John Sauvageau

Education: M.S. in Geo-Information Science (Salem State University), B.S. in Cartography and GIS (Salem State University)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
I work within the Retail Network Transformation team, which falls under the consumer business banking umbrella. We’re responsible for the strategy and planning of our branch markets, and where we want to put branches and ATMs. We leverage GIS to analyze and visualize our internal and external data spatially. We then use the ESRI platform ArcGIS Enterprise with its various tool sets including business analyst, network analyst, and spatial analyst as the tools to help us develop strategy.

We provide services to much of the northeast, including Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Virginia, and also parts of the midwest like Ohio and Michigan. We’re responsible for supporting the analysis and branch recommendations for all types of branch actions – open, close and relocations.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Grasping the various levels of geography and how they relate to each other is fairly important to understand. The banking industry is a little bit different than a standard retail industry, where chains can just put a store where there’s going to be high traffic. We deal with varying levels of governmental compliance. One aspect of compliance is proportionately locating branches in areas to ensure we are serving low to moderate income households, as well as middle to upper income households. We use internal and external data, including Census data, to understand where that population is so we can target those areas.

Looking at the five themes of geography, I think we really touch two of those: location and region. Location – we have a network of branches and locations, we monitor other retail marketplaces, where they’re coming up, where they’re going away; other competitors’ locations, where customers are located. Location really is the number one thing that I think applies to what we do in this kind of planning. It’s kind of the same thing as real estate: location, location, location, everything is location.

At the regional scale we look at how everything works together and the nuances from region to region. We designate our own regions for organizational hierarchy purposes, but states, counties, etc. – they all have unique nuances, and we want to understand these so we can better interact with the population within those regions and be in the places where they are going to be. We also need to understand how they use the banks: are they primarily driven by branch visits, or using a more digital approach with online and mobile banking? How do we customize the look and feel from region to region to make our banks more attractive?

How does your geography knowledge inform your use of GIS and make it possible to get the most out of the business analyst software and work with big data?
Many of my colleagues across the industry come from more of a business intelligence background. Many have used GIS as a next step and have gone back to universities and vendors for formal training. These colleagues are amazing and have a great deal of hands-on experience and have been using these platforms for a long time. With my educational GIS & Cartography and Geo-Information Science background as a whole, I am able to bring in and apply more foundational concepts and tools to enhance our analysis. Maps can tend to be more mass produced and less of a cartographic product, but whenever I’m asked to make a map, I try to ask more questions first. Questions like: What is the purpose? What is it that you’re trying to convey? How will you be using and presenting the map? These and similar questions allow me to create a product that will be visually pleasing to the customer and their audience and allow the map to speak for itself. Different approaches and techniques will apply for varying levels of requests; it’s not always a “one size fits all” approach.

How did you discover geography was going to help you pursue your aspirations, professionally or in your personal life?
When I think of my “a-ha moment” I always refer back to a certain exercise with ArcGIS in one of my undergraduate courses, where we were working for a town searching for a site for a new fire station. We were given criteria where it had to have its own land within a certain square footage, and it couldn’t be within 7 minutes of another fire station’s service area. Taking all of that information, creating multiple layers and using a raster analysis to find out where the best possible areas were for this fire station – I had never seen that before, so I was like “wow, this is interesting!”

I was working at a bank at that time as a part time teller and thought “this would be really interesting to bring into the bank and use GIS to figure out where to put banks.” Being naïve as I was, I didn’t understand that it had already been going on. I didn’t know it existed. It wasn’t until a few years after that where I was taking some courses at the bank, learning about processes of improvement, efficiency and those sorts of concepts where I realized how interesting this was, and that I already had a good foundation for that kind of work from my education in GIS.

My branch manager at the time gave me the best advice I had ever received for this. He said: “Look in the organization, try to find somebody doing what you want to do, and just reach out to them and ask if you can talk to them and get advice on: How did you get over here, and what kind of preparation would I need to get into this kind of area within the organization?” So I did that. I identified the person I needed to talk to, reached out to them and we exchanged a few emails. Nine months later and I got an email from another person who he referred me to, and they had just created this GIS Analyst position within the bank to do exactly what I had been looking to do in branch site location. They asked me to interview for it, and a few months later I started on this path, which leads me here today. It all goes back to that one lesson in my undergraduate that kind of sparked my interest in the field, and without that I probably wouldn’t be here.

What attracted you to the banking industry? How did you initially develop that interest?
I had just returned from being deployed – I went to Afghanistan in 2010. I was looking for some part time work. My father-in-law had been working in the banking industry for a long time and thought it would be a great fit for me as a part time job. A branch close to home was hiring, so I applied for a part time position as a teller. I began to thrive and before long I ended up becoming a supervisor. A few years later I was promoted to a financial services representative. While I was gaining all of this financial experience, I was also going to school full time for GIS. I had this passion for banking and this passion for GIS and I wondered, how great would it be if I could combine them?

I started in 2014 working on the real estate team and market planning, and gained a great deal of job experience in my first year. I transitioned to another financial institution performing similar tasks. I spent the last 3 years there, and now I’m taking a more senior role at a new institution. It’s been amazing, and it’s interesting because a lot of these types of decisions don’t require banking experience. It’s a unique combination of having worked in a branch and having the GIS experience that gave me insight into how the branch operates, while many of my peers don’t have the same understanding of what it’s like to work in a branch. When I’m helping to program details like how many desks we want to design in a certain branch with a certain amount of staffing, I’m able to bring a different perspective, because I’ve been in their seats before.

See All Profiles

Patrick Shabram

Education: M.A. in Geography (San Jose State University), B.A. in Geography (University of Colorado Boulder)

What attracted you to a career in education?
I’ve spent a number of years working in private industry, yet early on began to teach part-time as an adjunct. I had spent several years teaching on the side before realizing that it is my passion. At age 42, I made the switch to full-time.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for your teaching career?
Typically, a Master’s degree is needed to teach at a community college, along with teaching experience. Many of my colleagues have Ph.D.’s, but education is not sufficient for a position like this; without classroom experience, getting a full-time position is nearly impossible. Starting off as an adjunct or teaching as a graduate student is necessary. Personally, I brought experience from my consulting and research work in the private industry, which I believe improved my chances of securing my full-time position.

What do you do in the wine industry?
The federal government has a system in place for recognizing unique regions for viticulture, both to serve as a benefit for consumers and to protect geographic names in the industry. If a winemaker wants to use one of these geographic names on their label, 85% of the grapes used to make the wine needs to come from within the boundaries of that region (e.g., Napa Valley or Russian River Valley). To establish an area as a unique American viticultural area (AVA), a petition to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is necessary. These petitions require details that identify why the area is geographically unique as a winegrowing region, as well as identify boundaries that best encompass these characteristics. I do studies that look at climate, soils, topography, viticulture and viticultural practices, and other aspects of the area to determine what makes the area unique (or determine if the area does not meet TTB requirements) and recommend boundaries. The findings are often used by growers, wineries, or grower associations to support petitions for new AVAs or to modify the boundaries of existing AVAs.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
I teach several different classes, but since I most commonly teach introductory physical geography, a well-rounded knowledge of earth sciences is essential. Technical skills in GIS, Google Earth, and other applications and online resources help in creating and running laboratories. When I interact with local organizations on building and promoting internship opportunities, an understanding of careers that are out there also helps.

Writing skills should never be overlooked. There tends to be administrative work with my job requiring the ability to present written ideas clearly and concisely. The same goes for my work in the wine industry—that work is about 40% writing.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Networking. The importance of networking was engrained in some of my employment outside academia, where I was commonly expected to attend networking events. Someone might wonder why I need to network now, since students come to me, and I don’t really need to find new business or a new job. I’ve found a lot of excellent opportunities for collaboration, however, through my contacts at other institutions. These opportunities all have been about students. I’ve worked on grants, helped students find jobs, helped solve transfer issues, learned new teaching techniques, and found interesting subject matter all through my contacts at other colleges, non-profits, and private companies. As an example, FRCC is in the third year of a student-focused collaborative grant with an NSF facility all as a result of networking with professionals outside my college.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Yes, I’ve served on several hiring committees, hired an assistant for an NSF grant, and currently help hire and manage our part-time faculty. I look for student-focused candidates; the common mistake candidates make for community college positions is focusing too much on research and not on education. Unless their research is in education, candidates need to be able to put emphasis on students and classroom experiences.

What do you find most interesting/challenging/inspiring about your work?
Seeing my students’ lives change. I’ll have students get in touch with me after having left FRCC to tell me how their time here made a difference in their lives. There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing a former student graduate from the four-year college they transferred to, and to then see the kinds of great careers they go into.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
Get teaching experience in any way you can. Don’t just stand in front of a room and lecture, but really think about education and your pedagogy. Strive to be a great educator.

The other advice is to be geographically flexible. If you are looking to land a job in your hometown, you may be waiting a long time.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field, esp. for geographers?
It is competitive, but not like in other disciplines. There are usually only one or two full-time geographers at a community college, and full-time faculty tend to stay, so a position at any given college doesn’t come along very often. Someone with a degree in geography tends to have a lot of good options though, so we sometimes find we are competing for the best candidates. Chances are someone looking for a full time position won’t find a job right away, but since I’ve been here, we’ve seen a number of our adjuncts take full time positions at other institutions.

See All Profiles

Kate Bishop

Education: Ph.D. in Geography and Anthropology (Indiana University), M.A. in Anthropology (Indiana University), B.A. in French (Bates College)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
In my role as an evaluator, I am responsible for measuring, analyzing, and reporting on the results of international agricultural development projects. I train, advise, and lead multicultural teams in mixed-method research projects such as baseline studies, qualitative assessments, midterm and final evaluations, and impact evaluations. I also help project staff in field offices to create and implement performance management plans and develop research budgets. I have supervised evaluations of projects in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, and South Africa that were funded by the United States Agency for International Development, the United States Department of Agriculture, and various foundations. This work is important because it helps project funders, including U.S. taxpayers, to understand whether they have achieved programmatic goals promoting agricultural development. Equally important, the research contributes to reconceptualizing and refining project strategies to expand outreach and improve outcomes for everyone involved.

What attracted you to this career path?
I joined the Peace Corps after I graduated from Bates College with a degree in French. Working in Africa and teaching others about Africa has always been very important to me. Working with NGOs was a great way to work towards social and environmental justice, learn foreign languages, and gain diplomacy skills.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
I entered grad school after working in the field of international development for a decade. One of my goals in studying geography was to improve my research skills, in particular methods and theories appropriate to evaluating programs in Africa. While I gained a lot of practical knowledge as an applied researcher, it was not until I studied geography that I was able to understand and analyze important dimensions of development that are often ignored or understudied in professional research such as political economy, human-environment interactions, culture, and history.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
Geographic skills important to this work include the ability to use mixed data collection methods, to integrate qualitative and quantitative data, to analyze human-environment interactions, and to conceptualize processes through time and across space. More generally this work requires: the ability to develop and implement culturally-appropriate research design; foreign language skills; the ability to lead and work as a team member; strong writing and presentation skills; and, resourcefulness and adaptability in a challenging fieldwork environment.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I began learning French in high school and had already spoken the language for years before entering graduate school. I began studying Portuguese during my master’s program, and it was incredibly helpful in expanding my knowledge of Lusophone Africa. In addition, I had a lot of experience in cross-cultural settings prior to my academic training in geography. Building interpersonal and communication skills requires a life-long effort.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
When I am part of the hiring process some important candidate qualities I look for include knowledge and experience in the field or position, foreign language competency, writing skills, and creativity. For program evaluation positions in particular, I look for attention to detail, ability to conceptualize program strategy and rationale, communication skills, and generally outgoing/approachable personality.

What advice would you give someone interested in a job like yours?
My advice would be to apply to the Peace Corps or another long-term service or teaching position in a developing country in order to obtain in-depth field experience. I would study at least one foreign language. Become familiarized with the history, politics, arts, and geography of a country or region of interest. Take a home-office position with an NGO in Washington, D.C. or elsewhere as a Monitoring and Evaluation Associate or Coordinator and build a career from there. Importantly, enter this profession with a humble attitude. You will find that your counterparts and coworkers in developing countries are often much more knowledgeable than you may expect, and that research in the field of international development is always a learning experience.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Due to USAID’s emphasis on strong program evaluation across all projects, the field has been growing fairly rapidly for nearly a decade. There appears to be plenty of opportunity for applied researchers for U.S. Government-funded programs for now, although changes in the State Department related to the policies of the current administration may lead to shifts in funding priorities. Other opportunities exist at multilateral institutions such as the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, as well as at bilateral institutions and foundations.

See All Profiles

Joe Scarpaci

Education: Ph.D. in Geography (University of Florida), M.Sc. in Geography (Penn State University), B.A. in Geography (Rutgers University). Post-doctoral Bridge Certificate in Marketing, AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
I offer investment information for U.S. companies interested in staking a claim in Cuba’s future economy. This entails appraising them of, and simplifying, the current implications for businesses registered in the U.S. that must abide by the Trading with the Enemy Act.

I also design and lead interpretive educational/cultural tours in compliance with the current trade embargo. Since the early 1990’s, I have held licenses through my organization or from the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and have since introduced over 900 American students and civic organization members to the island through these itineraries.

What attracted you to this industry?
My early research in heritage tourism and the Centro Histórico of Latin American cities led me to nine UNESCO heritage sites, including Havana and the more recent addition of Cuenca. My field work addressed city, provincial, and national governments aiming to attract new clientele to their aging historic districts – an alternative traveler than those coming to Latin America and the Caribbean for traditional tropical amenities. Place promotion and branding, I realized, become front and center in understanding how these places aimed to position themselves in the international tourism market. This inspired me to accept an offer from Virginia Tech to a post-doctoral bridge program in marketing, which required 320 hours of intensive summer study. After completing the program and receiving my certificate, I began teaching full-time and online in international business, hospitality, and marketing programs. Additionally, I’m able to consult with businesses in Hollywood and on Wall Street about working in Cuba under U.S. Treasury guidelines.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
Geography’s interdisciplinary approach provided an excellent foundation for international marketing, which itself draws on several concepts relating to economic, cultural, and methodical foundations found in geography; however, it’s worth noting that business administration faculty often view interdisciplinary affiliations as “weak”. My “jack-of-all trades” geography training, however, was encouraged. When it comes to publications, books are not as valued as in geography, and the peer-review process is much more rigorous. All in all, my geographical fieldwork methods, foreign language training, ability to synthesize material, etc. have been assets to my work in international marketing.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
As I mentioned, the ability to synthesize both qualitative and quantitative information, as well as the ability to effectively display my work in visual and written formats and my Spanish language skills are the tools I most rely upon. Working in Cuba, I was amazed by how many “experts” on Latin America or Cuba had so little knowledge about flora, fauna, political and social history and theory, and climate patterns. I’d sat in on so many lectures where these basic factors — which would be immediately picked up by geography students — were totally absent.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I mentioned previously my post-doctoral certificate in marketing; otherwise, I’m not sure if field work counts as training, but my Spanish language skills have definitely been most helpful. The notion of “going native” is a false approach; however, I’ve found over the course of doing ethnographic work throughout the region that locals appreciate a foreigner’s ability to speak Spanish. I stress the importance of language to my students; with Spanish in particular, the use of present and imperfect subjunctives tend to be most difficult for English speakers, and I encourage my students to master that.

Having run 32 study abroad programs in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Chile and working with international organizations has forced me to summarize my research clearly and effectively. My center has worked with several alumni organization, museums, civic organizations, and high schools and university programs as a result. Taking account of these varying audiences, I try to “hit the right altitude” in giving lectures, assuming very little and presenting interesting and “big picture” topics on globalization, urbanization, consumer behavior, etc. rather than convey trivial information about the region.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
In the past, I have hired part-time U.S. and Latin American-based scholars. I look for good people skills, strong bilingualism, and effective team players. Travelers in Latin America don’t want a boring and introverted docent accompanying them. Using locals, I also keep an eye out for good English skills, and the ability to keep politics in check.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
I appreciate the luxury of being able to be flexible with my time and with my choice of projects; however, this requires a sense of seasonality and advance planning. Another challenge tends to be good budget development skills and learning how to monetize your skills. Understanding how to conduct a marketing plan, even with geographers who don’t speak your language, is essential.

I stress the balance of having your work validated in North America while earning the respect of locals; with that, I cannot over-stress the importance of language skills. Language skills should not be treated as secondary skills, especially with the decline of Spanish and Portuguese with Fortran and COBOL (in the 1970s) and C++ (recently) being treated as “substitutes” to modern languages in contemporary higher education curricula. You should never assume that any key informants will “speak English anyhow”—personally, this is a terribly misguided assumption.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field, esp. for geographers?
Any geographer can find their own niche, but this requires understanding the big picture. In my case, it means understanding supply chains, which in economic geography we might call the production chain or the value-added chain or the commodity chain. At each point, there is an opportunity to connect a market with a client, whether it is a B2B setting (business-to-business) or B2C (business to consumer/client) one. One of my mentors at Penn State, Pierce Lewis, who was a talented and broad-thinking scholar, wrote a Presidential Address in the 1970s following his tenure as AAG President. In that talk, he urges students to pursue their interests without putting on ‘blinders,’ and then try some more, but to also avoid those with narrow focus who might attempt to put blinders on your vision. He encouraged geographers to work on projects not confined to one place, and that pay attention to context.

While deciding between graduate programs in the mid-1970’s, I was given advice to develop systematic skills at the master’s level, and to then focus on regional specialization at the doctoral level. I opted for a M.Sc. program at Penn State; though they had little in the way of Latin American studies, I did indeed pick this up later at the doctoral level at the University of Florida.

I remember being at Penn State while Peter Gould, the professor of my seminar on the history/philosophy of geography, opened a recent issue of the AAG’s Annals and read the caption of a photo that read something like “Campesino in field in white pants”. He didn’t have to say anything else; it was clear that this was overly descriptive. Hence, the debate on idiographic versus nomothetic approaches to geography, and the quantitate vs. qualitative debates. All geographers will have to choose those paths as their careers evolve.

Two other faculty members at Penn State — Ron Abler and Wilbur Zelinsky — told their graduate students that a good dissertation could be defended in at least two or three other departments; at the time, I found this to be hyperbole on their part, but now I see they were right. My undergraduate advisor at Rutgers (Bria Holcombe) encouraged travel and journaling, even as an undergrad. I echo the advice of these sage geographers.

See All Profiles

Matt Connolly

Education: Ph.D. in Geography & Geographic Information Science (Texas State University), M.A.Geo in Geographic Information Science (Texas State University), B.S. in Business Administration & Management Information Systems (University of Colorado Denver)

What attracted you to a career in education?
When I was a master’s student, I spent a summer working at Texas State’s Meadows Center for Water and the Environment as an interpreter, leading tours and environmental education activities on Spring Lake. This experience allowed me to teach people about the connection between human activities and physical environments, and to appreciate the power of being an educator.

My first position in formal education was teaching undergraduate GIS labs, and through this experience I realized how much I loved explaining concepts to others. There was nothing quite like that moment of understanding when you witnessed the mental lightbulb flicker to life, and this is the main reason why I decided to become a professor.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
I attribute my ability to understand the “big picture” of human-environment interactions through integrating knowledge from multiple disciplines to my geography education. I stress the importance of the geographer’s breadth of knowledge that allows us to provide unique insights. For instance, my work on municipal water consumption patterns taught me that human, historical, and physical perspectives are necessary in making effective resource management decisions.

My geography education also developed my sense of curiosity about the complex world around us. The ability to think spatially has made me want to explore the patterns that exist around the globe, and aim to get my students to adopt this way of thinking to stimulate their own curiosities and solve problems creatively.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
The most important skill I use is spatial thinking to integrate data and more fully understand a given phenomenon. Spatial analysis begins with the framing of research questions pertaining to the spatial configuration of a phenomenon, and then analyzing it with qualitative visual analysis, as well as computational techniques for quantitative analysis. Reading the physical landscape is another important skill, especially in applications involving remote sensing data and fieldwork. Being able to analyze problems from multiple scales is critical in integrating data to solve a given problem, and examining the human, physical, and biological data of a particular issue—for example, water quality— provides a more complete understanding of changes over space and time.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
My academic training has done much to strengthen my teaching, research, and publication experience. Upon completing my graduate degree, I have focused mainly on developing my writing and physical geography fieldwork skills. So far, I’ve improved my writing skills through reviewing journal manuscripts, and volunteering to help train graduate students at colleagues’ research labs has improved my physical fieldwork skills, and has created new research opportunities I would not have had otherwise.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
As a junior faculty member, I sometimes assist in hiring new staff for the department. When hiring a faculty member, we are most concerned with how well the applicant fits into the existing department and the university as a whole. We look for teaching experience, an engaging attitude with students, and research and publication records, among other things. The importance of each factor depends on the institution type and existing faculty composition; personally, I look for student engagement ability, collaborative skills, knowledge of the university and general disposition. All in all, I look for a candidate that will be easy to work with both now and in the future.

What do you find most interesting/challenging/inspiring about your work?

The most interesting part of my work is the diversity of responsibilities and working environments; it’s difficult to experience the same day twice! My typical day on the job is rarely boring, and I’ve greatly improved my time management and correspondence skills, but I still consider it a work in progress. Perhaps the most inspiring part of my job is seeing my capstone students’ professional growth over the semester as they design and execute independent research projects for real-world clients. This course is most of my students’ first directed research experience, and it’s fulfilling to see initial frustration transform into meaningful achievement.

What advice would you give someone interested in a job like yours?
Interest in a job like mine requires strategies in both graduate school and in the job search. During graduate school, ask yourself why you want to be a professor and what interests you most about the job, and discuss these questions with current faculty that you trust. The importance of sharing your thoughts is not for validation, but to gain better insight into your own motivations.

Secondly, learn about the realities of being a professor. Converse with multiple faculty members, and if your department allows it, attend faculty meetings to gain insight into the inner workings of a career in academia, as well as the working dynamics of your faculty.

Thirdly, be honest with yourself about your career goals, and the type of institution you’d feel most comfortable in. Predominantly undergraduate and research institutions each have their own cultures, and the sooner you find your “fit”, the sooner you can adapt your graduate school experience to meet your goals.

Finally, make sure to gain experience with the publication process during graduate school. Demonstrating your ability to publish your work is critical; in addition to its attractiveness to employers, familiarity with the publishing process is an important survival skill, and your institution will want to see that you can publish your research while managing other responsibilities.

As far as job search advice goes, first and foremost: know when and where to look for jobs! Professional association job boards (e.g. the AAG Jobs in Geography Center), higher education websites (e.g. HigherEd Jobs, The Chronicle of Higher Education, etc.), and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn and ResearchGate are all great places to start. Don’t forget that your advisors and faculty can be excellent networking resources as well.

Also keep in mind the academic job season. The primary job season usually begins in August and lasts until October/November, during which postings are heaviest. Positions posted in January or later tend to be temporary or visiting appointments. Pay attention to the details of a particular job ad as closely as possible, and tailor your cover letter with information on the particular institution you are applying to. Finally, don’t shy away from visiting, fixed-term, or post-doc positions. They can make for great short-term alternatives that keep you in the industry, and provide valuable experience for tenure-track jobs.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
The wide applicability of geographers’ core skills in social and natural sciences makes for a strong occupational outlook in higher education. Though many academic geographers work in Geography departments, there are a number of additional opportunities in interdisciplinary settings such as combined departments, research clusters, and the like. Unfortunately, shrinking university and research budgets can exclude many within the pool of qualified applicants. However, there are numerous informal education opportunities for geographers. For instance, many environmental/resource management agencies hire academics to develop materials and relay important information to the public. Though the path to a tenure track position will remain difficult in the future, it’s critical to gain experience and hone your skills within geographic education in the meantime.

See All Profiles

Paul McDaniel

Education: Ph.D. in Geography and Urban Regional Analysis (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), M.A.E. in Higher Education Leadership (University of Alabama at Birmingham), M.S. in Geography (University of Tennessee), B.S. in Geography (Samford University)

What attracted you to a career in education?
In between completing my masters degree and beginning work on a doctoral degree, I worked full time in location analysis and market research analysis. While completing my doctorate, I taught several courses as an instructor. After finishing my PhD, I again worked full time outside academia—this time as a research fellow for an immigration policy research organization in Washington, DC. While in DC, I realized that I missed the university setting and interactions with students. After several years in DC, I decided to pursue a career in academia in a setting that provided a balance of teaching and research opportunities.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
I was always interested in geography. When I found out geography was something you could major in at university, I knew that was the route I wanted to go. I love geography because of how broad the discipline is, covering both physical and human geography. Because geography is such a broad discipline, there is opportunity to cultivate a diverse skill set of breadth and depth that can be applied in a variety of settings. My career pathway to working in higher education has been less traditional and has allowed me opportunity to apply a variety of geographic skills, including quantitative, qualitative, and GIS/technical skills in settings outside academia. Having a background in geography has allowed me to bring a unique perspective to work in non-academic settings. In turn, my application of geography in such settings has allowed me to gain new insights about how geography may be applied to better understand issues and help solve societal problems. And I bring those insights into the classroom today and discuss such opportunities with students.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
Geographic skills: I use a variety of quantitative, qualitative, and spatial analysis/GIS techniques in my research about immigrant settlement, integration, inclusion, and receptivity, in cities, to be able to explain relationships and processes of human migration. Conceptual understanding and application of knowledge about the broader forces driving the changing geography of international migration is also important in my work. Using tools of geography to visualize phenomena is also important in the classroom to convey information to students in a compelling way.

General skills: other skills important in my work that were cultivated during graduate school and working outside academia include analyzing literature (including academic/scientific literature); critical thinking and critical writing skills; writing for different audiences (academic, policy, general audience); presentation and public speaking skills, including speaking to different types of audiences (academic, professional, policy, general public).

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
In academia, you must quickly become efficient at juggling commitments in the three areas of teaching, supervision, and mentorship of students; research and creative activity; and professional service. Organization skills are critical to be successful in managing your various activities in each of these three areas while progressing on different projects in each area that are at different stages of your productivity pipeline.

Additionally, it is important for academia to engage with the broader public about current events and issues. The breadth and depth of training of geographers allows us opportunity to help the broader public understand the nuances and contexts of many issues and processes. As such, being able to write and speak to the public in a compelling and conversational way about complex issues is important. During my time in DC, I was able to hone my writing and public speaking skills for a wide variety of audiences, and these skills continue to be important today when discussing topics about immigration with different audiences, either in writing or through public speaking.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
I look for people who bring a geographic skills set of breadth and depth, are confident in what they have to offer and in themselves as individuals, are flexible and open to learning new concepts and ways of doing things, and will be collegial and pleasant colleagues with whom I will look forward to working and interacting.

What do you find most interesting/challenging/inspiring about your work?
In geography, there is always something new to learn and new perspectives through which to explore and examine an issue or process. In my work focused on immigration and immigrant settlement, and how cities respond to changing immigration dynamics, there is always something going on that directly links to current events as well as conversations about the topic occurring in media and political realms. This makes the work timely, but also presents the challenge and opportunity of conveying research-based information to the broader public as well as to policy audiences in a timely and compelling way, as well as helping students to understand processes from an informed perspective. A couple of things I find inspiring about my work include interacting with a wide range of individuals and organizations in different communities doing meaningful work with vulnerable and marginalized populations. I am also inspired when my students gain new understanding and insights about local, regional, and global processes through the variety of perspectives that geography offers.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
Pursue a variety of opportunities to cultivate a diverse skills set with breadth and depth. In addition to your thesis or dissertation work, seek out opportunities to help with other research projects; gain teaching experience in different courses; participate in service opportunities in your department, at your university, and in the broader community; get involved with the broader geography academic community, such as your regional division of AAG or an AAG specialty group; network with other geographers doing things that you find interesting; and develop communication skills for conveying information to a variety of audiences including writing and public speaking to general audiences.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Whether or not you are pursuing a career in higher education, there are a wide variety of opportunities for geographers in many sectors, including education, nonprofit/NGO, government (local, state, federal), research institutions, private sector, business, and more. Geographers bring a unique spatial understanding of issues and processes with local, regional, national, and global significance. The skills geographers practice to develop such understanding of such issues and processes are in high demand by many occupations and career fields.

See All Profiles

Cristi Delgado

Education: M.Sc. in Geography (University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand), B.A. in Geography (University of Texas at Austin)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks for which you are responsible?
I design and build an Enterprise GIS that includes innovative web solutions to increase productivity, improve efficiency and allow City departments to make better, more informed decisions, automate workflow and protect the community. I also work to ensure that important city data, including GIS data, is available for public use: https://www.cityofberkeley.info/opendata/

What attracted you to this career path?
I live nearby in North Oakland. I want my work to be part of enriching my community, “saving puppies”, not making widgets for company x. I ride my bicycle to work and know many of the community leaders personally. I enjoy being in public service with a city known for innovation.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
My background in physical geography and coastal geomorphology prepared me to better understand some of the drainage and hazard issues of a small city that has a coastline at its western border and rises to 2,000 feet in elevation in a relatively short distance at its eastern border.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
The ability to see patterns and to understand the importance of place; and The First Law of Geography are most often used in my work.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
I believe conveying the value of GIS and spatial analysis is a skill only gained through experience on the job. I often need to explain GIS and spatial analysis methodology in layman’s terms to a diverse crowd. It is harder than it seems, and beneficial to practice with friends and family.

Another skill I needed to hone on the job is working in a political atmosphere. As the city’s redistricting analyst after the 2010 census, I enlisted help from our city attorney to prepare for our public presentations and hearings regarding redistricting the city’s council districts.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Yes; I look for someone who can express themselves well both on paper and in person. Experience in 3D and real time GIS is a plus.

What advice would you give someone interested in a job like yours?
Gain skills, experience and certifications when possible in project management, programming, web design, cartography, and spatial analysis. Become an expert in 3D and real time GIS. Distinguish yourself by having experience and skills in another field as well such as big data, planning, programming or policy analysis.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
The outlook is great for career opportunities in local government GIS. All cities, towns, counties and similar agencies such as utilities, transportation agencies, airports and regional authorities need GIS analysts on staff.

See All Profiles

Julie Dunbar

Education: M.F.A. in Writing (Naropa University), B.A. in Geography (University of Colorado)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks for which you are responsible?
I work with a team of writer/editors and teachers/professors in developing a number of social studies-based web sites on U.S. and world geography. The sites are carried in public libraries, schools, and universities as research databases and in some cases used as textbooks. I also create ideas for new geography reference books, and find and guide authors in writing them.

I monitor world news for potential updates to our web sites, as well as possible news stories of our own. We decide which news stories to run based on their relevance to high school social studies curriculums. We’re currently conducting interviews for a project highlighting perspectives on controversial issues, such as immigration. All of these day-to-day responsibilities feed my imagination for creating new book ideas, for which the sky is the limit. You might find me on any given day editing a book chapter on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch or negotiating with potential authors.

What attracted you to this industry?
I’ve always had a passion for writing and learning about other cultures, which drew me to study geography. Writing, at the time, was just a hobby. My first position with ABC-CLIO was as media editor for the geography web sites—I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw a job listing from a publisher seeking someone with a geography degree. It was a fun job and it inspired some of the stories I wrote at home. I eventually went back to school part-time, while still working at ABC-CLIO, to earn my MFA in writing. I thought this venture would be unrelated to my duties at ABC-CLIO, but shortly after receiving my MFA, the managing editor position opened. I still can’t believe I ended up in a position that is so perfect for me. Ironically, years ago, my college geography internship was editing a book. Little did I know…

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position?
The broad overview of human and physical geography, as well as in cartography technology I received was ideal for the position I have now. On any given day, you might find me writing a piece about plate tectonics, followed by another on politics in Kyrgyzstan, and yet another on spatial organization or mental maps. The broadness of geography as a discipline allows me to combine knowledge and skills from other fields of study in creating pieces and developing our websites.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
The ability to conduct geographic inquiry is the skill I use most often. Spurring curiosity and asking meaningful questions is such an important characteristic for educators to model for students. Another unique skill geographers possess is the ability to combine geographic data with knowledge of other fields. I strive to introduce geography to young people and hopefully inspire curiosity and an appreciation for the world.

The ability to perform solid research, effectively manage my time, and to think critically are the most valuable skills that I honed during my liberal arts education. I stress the importance of questioning yourself and others and using critical thinking to synthesize and report information as accurately and effectively as possible.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
People management is definitely not something I learned while in college. It’s a business skill that I continue to develop on a daily basis through learning from experience. I think there is still a lot for me to learn about this skill.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?

Candidates who are positive and truly enthusiastic about geography stand out to me. Effective writing skills and attention to detail are also key. I look for candidates who are curious, want to learn, and know how to find answers when they don’t know the answers. Candidates who have done their homework by looking at our products before the interview and can tell me why they want to work for my company in particular also really stand out.

What advice would you give someone interested in a job like yours?
Publishing, like many other industries, is about adapting to new technologies, globalization, and shrinking budgets. Be willing to start at the entry level and work your way up. Make yourself an authority in your field and strive to be an excellent writer and editor. Start writing now and try to get published. Take accredited courses in editing, proofing, and writing. Look at who publishes your favorite geography and social studies books and see where they’re located, subscribe to their job listings, and be patient. Know why you want to work for these companies. Be flexible and always be willing to learn—and take the initiative to learn. Above all, stay positive—that is a key characteristic that I look for in interviews and I bet I’m not alone!

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?

I’m lucky to have found a position that perfectly combines my educational background and interests. Geography and writing is a unique and somewhat rare combination for those outside of academia, and the availability of opportunities reflects that. However, such positions do exist, especially if you’re patient and willing to start at the ground level to gain the experience you’ll need for that perfect position. The broader one’s knowledge and skills are, as well as their flexibility to work across fields in addition to writing and editing skills also opens opportunities.

See All Profiles

Pete Chirico

Education: Current Ph.D. Student in Geography & Environmental Systems (University of Maryland Baltimore County), M.A. in Geography (University of South Carolina), B.A. in Geography (Mary Washington College)

Describe your job. What are some of the most important tasks or duties for which you are responsible?
My time is currently split between scientific research and management duties at the Science Center at USGS. My research focuses on diamond and mineral resources illegally mined in conflict zones. I focus on the geomorphology of resource deposits using remote sensing and field mapping techniques, and combine this with knowledge of local communities engaging in mining and how these factors contribute to funding conflicts. I also serve as associate director for the Science Center, working with about 60 geologists, paleontologists, and physical scientists. My duties in this position include project planning, personnel management, and representation of our science center to stakeholders and the public.

What attracted you to this industry?
After completing my master’s degree in 1995, I saw an ad for a GIS specialist at USGS. I was attracted by its reputation as the nation’s premier civilian mapping agency, and its role as an early adopter and leader in GIS and mapping technology. I initially thought I’d work here temporarily as a stepping stone to other pursuits, but soon recognized the depth and value of USGS science. I have been afforded numerous opportunities to grow here as a geographer, and have been with USGS for over 20 years now.

How has your background in geography prepared you for this position?
My coursework in GIS gave me the skillset to work as a GIS specialist, and I have been able to apply my general knowledge of geography to critical problem solving. But, since the geospatial field is rapidly advancing, it has been important to continually be developing new technical skills and to be willing to learn about subject areas well outside of my initial scope of coursework and studies.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
I often use GIS and remote sensing methods in collecting geographic information, and also extract data from reports, maps, and articles, oftentimes only found in a library or archival collection. Some of the skills I use in field work include sediment sampling, field mapping, and qualitiative/semi-quantitative interviews.

Some of the general skills that I use include statistical and mathematical modeling techniques, as well as using maps, graphs, and figures in illustrating abstract concepts. Communicating the results of your research effectively involves writing journal articles and reports, with graphical tools and an element of storytelling to effectively convey information to technical and non-technical audiences.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Many of the technical tasks I perform today I’ve learned from watching and working with colleagues. During my career at USGS I’ve been very fortunate to have worked with scientists and experts in many different fields, and I have come to appreciate the importance of being able to develop and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues and co-workers.

I currently conduct fieldwork in Central and Western Africa. I’ve learned so much about conducting fieldwork in remote areas and conflict zones “on the job” through mentorship from experienced field geologists early in my career. There are some safety courses and certifications that help prepare you for some things you might encounter, but time and experience help you to develop confidence in your own abilities while in tough field conditions.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Yes. We look for a certain level of technical geospatial competency demonstrated through successful coursework and experience. More often, however, I seek candidates with a balance of technical skills and a background in physical geography. I also look for strong attention to detail, research ability, writing and presentation experience, cartography and data representation capability, and foreign language proficiency. It may be difficult to quantify, but perhaps most important for a successful candidate is their desire to learn and engage in tasks with enthusiasm.

What advice would you give to someone interested in a job like yours?
No job is perfect, but learning to seize opportunities that are “the right job at the right time” will provide great experiences and personal contacts that can last a lifetime. I think in many ways you create your own opportunities for achievement and advancement through hard work, continuous learning and growing, and trying new things with your organization.

I encourage others to think creatively about gaining experience. For example, I didn’t have the financial resources to study abroad in college and came to USGS with no international travel experience. However, while I was in school I was able to work as a field assistant to a biologist and spent a couple of summers working as a wildfire-fighter for the U.S. Forest Service. So, those jobs gave me valuable field work skills to build upon when other opportunities, including those for foreign travel, came around.

I encourage job seekers to perfect their writing and presentation skills, as these are valuable for any job. Develop a portfolio with projects, writing samples, maps, and examples of fieldwork–this is a great compliment to your resume in showing your potential employer your skills and development over time.

Many professional vacancies may not be specifically looking for geography majors; therefore, it’s important to sell ourselves as geographers. Being able to explain to others how the coursework, experience, and skills that geographers possess fit a job description, and being able to communicate that to a non-specialist hiring manager is really important.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Good question! This is a dynamic and uncertain time for geographers and other research scientists in government agencies. Permanent job opportunities are less common and much more competitive now than they have been in the past, but there are still many opportunities. Term or temporary positions, student trainee positions, and seasonal field assistants are often the best way to get a foot in the door.. Many government agencies, such as USGS, will face large numbers of retirements in coming years, and while agencies continue to downsize, they will need to hire to maintain their workforce and continue their agency’s mission—and often look to those who have worked in student or temporary positions to fill openings. I think that the scope of geography as a field that encompasses both geospatial technology as well as subject matter expertise, such as in physical geography and field methods, places geographers in a unique position as adaptable and flexible individuals well suited to the rapidly changing workforce requirements in federal agencies.

See All Profiles

Leslie McLees

Education: Ph.D. in Geography (University of Oregon), M.A. in Geography (University of Hawaii), B.S. in Zoology (Washington State University)

What attracted you to a career in education?
I enjoy connecting students with the larger world, whether through their courses or their path through college. I do not aim to make them think a certain way, but to expose them to the breadth of perspectives and futures available to them. In doing so, I hope to enhance our society, and while it may sound cheesy, make the world a better place. I strive to be an engaging advisor and instructor who help my students’ draw from their own experiences to understand their world and their futures in it.

How has your education/background in geography prepared you for this position? My background and education in geography has allowed me to view the world and its seemingly unrelated processes and interactions through different perspectives. Power, processes, and systems are part of our everyday lives, and I try to bring this approach inside the classroom and advising sessions. The places I’ve seen and the people I’ve met throughout my career in geography have given me the skills to reach varied student populations, to reflect upon my own practices, and to bring students together and prepare them for the future.

What geographic skills and information do you use most often in your work? What general skills and information do you use most often in your work?
When I teach, I use spatial thinking to understand the local and global experiences of my students. When I advise my students, I provide career advice and determine what type of work might be best suited to their skillset. My background in cartography helps me in creating media advertisements, and my background in qualitative/survey fieldwork has helped me develop our program. I have found that the level of appreciation of differences in perspectives, whether they are held by my students or colleagues, is something that geographers are particularly well-suited for. I have also found that non-geographers appreciate the relevance of geography without realizing what the field truly is, and effective visual representation of problems is important in gaining support from those outside of academic geography. My ability to represent important issues spatially has gained plenty of visibility for our department and programs; for instance, people understand the importance of human-environment issues, but don’t realize how well-suited geographers are in addressing such issues (until I tell them).

Generally, the two main skills I use daily are critical thinking and effective communication. Critical thinking skills are important in asking questions, whether they be how to recruit more people into our classes and programs, how to best prepare my students for life after college, and so on. Effective communication is valuable in meetings, as an instructor, with my students, and in conveying information in any capacity. Other valuable skills for geographers are the ability to creatively form solutions to problems, to adapt to new environments, to represent data visually, and a good sense of teamwork and ethics on the job.

Are there any skills or information you need for your work that you did not obtain through your academic training? If so, how/where did you obtain them?
Within my role as a career/academic advisor, I needed to learn the bureaucracy of requirements. This type of knowledge and level of detail is something I’ve developed from experience training and working with professional advisors. Since my background is in academia rather than professional advising, I try to bridge the gap between these two worlds, and have found that professional advisors are more than willing to help me learn more about their skillset.

Do you participate in hiring, screening, or training of new employees? If so, what qualities and/or skills do you look for?
Yes, I have been involved in hiring office staff and faculty for our department. I look for effective communication skills, and a professional and outgoing demeanor when interacting with others. We look for people who can engage with our students regardless of their background, both inside the classroom and administratively. A promising candidate also possesses critical and creative thinking skills both in the classroom and in the office.

What do you find most interesting/challenging/inspiring about your work?
I would say the greatest challenge in my work would be dealing with the bureaucracy and details of advising. The most inspiring, and what keeps me paying attention to the details, is knowing the students. I not only go over requirements with them, but help them develop and articulate their goals and progress within their own bigger picture, which helps in finding programs and opportunities best suited to their goals. Perhaps a challenge has been that as an advisor, I haven’t been trained in helping to resolve other types of problems my students might have, such as mental health concerns. Students should feel safe with their advisor, as we are often the first people they come to with problems. I find a deep satisfaction in helping students navigate their challenges and connecting them with the resources our university provides.

What advice would you give someone interested in a job like yours?
To gain professional advising skills, one can either take classes, or assist/shadow someone on the job. I’d suggest conducting informational interviews to see if this is the right fit for you. The key to any career path is to make strategic connections; personally, I have a strong connection with my department having earned my PhD here, and after I left, I was able to draw upon that connection to find the position I’m in now, when I decided a tenure-track job was not what I wanted. I would also say a strong background in the disciplines, meaningful connections, and relationships with students are very important in this type of work.

What is the occupational outlook for career opportunities in your field/organization, esp. for geographers?
Universities recognize that students need more help navigating higher education today, and they are hiring and training more people to advise students. I would encourage anyone interested in advising to seek training in career and academic advising, to better help students articulate their skills outside of the classroom. Though geographers gain valuable skills in getting their degree, many liberal arts programs lacked the help students need to translate these skills outside of the classroom. Employers value the skills that students have—many students just need some help in articulating them.

See All Profiles