Jennifer O'Reilly (formerly Schwarz), GIS Specialist, Percheron Acquisitions, LLC. B.S. UNT Geography, 2005
I would say that I was meant to be a geographer. I did not always see this though. I started my UNT career as an Art major. After one semester I soon found out that this was not the path in life for me. So I started to brainstorm and to survey my surroundings. And finally what drew me to the Geography department was the ESSAT building. No joke! I love nature and science. The building just fascinated me and I soon found myself in the Geography department picking out my classes for the next 4 years. I never really gravitated towards one side of Geography but I did however find my niche when I started working with ArcGIS. My first class was with Dr. Bruce Hunter in Intro to GIS. This class changed my life; I finally felt like I understood something! Maybe it was the program or maybe it was the way Bruce taught. Or maybe it was both! All in all, school finally started clicking for me. I finally started making all A’s and this also translated to my other core classes as well. Wow what a difference one class can make! I knew this was where I was meant to be and I have never looked back.
If I had to give someone a word of advice about Geography, it is that there are always jobs out there for you. I have held GIS jobs for over 6 years now. They have ranged from County to City and now to Land Surveying for an Oil and Gas company. They have all been wonderful jobs and there is so much to learn and do with Geography.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
"So, where is Tajikistan?"
Aldo Aviña
BS UNT Geography 2008, MS UNT Biology 2010
If you’re like me… you probably don’t think about your mornings because you sleep in until the last possible moment. Instead of a hot cup of coffee and perhaps some frozen waffles, you are left to snack on that crumbling Pop Tart carefully guarded by your textbooks at the bottom of your backpack during 3190 or Graduate Seminar. If you’re like me, and similar to Sarah’s blog post, you have had to field questions like “So where is Tajikistan?” or “So what is the capital of Tajikistan?” or “So what country is next to Tajikistan?” I don’t understand what the infatuation with Tajikistan is either, but you are patient and explain that a Geography major is like an English major – there are many concentrations and applications that go beyond simple trivia found on an old rerun of Jeopardy!
If you’re like me, you want to increase your spatial awareness and that’s why you are here.
I’d like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about my time at UNT and how it developed me as a student and professional. I don’t mean for it to serve as a guide—you all have your own story—but rather as a way to relate to you.
The story... First, I’ll give you some perspective as to where UNT Geography has gotten me: I am currently a second-year PhD student at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth studying Environmental Health Science, less than two years away from finishing. For those interested in a doctoral degree: I want to use this degree to work in public health at the state or federal level; I want this degree in order to put me in a position to positively influence the health of a large number of people. This degree is not for my personal benefit or desire, nor is it a proof of accomplishment to myself. Rather, it represents a set of tools and experiences that allows me to achieve a public health career and to perform duties efficiently and effectively.
My entry into UNT was strange and complicated. I never thought about attending college until my senior year of high school, when I knew music would be the greatest thing. In the summer of 2004, I was in the process of a third audition for the music program at UT and had already been accepted to the music program at Texas State. Additionally, I had submitted my written intent to attend the music program at Texas State. This entire time I had already been rejected from the UNT music program – during the audition.
That left me with two choices, right? Technically yes, but I chose UNT. Why? There is no “why.” A decision I do not regret, I weighed the option of doing music as a career or using a connection at UNT to network and discover what I really wanted to do. So, by fall of 2004, I was a wide-eyed math major 226 miles from home in Denton, Texas sharing a 10x10 foot space in a friend’s garage. “Aldo the Math Major”. I didn’t like the sound of it either. My haphazard and blissful approach to college led to a difficult and disinterested first year. With the guidance of the McNair Scholars program and Dr. Bruce Hunter and Dr. Miguel Acevedo, however, I was introduced to the world of Geography. I won’t dwell on this because you know why you like Geography and you remember that moment of realization, but I had finally found the direction I was looking for. I hadn’t found my niche, however. Not yet.
My niche was discovered later, through undergraduate research and networking. The McNair Scholars program helps those who are underprivileged or underrepresented (but who have the desire to do research) by matching them with a mentor. The mentor is given the task of teaching the undergraduate student research skills in their field and of preparing them for post-baccalaureate life. I was conditionally accepted and matched with Dr. Acevedo, provided that I improved my grades. Through my work with Dr. Acevedo fighting the brush to track woodpeckers and watching bison, hawks, deer and coyote at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, I met Bruce (Dr. Hunter) and Dr. Oppong.
In short, Bruce introduced me to the world of GIS and Dr. Oppong introduced me to the world of Medical and Health Geography; I decided to think about both as a unit. This can be translated to any field with a geographic application: Ecology, Geology, Genetics, Sociology, Ornithology, the list goes on.
But did I want to be a “GIS-er”? Not necessarily. I knew that I didn’t want to work as a contractor editing fire hydrant databases or in some similar setting. It just isn’t my thing. I wanted to be able to manage spatially-referenced data effectively and correctly. Which brings me to my next point: do you want a career in the world of geographic information science, or do you want to use GISci as a supplement to your career? I have seen many colleagues take these two main routes, and it is something I suggest you think about now. Do you want to be a GIS-er or do you want to use GIS as a tool? Neither is wrong. It depends on your skills, interests and expertise.
I chose to use it as a tool to apply geo-analytical methods to spatially-referenced health data. Through this route I am able to look at the geography of environmental exposures and hazards and how it affects health outcomes.
…And that’s my story.
Moral of the story? What I would like you, the UNT Geography student, to get out of my journey is that your future depends on you and your actions. My ship was righted after a rocky start, with a strong influence from Bruce and my research mentors. It was not their responsibility, however, to improve my grades, receive that GIS certificate, or publish my thesis – and I will always appreciate that. It is not to say they didn’t help me succeed but rather that they taught me how to be successful.
Yes, but what can I do? Network, you must. Talk to your peers and look for a research mentor if you are an undergraduate. Developing a healthy, professional relationship with a mentor will beget future success. Think about what you want to become both in terms of a career, as well as your use of GISci in your career. As you are writing your thesis, think about where to publish. If you can withstand the word “no” then you can withstand the publishing process. Further, once you are published, you become a more desirable job or graduate candidate. Also, you don’t have to publish alone. As you are working on your research, go to conferences! After you’ve gone to SWAAG or done a poster presentation, move up to an international conference and an oral presentation.
Additionally, start looking for graduate programs now, and network with professors there too! It’s not difficult. You can Google the chair of any geography department with one hand. University departments list their faculty and their research papers. Don’t forget to update that CV. My point is you have to take the initiative. Think about your future. Talk to a professor if you’re confused, if you need help or if you are ready to begin. Introduce yourself at the beginning of every semester. Who knows, that introduction may land you a director position at the CDC a few years down the line.
BS UNT Geography 2008, MS UNT Biology 2010
If you’re like me… you probably don’t think about your mornings because you sleep in until the last possible moment. Instead of a hot cup of coffee and perhaps some frozen waffles, you are left to snack on that crumbling Pop Tart carefully guarded by your textbooks at the bottom of your backpack during 3190 or Graduate Seminar. If you’re like me, and similar to Sarah’s blog post, you have had to field questions like “So where is Tajikistan?” or “So what is the capital of Tajikistan?” or “So what country is next to Tajikistan?” I don’t understand what the infatuation with Tajikistan is either, but you are patient and explain that a Geography major is like an English major – there are many concentrations and applications that go beyond simple trivia found on an old rerun of Jeopardy!
If you’re like me, you want to increase your spatial awareness and that’s why you are here.
I’d like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about my time at UNT and how it developed me as a student and professional. I don’t mean for it to serve as a guide—you all have your own story—but rather as a way to relate to you.
The story... First, I’ll give you some perspective as to where UNT Geography has gotten me: I am currently a second-year PhD student at the UNT Health Science Center in Fort Worth studying Environmental Health Science, less than two years away from finishing. For those interested in a doctoral degree: I want to use this degree to work in public health at the state or federal level; I want this degree in order to put me in a position to positively influence the health of a large number of people. This degree is not for my personal benefit or desire, nor is it a proof of accomplishment to myself. Rather, it represents a set of tools and experiences that allows me to achieve a public health career and to perform duties efficiently and effectively.
My entry into UNT was strange and complicated. I never thought about attending college until my senior year of high school, when I knew music would be the greatest thing. In the summer of 2004, I was in the process of a third audition for the music program at UT and had already been accepted to the music program at Texas State. Additionally, I had submitted my written intent to attend the music program at Texas State. This entire time I had already been rejected from the UNT music program – during the audition.
That left me with two choices, right? Technically yes, but I chose UNT. Why? There is no “why.” A decision I do not regret, I weighed the option of doing music as a career or using a connection at UNT to network and discover what I really wanted to do. So, by fall of 2004, I was a wide-eyed math major 226 miles from home in Denton, Texas sharing a 10x10 foot space in a friend’s garage. “Aldo the Math Major”. I didn’t like the sound of it either. My haphazard and blissful approach to college led to a difficult and disinterested first year. With the guidance of the McNair Scholars program and Dr. Bruce Hunter and Dr. Miguel Acevedo, however, I was introduced to the world of Geography. I won’t dwell on this because you know why you like Geography and you remember that moment of realization, but I had finally found the direction I was looking for. I hadn’t found my niche, however. Not yet.
My niche was discovered later, through undergraduate research and networking. The McNair Scholars program helps those who are underprivileged or underrepresented (but who have the desire to do research) by matching them with a mentor. The mentor is given the task of teaching the undergraduate student research skills in their field and of preparing them for post-baccalaureate life. I was conditionally accepted and matched with Dr. Acevedo, provided that I improved my grades. Through my work with Dr. Acevedo fighting the brush to track woodpeckers and watching bison, hawks, deer and coyote at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area, I met Bruce (Dr. Hunter) and Dr. Oppong.
In short, Bruce introduced me to the world of GIS and Dr. Oppong introduced me to the world of Medical and Health Geography; I decided to think about both as a unit. This can be translated to any field with a geographic application: Ecology, Geology, Genetics, Sociology, Ornithology, the list goes on.
But did I want to be a “GIS-er”? Not necessarily. I knew that I didn’t want to work as a contractor editing fire hydrant databases or in some similar setting. It just isn’t my thing. I wanted to be able to manage spatially-referenced data effectively and correctly. Which brings me to my next point: do you want a career in the world of geographic information science, or do you want to use GISci as a supplement to your career? I have seen many colleagues take these two main routes, and it is something I suggest you think about now. Do you want to be a GIS-er or do you want to use GIS as a tool? Neither is wrong. It depends on your skills, interests and expertise.
I chose to use it as a tool to apply geo-analytical methods to spatially-referenced health data. Through this route I am able to look at the geography of environmental exposures and hazards and how it affects health outcomes.
…And that’s my story.
Moral of the story? What I would like you, the UNT Geography student, to get out of my journey is that your future depends on you and your actions. My ship was righted after a rocky start, with a strong influence from Bruce and my research mentors. It was not their responsibility, however, to improve my grades, receive that GIS certificate, or publish my thesis – and I will always appreciate that. It is not to say they didn’t help me succeed but rather that they taught me how to be successful.
Yes, but what can I do? Network, you must. Talk to your peers and look for a research mentor if you are an undergraduate. Developing a healthy, professional relationship with a mentor will beget future success. Think about what you want to become both in terms of a career, as well as your use of GISci in your career. As you are writing your thesis, think about where to publish. If you can withstand the word “no” then you can withstand the publishing process. Further, once you are published, you become a more desirable job or graduate candidate. Also, you don’t have to publish alone. As you are working on your research, go to conferences! After you’ve gone to SWAAG or done a poster presentation, move up to an international conference and an oral presentation.
Additionally, start looking for graduate programs now, and network with professors there too! It’s not difficult. You can Google the chair of any geography department with one hand. University departments list their faculty and their research papers. Don’t forget to update that CV. My point is you have to take the initiative. Think about your future. Talk to a professor if you’re confused, if you need help or if you are ready to begin. Introduce yourself at the beginning of every semester. Who knows, that introduction may land you a director position at the CDC a few years down the line.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Geography: Not Just for Geographers
Susannah Gulick, UNT BS in Geography 2010
Project Manager at M/A/R/C Research
I did not go into Geography to become a teacher, which is ironic because the desire to teach is what set me on the path to pursue a college degree. I am not sure who becomes a geography teacher anymore, but I do not think it’s the geography major. Why study Geography then? The reason for me was simple; Dr. Hudak made a great first impression, the program offered things I wanted to know, and there is the opportunity to wear comfortable shoes (geographers do not wear high heels). If you are going to put all the time, money, and effort into something it should be what you are interested in; what could be more interesting than interactions with the world around you?!
Unlikely in the making, when I became a geography major I had never taken a geography class; I could hardly read a map, I had trouble with east and west, and had been known to get my left and right confused a bit more often than your average five-year-old. However, one day I decided to jump in with both feet.
My sudden interest in Geography was prompted by a somewhat unpleasant conversation with my College of Education advisor, during which I discovered I was no closer to graduating than when I had started because of changes they had made to the degree plan. I could not bear the idea of pouring endless amounts of money into a degree that did nothing but make me crazy.
After trying in vain to convince my husband I wasn’t crazy, I declared myself a geography major and never looked back. From the minute I walked up to the Environmental Science Building, I was hooked. For years while I worked on my degree my husband continued to think I was crazy; who would hire a geographer, what would I do when I got out of school, would I be “forced” to become a graduate student because I couldn’t find a job? I am sure students in all disciplines have these same fears and conversations with their supporting loved ones. As time would tell, my fears were for naught; my geography degree has served me very well. I walked into a great job within weeks of graduation.
I would not have been considered for the position I received without the strong public-speaking skills I developed giving class presentations, or without a firm grasp of quantitative methods. I loved my classes, and if given the time would have taken every course on the menu. That said, I loved the quantitative methods and capstone classes most. I will continue to draw on skills acquired in these classes when I am able return to geography as a graduate student. The classes are designed to push you beyond your limits; they force you to work, rely on, and learn from others. That is not something you will get out of an online program or from a self-taught education. As a UNT Geography Major, you learn very quickly, there is strength in numbers. The professors know this too, that is why they are choosy about majors!
Project Manager at M/A/R/C Research
I did not go into Geography to become a teacher, which is ironic because the desire to teach is what set me on the path to pursue a college degree. I am not sure who becomes a geography teacher anymore, but I do not think it’s the geography major. Why study Geography then? The reason for me was simple; Dr. Hudak made a great first impression, the program offered things I wanted to know, and there is the opportunity to wear comfortable shoes (geographers do not wear high heels). If you are going to put all the time, money, and effort into something it should be what you are interested in; what could be more interesting than interactions with the world around you?!
Unlikely in the making, when I became a geography major I had never taken a geography class; I could hardly read a map, I had trouble with east and west, and had been known to get my left and right confused a bit more often than your average five-year-old. However, one day I decided to jump in with both feet.
My sudden interest in Geography was prompted by a somewhat unpleasant conversation with my College of Education advisor, during which I discovered I was no closer to graduating than when I had started because of changes they had made to the degree plan. I could not bear the idea of pouring endless amounts of money into a degree that did nothing but make me crazy.
After trying in vain to convince my husband I wasn’t crazy, I declared myself a geography major and never looked back. From the minute I walked up to the Environmental Science Building, I was hooked. For years while I worked on my degree my husband continued to think I was crazy; who would hire a geographer, what would I do when I got out of school, would I be “forced” to become a graduate student because I couldn’t find a job? I am sure students in all disciplines have these same fears and conversations with their supporting loved ones. As time would tell, my fears were for naught; my geography degree has served me very well. I walked into a great job within weeks of graduation.
I would not have been considered for the position I received without the strong public-speaking skills I developed giving class presentations, or without a firm grasp of quantitative methods. I loved my classes, and if given the time would have taken every course on the menu. That said, I loved the quantitative methods and capstone classes most. I will continue to draw on skills acquired in these classes when I am able return to geography as a graduate student. The classes are designed to push you beyond your limits; they force you to work, rely on, and learn from others. That is not something you will get out of an online program or from a self-taught education. As a UNT Geography Major, you learn very quickly, there is strength in numbers. The professors know this too, that is why they are choosy about majors!
Friday, October 14, 2011
Perishable Skills in a Global Context
Chad Smith, B.S. Geography, UNT, 2009. Research Manager with U.S. Department of Defense
When I was asked to contribute to this blog, my first thought was, “This will be great!” Then I faced the reality of trying to put my experiences into a coherent essay. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure how to frame the impact of my education at the University of North Texas on my life and career.
Unlike the masses of students who choose to major in geography as the result of an inspiring course or an engaging professor, I chose geography because of a job I already held. I decided to finish my undergraduate degree while I was working as a police officer assigned to the Crime Analysis Unit. I had recently learned GIS through trial and error, mostly error, over the previous year. I knew that many of the problems I was trying to unravel for my employer could be better understood through GIS and geographic principles. A geography degree seemed like a good idea.
I remember the first day I walked into Dr. Oppong’s office. He immediately put me to work on one of his many projects. I knew that I would like studying at UNT because I would be able to apply what I learned. Strangely enough, Dr. Oppong still puts me to work each time I visit his office.
The greatest outcome of my time at UNT is my relationships with the faculty. Even professors I never had for a class, such as Dr. Bruce Hunter and Dr. Chetan Tiwari, make themselves available for advice and counsel on everything from my latest GIS headache to my pursuit of a graduate degree.
I have worked in two positions since graduation in which I could apply my geography skills. First, I worked as a human terrain analyst with a Department of Defense organization. I was tasked with defining the socio-economic conditions of the operating environment. Typically, this required researching the physical terrain and the ethnic, religious, linguistic, and political groups within the area. I also researched the social, economic, and political systems that control the environment, including the informal systems. Part of my job was to include recommendations on ways to address instability. This required understanding underlying causes and identifying second- and third-order effects. I would not have been able to tackle such difficult and important work without the human geography coursework I took at UNT.
The job was extremely challenging and rewarding. The final product for each project was 4 to 6 PowerPoint slides and a 10 to 20 page white paper. Every six weeks, I was tasked with a new area, and the process of research, analysis, and reporting would begin anew.
Currently, I am a research manager for a Department of Defense program in Afghanistan. I am part of a team responsible for managing over 30 research teams working in the country. I use statistics (spatial, descriptive and non-descriptive) and research methodologies as part of my daily toolbox. I use GIS software, SPSS, link analysis software, and text analysis software tools. I work with both structured and unstructured data. In the coming year, I hope to develop a population estimate for Afghanistan based on aerial imagery analysis combined with surveys conducted at sampling sites throughout the country. I also want to examine the coverage of medical and educational facilities using location-allocation modeling and network analysis.
I work closely with many different organizations in Afghanistan. People in these organizations often ask what I do. I rely on what Dr. Oppong often cited as the definition of geography: “What is where and why is it there?” Oftentimes, I need more than maps to answer that question. I need an understanding of – in no particular order – history, religion, politics, economics, social network theory, statistics, weather, climate, soil types, transportation, natural resources, and language.
I encourage anyone studying geography to maintain their skills in GIS, statistics, and writing. These are perishable skills that require frequent use. Applying your geography degree to a career takes a little imagination and a willingness to “extend knowledge” as Dr. Oppong used to say.
When I was asked to contribute to this blog, my first thought was, “This will be great!” Then I faced the reality of trying to put my experiences into a coherent essay. Suddenly, I wasn’t sure how to frame the impact of my education at the University of North Texas on my life and career.
Unlike the masses of students who choose to major in geography as the result of an inspiring course or an engaging professor, I chose geography because of a job I already held. I decided to finish my undergraduate degree while I was working as a police officer assigned to the Crime Analysis Unit. I had recently learned GIS through trial and error, mostly error, over the previous year. I knew that many of the problems I was trying to unravel for my employer could be better understood through GIS and geographic principles. A geography degree seemed like a good idea.
I remember the first day I walked into Dr. Oppong’s office. He immediately put me to work on one of his many projects. I knew that I would like studying at UNT because I would be able to apply what I learned. Strangely enough, Dr. Oppong still puts me to work each time I visit his office.
The greatest outcome of my time at UNT is my relationships with the faculty. Even professors I never had for a class, such as Dr. Bruce Hunter and Dr. Chetan Tiwari, make themselves available for advice and counsel on everything from my latest GIS headache to my pursuit of a graduate degree.
I have worked in two positions since graduation in which I could apply my geography skills. First, I worked as a human terrain analyst with a Department of Defense organization. I was tasked with defining the socio-economic conditions of the operating environment. Typically, this required researching the physical terrain and the ethnic, religious, linguistic, and political groups within the area. I also researched the social, economic, and political systems that control the environment, including the informal systems. Part of my job was to include recommendations on ways to address instability. This required understanding underlying causes and identifying second- and third-order effects. I would not have been able to tackle such difficult and important work without the human geography coursework I took at UNT.
The job was extremely challenging and rewarding. The final product for each project was 4 to 6 PowerPoint slides and a 10 to 20 page white paper. Every six weeks, I was tasked with a new area, and the process of research, analysis, and reporting would begin anew.
Currently, I am a research manager for a Department of Defense program in Afghanistan. I am part of a team responsible for managing over 30 research teams working in the country. I use statistics (spatial, descriptive and non-descriptive) and research methodologies as part of my daily toolbox. I use GIS software, SPSS, link analysis software, and text analysis software tools. I work with both structured and unstructured data. In the coming year, I hope to develop a population estimate for Afghanistan based on aerial imagery analysis combined with surveys conducted at sampling sites throughout the country. I also want to examine the coverage of medical and educational facilities using location-allocation modeling and network analysis.
I work closely with many different organizations in Afghanistan. People in these organizations often ask what I do. I rely on what Dr. Oppong often cited as the definition of geography: “What is where and why is it there?” Oftentimes, I need more than maps to answer that question. I need an understanding of – in no particular order – history, religion, politics, economics, social network theory, statistics, weather, climate, soil types, transportation, natural resources, and language.
I encourage anyone studying geography to maintain their skills in GIS, statistics, and writing. These are perishable skills that require frequent use. Applying your geography degree to a career takes a little imagination and a willingness to “extend knowledge” as Dr. Oppong used to say.
Monday, October 10, 2011
What does it mean to be a geographer?
Joseph Mayfield, B.S. in Geography from UNT, ESRI Technical Writer
Is a geographer a person who has memorized all the world’s countries and their capitals? Is it just someone who makes maps? Am I a geographer if I got my degree in Geography?
I currently work as a technical writer for ESRI, my first real job since graduating last May. Even though there’s no mention of spatial analysis or geoprocessing skills in my job description, I use things I learned in UNT’s geography program everyday. One of the most important parts of my job is being able to study a topic in depth and then communicate the things I’ve learned to a diverse audience. I developed and refined these research skills in almost every class I took with the department. Because I work for a company that makes GIS software, I am constantly reading up on new technologies and trying to understand not only how they work but how they’ll be used. The things I learned in my geography courses provide the context I need to see the value of products and tools and their potential applications. In a practical way, the GIS classes I took provide the foundation I need to test workflows and write up best practices for using ArcGIS. The experiences I gained while working towards my degree prepared me in many ways for the things I do now working in the real world.
The influence of geography in my life has extended past the workplace. My growing interests in cartography, sustainable development, geodesign, location based services, and mountain climbing all deal with the spatial world on one level or another. The beautiful thing about this field is its relevance in so many other disciplines. I’m often reminded of Waldo Tobler’s first law of geography: "Everything is related to everything else, but near things are more related than distant things." Taking a combination of physical and human geography classes has helped me to better recognize these relationships and understand their significance.
So, what does it mean to be a geographer? To me, it’s the way I connect to my environment. It’s about thinking spatially and framing my experiences from a spatial perspective. It’s being able to see the way things relate to each other because of their location. To me, it’s being curious about the world.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Indispensable Skills
YunLung Steven Yeh, who is from Taiwan, graduated with an MS in Applied Geography in 2010
My Master’s program focused on Retail Geography and Economic Geography with Dr. Rice, and my research concerns global expansion of foreign retailers. I am currently an expansion manager with Decathlon Co., which is a leading French sports-retail company. My job is to do market analysis and expansion planning to locate sites to open new stores. There are three experiences I want to share that concern how my graduate education prepared me for my career.
First, Geography is Indispensable
Many people in jobs like mine are business-school graduates, but geographers are the only experts who think from a geographic point of view. In my company, the expansion development team includes experts in many fields including finance, accounting, construction, architecture, marketing, geography…etc. Each expansion decision requires my approval. The reason is that well-designed expansion planning entails analysis of spatial patterns. Because a geographic perspective is unique in a field filled with business graduates, geographers are difficult to find and hard to replace.
Second, Skills are Important
Not only should you be an expert in your area of interest (for me retail and economic geography), you need to be able to apply other conceptual and mathematical tools. The tool of GIS is a unique weapon for a geographer. Dr. Hunter and Dr. Dong gave me a complete training in GIS. Although my company does not use the same software (ArcGIS) as used at UNT, I simply convert GIS concepts to Excel, Painter, and Google Earth together to create my own GIS tools. In addition, mathematical tools are important. Under training by Dr. Wolverton and Dr. Rice, I have confidence in speaking the language of statistics. Being an expert in a focused area of interest is not enough, if you can communicate in “numbers,” that will be a big plus for your career.
Third, Always ask Questions
Employment deals with the real world. Text books and classes provide a general idea of knowledge. Answering practical questions in the real world is another issue. My major professor, Dr. Rice, always encouraged me travel as much as possible. I would try my best to understand any phenomenon I saw during the trips. Indeed, Dr. Rice and I would spend a lot of time discussing my observations after each trip. This helped me build real-world experiences so that I have been able to easily catch on to my job. Hence, I strongly recommend that students always find questions and answer them in the real world. It is good training before entering a career.
I am proud that I completed my degree in Applied Geography at UNT. There, I developed into a more skilled and mature geographer, which has made it easier to get a job and to succeed in the workplace. Learning to think geographically and to communicate scientifically leads to unique professional development, which makes a person indispensable in the workplace.
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