Practicing geography

This book examines career opportunities for geographers and geospatial professionals in the business, government, nonprofit, and education sectors. A diverse group of academic and industry professionals shares insights on career planning, networking, transitioning between employment sectors, and balancing work and home life. The book illustrates the value of geographic expertise and technologies through engaging profiles and case studies of geographers at work.

• Preface p. xvii
• Profiles of Professional Geographers p. xxvii
• About the Editors p. xxix
• About the Authors p. xxxi
• Section I Preparing for a Career in Business, Government, and Nonprofit Organizations
• Chapter 1 Part Strategy and Serendipity: A Candid Guide to Career Planning for Geographers p. 1 Alyson L. Greiner and Thomas A. Wikle
• Careers Today p. 2
• The Work-Life Fit: Knowing Yourself p. 2
• Geography and Career Prospects: Knowing the Market p. 3
• Profile 1.1 Valerie Moye, Green Infrastructure Coordinator, City of Chattanooga (Chattanooga, Tennessee) p. 4
• Profile 1.2 Carmen Tedesco, Senior Spatial Planning and Development Specialist, Development Alternatives, Inc. (Bethesda, Maryland) p. 7
• Understanding Your Skills Relative to Job Descriptions p. 9
• Putting Yourself "Out There": Managing Your Visibility p. 10
• Conclusion p. 13
• Acknowledgments p. 13
• References p. 13
• Chapter 2 Geography Education and Career Readiness p. 15 Joy K. Adams and Niem Tu Huynh and Joseph J. Kerski and G. Brent Hall
• If Geography Is Everywhere, Aren't We All Geographers? p. 15
• Careers for Professional Geographers p. 16
• Skills Used in Professional Geography p. 17
• Profile 2.1 Steve Fearn, Director, Real Estate Market Research, Ross Stores (Pleasanton, California) p. 18
• Profile 2.2 p. 20
• Learning by Doing: Developing Professional Skills Outside the Classroom p. 22
• Educational Strategies for Enhancing Your Employability p. 24
• Locating Geography-Related Jobs p. 24
• Geography is Everywhere...Including the Workplace! p. 25
• Acknowledgments p. 25
• References p. 26
• Chapter 3 Switching Sectors: Transitioning into and among Business, Government, and Nonprofit Careers p. 27 Joy K. Adams
• Is the Grass Greener? Things to Consider Before Hopping the Fence p. 28
• Business Employment p. 28
• Profile 3.1 Anne Hale Miglarese, Principal Director, Booz Allen Hamilton (Washington, DC) p. 29
• Government Employment p. 30
• Nonprofit Employment p. 31
• Academic Employment p. 32
• Profile 3.2 Sonia Arbona, Ph.D., Medical Geographer, Texas Department of State Health Services (Austin, Texas) p. 33
• Strategies for Switching Sectors p. 34
• Acknowledgments p. 40
• References p. 40
• Chapter 4 The Value of an Internship Experience for Early Career Geographers p. 41 R. Denise Blanchard and Mark L. Carter and Robert B. Kent and Christopher A. Badurek
• The Value of an Internship p. 41
• The Importance of Internships for Early Career Professional Development in Geography p. 42
• You Majored in What? p. 42
• The Benefit of Developing Professional Networks p. 43
• Profile 4.1 p. 44
• Types of Internships for the Major Subfields of Geography p. 45
• Environmental Geography p. 45
• Community and Regional Planning, Land Use Management, and Regulation p. 47
• Geospatial Technologies p. 47
• Geography Education p. 48
• Business Geography, Real Estate Development, and Location Analysis p. 49
• Considerations for Choosing an Internship p. 49
• The "Right" Internship p. 49
• Paid or Unpaid? p. 50
• What Kind of Work is Offered? p. 50
• When is the Best Time to Pursue an Internship? p. 51
• For Course Credit or Not? Advantages of an Internship for Academic Credit p. 51
• How to Locate an Internship-Search Widely p. 52
• The Search Process p. 52
• Be Proactive p. 53
• Duties and Expectations: Laying the Ground Rules p. 54
• Maximizing the Value of Your Internship During and After the Program p. 54
• Evaluating and Reflecting on Your Internship Experience p. 55
• Profile 4.2 Mark Barnes, Eagleton Governor's Executive Fellow, 2010 and Ph.D. Candidate, Rutgers University (Piscataway, NJ) p. 56
• Final Thoughts p. 57
• References p. 58
• Chapter 5 Professional Networking, Tina Cary p. 59
• Invest Your Time p. 60
• Sidebar 5.1 Make Your Networking Plan p. 60
• How to Begin p. 61
• Benefits of Professional Networking p. 62
• Profile 5.1 Ken Turnbull, Accredited Land Consultant (Denver, Colorado) p. 63
• Benefits to You p. 64
• Job Performance p. 64
• Value to Your Organization p. 64
• Enhanced Reputation p. 64
• Career Opportunities p. 64
• Benefits to Your Organization p. 64
• Save Time and Money p. 65
• Reduce Risk p. 65
• Benefits to the Larger Community p. 65
• Tools for Networking p. 66
• Professional Meetings p. 66
• Other Traditional Tools p. 67
• Social Media p. 67
• Profile 5.2 Glenn Letham, Co-founder, Spatial Media LLC, and Managing Editor, GISuser.com (Vancouver, British Columbia) p. 68
• In Conclusion p. 72
• References p. 72
• Section II Understanding Career Opportunities
• Chapter 6 Geography Careers in State and Local Government p. 73 William M. Bass and Richard D. Quodomine
• The Need for Geographers in State and Local Government p. 74
• Opportunities for Geographers in State and Local Government p. 75
• Profile 6.1 Dan Haug, IT Director, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation (Pendleton, Oregon) p. 77
• Strategies for Getting a Job in the Public Sector p. 78
• Education and Training Suggestions for Public Sector Geographers p. 79
• "Soft Skills" p. 80
• Profile 6.2 Dmitry Messen, Program Manager, Socio-Economic Modeling Group, Houston-Galveston Area Council (Houston, Texas) p. 81
• Concluding Thoughts p. 82
• References p. 83
• Chapter 7 Emerging and Expanding Career Opportunities in the Federal Government p. 84 Allison M. Williams and Molly E. Brown and Erin Moriarty and John A. Wertman
• Considering a Career in the Federal Government p. 84
• The Government Perspective: Why Hire Geographers? p. 86
• Geography In Federal Government: A Long and Varied Record of Contributions p. 87
• Prpfile 7.1 Dave Selkowitz, Research Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center (Anchorage, Alaska) p. 88
• Profile 7.2 Mike Ratcliffe, Assistant Division Chief, U.S. Census Bureau (Washington, DC) p. 90
• A Focus on Geospatial Careers in the Federal Sector p. 92
• Thinking and Planning Ahead p. 93
• Profile 7.3 Sarah Brinegar, Ph.D., Social Science Analyst, U.S. Department of Justice (Washington, DC) p. 94
• References p. 95
• Chapter 8 Geography Careers in Large Businesses and Corporations p. 97 Amy J. Blatt and Michael F. Ziolkowski
• 8.1 Logisticians and Supply Chain Analysts: Connecting and Optimizing Operations p. 98
• 8.2 Sustainability Managers: Quality of Life for Future Generations p. 99
• Profile 8.1 Karl Finkbeiner, Operations Analyst, Ingram Micro (Buffalo, New York) p. 100
• Profile 8.2 Andrew Telfer, Sustainability Manager, Walmart Canada (Toronto, Ontario) p. 101
• 8.3 Geodemographers and Market Research Analysts: It's All about the Customer p. 102
• 8.4 "Spatial" Statisticians and Data Analysts: More than Just Number-Crunchers p. 102
• Profile 8.3 Esther Ofori, Marketing Analyst, Macy's Inc. (New York City) p. 103
• Applying for Corporate Positions and Performing Successfully on the Job p. 104
• Profile 8.4 Armando Boniche, Circulation Director, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida) p. 105
• References p. 107
• Chapter 9 Geography and the Nonprofit Sector p. 108 Lia D. Shimada and Jeremy Tasch
• Geographers Outside the "Ivory Tower" p. 108
• Nonprofits: A Geographic Overview p. 109
• Bridging Geography and the Nonprofit Sector p. 111
• Profile 9.1 Jane Daniels, Director of Preservation Programs, Colorado Preservation, Inc. (Denver, Colorado) p. 113
• Finding "The Door" p. 114
• Getting Your "Foot in the Door" p. 115
• Profile 9.2 Kate Pearson, Strategic Partnerships Director, Habitat for Humanity International (Port-au-Prince, Haiti) p. 116
• Concluding Thoughts p. 119
• Profile 9.3 Serge Dedina, Ph.D., Executive Director, WiLDCOAST/COSTASALVAjE and Emily Young, Ph.D., Senior Director, Environment Analysis & Strategy, The San Diego Foundation (Imperial Beach, California) p. 120
• References p. 121
• Chapter 10 Starting a Small Geography Business p. 122 Kelsey Brain
• Geographers as Business Owners p. 123
• 1 A Spatial Perspective of Economic Activity p. 123
• Profile 10.1 Kristen Carney p. 124 Anthony Morales, Co-founders, Cubit Planning (Austin, Texas)
• 2 Value of Place p. 125
• 3 "Ecopreneurship" and Interdisciplinary Thinking p. 125
• Preparing to Start a Small Geography Business p. 126
• 1 Acquiring Business Expertise and Skills p. 126
• 2 Thinking Creatively about Problems and Opportunities p. 127
• 3 Developing a Professional Network p. 127
• Starting the Business p. 127
• Profile 10.2 Ashok and Ishu Wadwani, Owners, Applied Field Data Systems (Houston, Texas) p. 128
• Pre-Start-Up Research p. 129
• Writing the Business Plan p. 131
• Sidebar 10.1 Resources for Writing a Business Plan p. 132
• Acquiring Funding and Intellectual Property Rights p. 132
• Sidebar 10.2 Resources for Starting a Business p. 133
• Conclusion p. 134
• References p. 134
• Chapter 11 Going Global: Practicing Geography Internationally p. 135 Carrie Mitchell and Mélanie Robertson
• Geographers Working Internationally-A World of Opportunities p. 135
• Geographers in International Development p. 136
• Profile 11.1 Michelle Kooy, Research Fellow, Water Policy Group, Overseas Development Institute (London, UK) p. 137
• Geographers in the Private Sector p. 138
• Geographers in the Foreign Service p. 138
• Preparing for International Work p. 139
• Education and Expertise p. 139
• Experience p. 139
• Study-Abroad Programs p. 139
• Profile 11.2 Reena Patel, Foreign Service Officer, U.S. Department of State (Madrid, Spain) p. 140
• Work-Abroad Programs and Short-Term Overseas Contracts p. 141
• Internships p. 141
• Volunteering p. 141
• Research Assistantships p. 143
• International Travel p. 143
• Language Skills p. 144
• The Benefits (and Drawbacks) of Working Internationally p. 144
• References p. 146
• Chapter 12 Teaching Geography Inside and Outside the Classroom p. 147 Susan M. Heffron
• Teaching Geography as Inquiry: Engaging Students in Active Learning and Investigations p. 147
• Profile 12.1 Paula Ann Trevino, Grade-Level Principal, Helix Charter High School (La Mesa, California) p. 149
• Teaching Geography in Different Educational Settings p. 150
• Teaching in K-12 Education p. 151
• K-12 Teacher Preparation Programs p. 151
• Certification Options p. 152
• 2 + 2 Programs p. 152
• Teaching at the University Level p. 153
• Teaching in Professional Development Settings p. 153
• Teaching Geography Online p. 153
• Informal Educational Settings p. 154
• Professional Organizations Supporting Geography Education p. 155
• Profile 12.2 Tara Gettig, Environmental Education Specialist, Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Gardners, Pennsylvania) p. 156
• Summary p. 157
• References p. 157
• Chapter 13 Geography Careers in Consulting p. 159 Susanne C. Moser and Angela J. Donelson
• Our Journey into Consulting: An Introduction p. 159
• A Peek into the World of Consulting p. 161
• Who Wants, Needs, and Uses Consultants? p. 161
• Why Hire a Consultant? p. 162
• What Roles Do Consultants Play for Their Clients? p. 162
• What is It Like to Be a Consultant? p. 163
• What are Some of the Challenges that Consultants Face? p. 163
• What Does a Consultant Do on a Daily Basis? p. 165
• Geographic Consulting: A World of Skills and Perspectives p. 167
• The Value of Geography in Consulting for the Corporate Sector, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs), and Government p. 168
• The Skills Geographers Bring to Consulting p. 169
• Examples of Settings Where Geography Has Opportunities for Growth in Consulting p. 170
• Living as Strange Hybrids: Possibilities for Collaboration and Career-Making p. 170
• Challenges and Benefits for the Self-Employed Consultant: A Conclusion p. 171
• References p. 172
• Section III Achieving Career Satisfaction Now and Into the Future
• Chapter 14 "Work" and "Life": Crossing Boundaries of Time, Space, and Place p. 174 Janice Monk
• Valuing Time, Considering Space p. 175
• Work Policies, Choices, and Practices p. 177
• Profile 14.1 Carmen Masó, GIS Analyst, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Chicago, IL) p. 178
• Profile 14.2 Jeff Young, Business Development Manager, LizardTech (Seattle, Washington) p. 181
• Moving Up, Moving On, Going Further Afield p. 182
• Concluding Thoughts p. 183
• Profile 14.3 Mei and Jun p. 184
• References p. 185
• Chapter 15 Practical Ethics for Professional Geographers p. 187 Francis Harvey
• Engagement with Ethics p. 187
• Applied Ethics and Professional Pedagogy p. 188
• Profile 15.1 Tom Dwyer, Principal, Dutch Hill Consulting (Poughkeepsie, New York) p. 189
• Ethical Analysis p. 190
• Examples p. 190
• Case Study: To Map Wetlands or Not to Map Wetlands? p. 191
• Analysis Following the Seven-Step Approach p. 192
• Case Study: Release of Data p. 194
• Analysis Following the Seven-Step Approach p. 194
• Reflections and Outlook p. 195
• Acknowledgments p. 196
• References p. 196
• Chapter 16 Creating the Life You Want: Lifelong Professional Development for Geographers p. 198 Pauline E. Kneale and Larch Maxey
• What is Lifelong Professional Development? p. 199
• Think Holistically p. 199
• Organizations and Opportunities p. 200
• Advanced Degrees p. 203
• Life Evolves p. 204
• Planning In A Changing World p. 204
• Profile 16.1 Nancy Davis Lewis, Ph.D., Research Program Director, The East-West Center (Honolulu, Hawaii) p. 205
• Tools for Professional Development p. 207
• Summary p. 208
• References p. 209
• Index p. 211
• Photo Credits p. 223