GIS v. Web Development

Both sound like they would be boring. You should look for a fun job.

I know I would love either so thus hard to decide! If you don't have an aptitude for computers then yes, they would be extremely boring. Anyone else?

Bra-ket wrote:

Both sound like they would be boring. You should look for a fun job.

Depends on what you will be doing. I don't know much about GIS but web dev can be great or it can be shit. If you are using cool technologies and writing more than just html/css its pretty sweet, if you are just customizing wordpress templates or something then its not exactly the most stimulating experience. I feel like web stuff will teach you skills that will be more relevant to the industry should you look for something else in the future though but like i said, i don't know much about GIS.

career monkey wrote:

OK!

So I have narrowed down my career choices to either GIS analyst or web developer.

Does anyone have any experience in either? What would you recommend?

There are many jobs where you have to know BOTH skills. Just learn both. It's just computer programming. Learning both will also make you more attractive than just knowing one or the other.

Thanks!Could you give me an example of job types?I've considered learning both by getting 2x 25 credit certificates however I am a little concerned that an employer may balk at just a certification. (ie. it may look better to have a full diploma in one of them with some self study in the other)

chyna wrote:

There are many jobs where you have to know BOTH skills. Just learn both. It's just computer programming. Learning both will also make you more attractive than just knowing one or the other.

Focus on GIS. The way the earth is falling apart this is invaluable.

Anyone can pick up enough Web Dev skills to find work. Unless you're totally ACE, you aren't getting into Google or FB anyway.

Thanks, I actually hear the opposite from people in the GIS field - thus the question. They say it's a lot easier for a developer to learn ArcGIS and principles of geography and cartography than the other way around --> how would you address this?

Runner in 70s, 80s, 90s, etc. wrote:

Focus on GIS. The way the earth is falling apart this is invaluable.

Anyone can pick up enough Web Dev skills to find work. Unless you're totally ACE, you aren't getting into Google or FB anyway.

I'm in Web Dev. self-taught, but that's only because I was in it from the beginning.

My son is studying GIS in college, and yeah, while it's essentially just a program that I can find my way around after an hour or so, it's MUCH deeper than whatever the dev flavor of the month happens to be. I just see much more upside. Part of my job is automation, meaning I'm sort of eliminating the need for myself. There's a lot more human involvement in GIS, the way I see it. And again, with world issues touching on GIS a lot more than Web, I'd go this way. Just mess around with development stuff (node right now) on the side, and you'd be good.

What do you mean "in it from the beginning"Also what do you mean by "deeper". I actually always thought the opposite - that GIS was a little more shallow (ie. you are more learning to use and apply a software program) and web dev was fairly deep/technical (full stack dev digs into the behind the scenes stuff)

Runner in 70s, 80s, 90s, etc. wrote:

I'm in Web Dev. self-taught, but that's only because I was in it from the beginning.

My son is studying GIS in college, and yeah, while it's essentially just a program that I can find my way around after an hour or so, it's MUCH deeper than whatever the dev flavor of the month happens to be. I just see much more upside. Part of my job is automation, meaning I'm sort of eliminating the need for myself. There's a lot more human involvement in GIS, the way I see it. And again, with world issues touching on GIS a lot more than Web, I'd go this way. Just mess around with development stuff (node right now) on the side, and you'd be good.

I built web sites when Mosaic was the browser, and my OS was OpenStep. (Barely out of the 80s.)

I don't know, the way I see it GIS touches on actual humans, habitats, societies, migration and potential migration, environmental mitigation, potential conflict, all that.

All WebDev stuff does is manage different browses and devices (though that's going away by and large), web security (going away), and the platform of the moment. But I remember when I made money putting photos online. Now? Right. And stuff like Wix, that covers a ton of what I used to do, too. I've moved on to bigger stuff over the years, but again, a LARGE amount of stuff is automation. Just saying.

career monkey wrote:

OK!

So I have narrowed down my career choices to either GIS analyst or web developer.

Does anyone have any experience in either? What would you recommend?

There is still a lot of jobs and money in webdev, but a lot of the work is being pushed offshore and is not nearly as bountiful as it was just a few years ago. In webdev, the money is working in the area between the UI and database; hopefully you like programming. A lot of companies are using Sharepoint internally and Wordpress externally. Although WP is basically a pig, quick to get up and running but a mess to maintain and it's inherently slow. I am actually seeing some large companies whose sites are created in WP mainly because you can get by with lower skilled and lower paid developers. GIS is an emerging field, with just about all of the work done onshore (U.S. workers). The problem with GIS is unless its the government, which usually don't pay a lot, most companies with a need for GIS only hire 1 or 2 analyst. Far fewer jobs than in webdev. You should pursue both and see what shakes out...that would be my advice. Seems to me there would some companies who would be intrigued by you having skills in both.

Bumping because I'm thinking about pursuing a GIS certificate along with my management degree. From what I can gather, most of the jobs are in city and county level government with a small but growing handful in the private sector.

career monkey wrote:

Thanks!

Could you give me an example of job types?

I've considered learning both by getting 2x 25 credit certificates however I am a little concerned that an employer may balk at just a certification.

(ie. it may look better to have a full diploma in one of them with some self study in the other)

The point of a resume, college degree, or certificates is to show that you know a certain skill. In my opinion, the best way to show you know a skill is not to put it in your skills or certificate section of your resume. You should learn the skill and THEN APPLY IT. So turn your GIS skill into a project. Map something. Model something. Then list it in your "projects" section on your resume.

Lots of people have skills on their resume. Fewer people have examples of applied skills on their resume. Be one of the few.

For example, you could combine both skills (the web dev and the GIS) in one project. Then describe this project on your resume.

Pick a GIS example from the links below.

Put your own twist on it so you are not just copying it.

Then turn it into a website.

Put it on your resume.

Boom - proof that you know GIS and web development.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIS_applications

http://grindgis.com/blog/gis-applications-uses

career monkey wrote:

Thanks,

I actually hear the opposite from people in the GIS field - thus the question.

They say it's a lot easier for a developer to learn ArcGIS and principles of geography and cartography than the other way around --> how would you address this?

Look dude, it's not as simple as "web development." Are you a frontend person? Backend? UI? Javascript? Ruby and whatever will replace it real soon? Do it all.

Code up a GIS frontend that does something vaguely useful.

Lots of GIS jobs are mind numbing digitizing/editing tasks. That is likely what your first job will be unless you have specific skills or experience in a specific industry.. some GIS related specializations to consider listed below to get a better job

Remote sensing/photogrammetry

Surveying or engineering (accredited degrees)

Cartography

Programming, automating workflows (likely using Python)

Desktop development (e.g custom addins based on .NET or Python)

Web Development or Mobile

DBA (SQL Server or Oracle)

Management

Industry specific: Urban Planning (accredited), transportation, utilities, petroleum...

Analysis: R, python libraries like SciPy etc

Your career development will likely be faster on the developer track.

career monkey wrote:

I know I would love either so thus hard to decide! If you don't have an aptitude for computers then yes, they would be extremely boring.

Anyone else?

Bra-ket wrote:

Both sound like they would be boring. You should look for a fun job.

I do have an aptitude for computers. I'm just saying that maps and html/css seem like they would be very dull/dry.

What is your current background/skill set for either of these? Do you have a head-start on a career in either or do you have work experience in either field. If it's a wash, web development is more marketable. If you were chosing a bachelors degree, computer science would be a more marketable degree that would allow you to go in a variety of directions. Whereas you could get by with a certificate in GIS. Most people combine GIS with another domain knowledge in their careers (e.g, conservation, resource management, ecology, forestry, geology, etc.). There is a growing area of web-based GIS that combines your two interests.

This seems to be pretty good advice. The more I read the more I feel combining some development acumen w/ GIS is the way to go.