Dear List
I agree that this discussion does have a place here, I commend Dr. Robert
Barr for letting it stand for the time being and agree that employers will
not be offended by such a discussion. Following this thread is fascinating
and the comments posted serve many purposes and are informative. They
identify the growing gap between employer expectations and those
professionals in the GIS community searching for employment. Some of you may
or may not be aware that the concerns being posted here are being voiced in
North America also. Subsequently this is a concern affecting GIS
professionals outside of Europe also.
The value of this discussion, particularly if employers contribute, is that
it will open a dialogue thereby allowing potential job seekers to understand
what employers seek and what they are thinking and vice versa. I offer the
following comments.
- GIS is moving rapidly into the enterprise and IT - knowledge of
client/server applications are prominent.
- There is a high need for coupling GIS to computer science
courses/graduates - yet, no such focused integrated courses in the computer
science domain exist.(i.e. BSc in Computer Science with GIS specialization)
- There is a misconception that GIS knowledge (geo-science) is not needed in
IT. Those who truly wish to capitalize on spatial information will
inevitably need GIS people.
GIS is not IT - it is a science in its own right requiring unique skills and
knowledge. Discussions like this exemplify that point.
- Interoperability is not the issue anymore. Organizational and
institutional structure is - my guess is that well over 50% of all
organizations do not understand the value of GIS yet and what it can do for
them.
It is on the last point that job seekers can make some headway. Take any
three organizations you know, then develop a plan whereby you 'think' GIS
could be of value to them. Develop a plan, outline how it could implemented,
needs and benefits - then call up their information officer, make an
appointment and discuss your case.
Good luck.
Jeff Thurston
Vector One GIS and Visualization
10178 Berlin
Germany
http://www.vectorone.info
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