reasons (us traveling). Many of the interviews I have done have been concerned about the ability to create file geodatabases, feature classes, edit metadata, ArcGIS online, create and publish maps for the app Collector, and Storymaps. Of course this is in addition to basic ArcMap skills.
There are a lot of GIS jobs out there. Some of the cities that offered me jobs were in Atlanta, Houston, Corpus Christi, Phoenix, and Portland Metro (which I accepted). If someone doesn’t mind to move, Portland, Atlanta, and Houston have many GIS positions. However, many positions in Houston want one to have GIS knowledge in pipeline and/or utilities.
One final thought, in addition to a high gpa, internships are a must.
Thanks again Dr. Leonard for an incredible education”.
We hope that you find Michael’s story inspirational and useful. He provides a unique insight in what it took to land a job (i.e. location flexibility, experience, perseverance, education, and good fortune). All essential components!
Thank you Michael for reaching-out, and we look forward to your continued success.
Job Opportunities
GIS Intern, AmeriCorps, Middlesboro, KY
Environmental Specialist II, Bridgeport, WV
Assistant Planner, WSP, Raleigh, NC
GIS Analyst, MDU Resources, Bismarck, ND
GIS Technician II, WBI Energy, Glendive, MT
GIS Technician, Randstad, Greensburg, PA
GIS Technician, Cuyahoga County, Cleveland, OH
GIS Professional, Jacobs, Cincinnati, OH
GIS Technician, Randstad, Cincinnati, OH
GIS Analyst, Risk Mitigation Consulting, Inc., Arlington, VA
Geospatial Analyst, Syntelligent Analytic Solutions, LLC, Springfield, VA
Environmental Intern, HNTB, Arlington, VA
Regional Analyst, Radiant Solutions, Springfield, VA
Should you have any questions about any of these opportunities, do not hesitate to get in contact.
Sincerely,