Yesterday, the associations of GIS professionals Rocky Mountain Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA), Rocky Mountain Region of American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) and Rocky Mountain Geographic Information Technology Association (GITA) held a GIS CAREER NIGHT at the the Tivoli Student Union which serves as a hub of student activity for the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State College of Denver and University of Colorado Denver.
The GITA Rocky Mountain Chapter Board of Directors representative Natalie Cutsforth kicked things off with a presentation overview of the Geospatial Information and Technology Association. GITA is an information resource and community for anyone who has a vested interest in the use of geospatial information. The organization provides excellent networking opportunities for geospatial job seekers.
That presentation was followed with an overview of ASPRS by Ms. Linda E. Meyer, the ASPRS Rocky Mountain Region Treasurer. She highlighted their mission to promote the responsible applications of photogrammetry, remote sensing, GIS, and supporting geotechnologies and explained the advantages of membership. She also mentioned that her company GeoEye is growing and that hiring activity is up.
Tony Palizzi, the current URISA Rocky Mountain Chapter president, presented the URISA briefing and moderated the distinguished panel, which included Linda Meyer of GeoEye, Pamela Fromhertz of NOAA, and Richard Serby of GeoSearch.
Those in attendance included employees of the Census Bureau, DOT, Metro State, DU, and Inergraph. There were professional land surveyors, oil and gas technicians, land use GIS, Regional Council of Government members, LiDAR professionals, and dozens of former, current, and future students. The crowd numbered about 50. Last year totaled over 150.
Lengthy discussions ensued on numerous topics. The first discussion revolved around the geospatial career outlook. Richard Serby went over the national unemployment numbers from last year, this year, and the best of years. Colorado unemployment numbers have been better than the national numbers but that isn’t to say that the local economy hasn’t suffered. “Let’s talk about the good news.” he said, “I’m done talking about the bad news.” The good news is that companies, agencies, and the federal government have started to add staff. “It will be a long road to reach the optimal unemployment number of 5%.” he said. But now that demand for geospatial applications is on the rise, more jobs need to be filled and that is chipping away at the 10% unemployment number where we currently sit.
Several questions on internships followed. Most of the panel agreed that for students that need to gain experience, an internship can be invaluable. Tips to negotiate a paid internship were discussed and the value of an unpaid internship is not to be overlooked for getting your foot in the door. Many colleges are helping students make this happen. To see more on this topic read:The First Rung of the Ladder… Many on the panel started their geospatial career with a paid internship.
Before the networking session the topics included citizenship, clearances, overqualified objections, the new energy economy, and networking your way into the seat that you want. We hope to network with you at this event next year! If you attended, we would love your feedback.
