r/gis • u/KrisH8sKris • 1d ago
General Questions Do entry level jobs exist anymore?
I graduated in August with my bachelors in GIS. I’m regretting my degree at this point because I can’t land a job. Every listing is looking for people with 3+ yrs experience in something I don’t have experience in yet. I still apply to them on the off chance I get an interview.
A little background on me, I was a geospatial intelligence analyst in the Army for 6 years. When I got out I pursued my degree in GIS. I liked the mapping and analyzing of my job in the Army, but I wanted to apply those skills to improve infrastructure or track environmental concerns, etc.. Problem is I don’t have direct experience in analyzing those passions outside of school. So my “experience” is not considered real experience to hiring staff. I’ve been told that at the end of two separate interviews.
I’ve thought about going back into intel for the ease of it but that’s not really possible where I am either. All the intel positions are senior positions. And I can’t move because my spouse is still active duty military. I’ve even applied to remote jobs, as expected I haven’t heard back from any of those.
I’m lost on what to do. I feel stuck!
56
u/Esc1299 1d ago
Sheesh and you have that army experience. I graduated in December and have had no luck with GIS entry level. I wasn't able to do an internship either because I couldn't afford it. I've tried to pivot to IT and Analyst positions but to no avail. Probably going back to school for nursing. Feels bad.
5
u/emtb 1d ago
I too am thinking about going back for nursing and I'm about to finish my masters next semester. From what I have gathered from talking to my network, hiring is non-existent right now and I even have a decent resume. I'll probably start taking the nursing pre-reqs while I look for a job to defer my student loan payments either way.
3
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Hate that multiple new professionals are struggling with this. I’m also considering going back to school, either get a masters or a bachelors in a new field.
-2
29
u/Death_by_Friday 1d ago
I empathize with new graduates in this field/those seeking a career break into the field. It’s very different (from what I have read/observed) than when I graduated over 10 years ago. Internships were very achievable and entry level was not uncommon.
5
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
To top it off, I was denied 10 different internships because I was too experienced in GIS. 🤦♀️
24
u/officialMMDG 1d ago
I’m a 12Y. Sounds like you’re a former 35G. What made you pursue GIS/environment rather than GEOINT since you already have the experience there?
13
u/Ladefrickinda89 1d ago
FR - GEOINT is a shoe in. Especially with active clearance.
6
u/officialMMDG 1d ago
Correct. I added a GIS minor to my undergrad then joined the army and plan to do my masters more on the homeland and intel side. My civilian job is with an IC agency and there are plenty of roles between entry/junior to senior level. I would definitely recommend OP try and leverage their intel abilities
5
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Like I said in my post, passion. AND I still apply to GEOINT positions, just where I’m at there’s only senior positions available and I can’t move because my spouse is still active duty military. Another reason is GIS positions in infrastructure and environment are everywhere, GEOINT isn’t at every duty station we’ll end up at.
32
u/DayGeckoArt 1d ago
Sounds like you got ignorant interviewers. 6 years doing intelligence in the army is worth far more than 6 years doing the actual work because it’s more difficult and everything is transferable
10
u/politicians_are_evil 1d ago
Geography degree is now top 10 degree you cannot get a job in after graduation and roughly 56% of the graduates cannot find work.
3
1
12
11
u/Queasy-Meringue-7965 1d ago
Maybe reach out to agencies, sometimes they need temporary staff that become more permanent
10
19
u/WC-BucsFan GIS Specialist 1d ago
Sign up for the weekly job list from mygisjobs.com I was notified of 31 new positions this morning.
Utilities love hiring vets. Vets are proven to have discipline and fit right in with a predominantly blue collar workforce. It wouldn't hurt to send a resume to your local water, power, telecom, etc., companies.
3
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Already have this…not much luck for entry jobs or jobs with my specific experience. I still apply to anything that comes my way.
9
u/cyanide_girl GIS Coordinator 1d ago
Best thing I ever did was take seasonal work with conservation non-profits that partnered with the federal government. I did two, one with the national Park service and one with a non-profit nature preserve. Gave me about a year and a half of experience in total, and helped me get my foot in the door for government work! I was fortunate enough to not have owned a home or had a big family yet so I was able to do it, but if you're in a similar position I highly recommend it. Pay is shit but you get housing and it's the most fun I've ever had working in my entire life
5
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Trust me, I’m applying for literally everything 😅
2
u/cyanide_girl GIS Coordinator 22h ago
I did it through AmeriCorps - worth a look!
1
u/Special_Weak 14h ago
May I ask what position you had in AmeriCorps if I was looking for a similar listing? Struggling to find employment, and I’m thinking about going back to do another year. Thanks!
2
u/cyanide_girl GIS Coordinator 14h ago
My title was Natural Resource Management Technician. I actually applied circuitously through the Great Basin Institute - they had partnerships with both AmeriCorps and NPS. Overall enjoyable company to work for!
I also had recently completed a GIS grad certificate through Utah State online specifically for natural resource management. It was inexpensive and taught me a lot!
8
9
u/Equivalent-Mud-4807 1d ago
recruiters are morons, and geo-spatial intelligence is definitely GIS experience, maybe you just need to sell it better. and a little embellishment never killed anyone :)
also being ex-military you should first look into local and state government, around here i know they give prefer to hire ex-military because they know you can handle a routine and get shit done, but keep an eye out for gis jobs in public works departments or wastewater/water departments or to maintain county parcel data. We have an opening at our county right now you would probably meet qualifications for that pays like 55-65k. Also look into utility companies, oil and gas, even the corps of engineers need people with your skills.
also dont get down on the remote jobs, there are a lot of fake gis remote jobs out there right now, not sure what the angle is but just be aware.
and finally now you have your degree you wouldnt want to re-enlist or go OCS?
3
5
u/ryanbuddy04 1d ago
Sounds like you have 6 years of GIS experience to me.
I was a 13F and have used that experience in addition to my school work. Shouldn't be a problem if you word your resume right.
3
u/NoInternet1920 1d ago
How did you translate being an FO for an entry level GIS position? That is my current goal and I also have a degree in Information Security & Criminology(although that one’s irrelevant for a GIS position).
I’m missing working with maps of all things 😂
1
u/ryanbuddy04 1d ago
Whole lotta fancy words with the help of AI resume builders and replacing army words for real words. No acronyms. AFATDS = Geospatial targeting software, stuff like that.
2
6
u/I_Bite_Karens 1d ago
Do you have any interest in becoming a planner? A lot of smaller planning departments can't afford a full time GIS person so having that skill set can get your foot in the door. I'm ex Army myself (68W) and got my degree in geography and a GIS certificate after getting out. Applied for entry level GIS and planner positions when I graduated. Got hired as a planner for a rural county and never looked back. I still do GIS work as part of my job, and this is a very good profession to be a part of
3
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I’m interested in anything that’ll have a paycheck at this point. I’ve applied to several different sides of GIS.
5
u/okiewxchaser GIS Analyst 1d ago
Where are you looking? You have a better shot in places like Houston or Midland with big oil and gas presence
2
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I’m in Tacoma/Seattle area for now. I cannot move because my spouse is active duty military still.
6
u/bfyvfftujijg 1d ago
Just treat it as a technology degree and look for any job in tech or data .
That’ll pay the bills while you seek a more specific GIS job.
Besides; most GIS is not really done by people with GIS in their title. I’m a data scientist for example and I use GIS all the time. I usually never call it that though.
8
u/True-Library-3622 1d ago
Try applying to Esri if you can, they have a strong commitment to supporting service members and actively recruit veterans.
3
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Already have. Applied for 5 different jobs with ESRI, never heard back or informed they went with someone with more experience.
3
u/Paincoast89 1d ago
I was able to find an entry level position that didn’t pay peanuts but I was prepared to earn peanut pay
1
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Can't even come across entry positions AT ALL. I'll take anything with any pay. I just need to gain more experience.
1
u/Paincoast89 8h ago
where are you located? Where I am at there’s a decent amount of opportunity, it’s mostly oil and gas
1
3
u/Agile_Efficiency6303 1d ago
I just pivoted to surveying bc it was impossible to find a GIS job.
3
u/anarchyisimminent 22h ago
Haha same I just started a surveying job too after being unable to get a GIS job after graduating, it does hurt though feeling like I’m basically starting from scratch and underutilizing my education though…
1
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
How'd you get into that? Did it require any additional certifications?
2
u/anarchyisimminent 22h ago
You can just apply as entry level and the pay isn’t great starting out but there’s decent career progression, you don’t need credentials really, although I think my degrees gave me a slight pay bump.
1
u/KrisH8sKris 22h ago edited 22h ago
that's a part of my problem, I have not had any luck finding entry level jobs...even the jobs in surveying here say "minimum 1 year experience in field surveying"
4
u/Bribri1128 1d ago
Yes they do. All of the DOD agencies are currently hiring now for the new FY. I’d recommend checking those out. I know the CIA is actively hiring a cartographer, and you having prior military experience will put you at an advantage.
1
4
2
u/grumpyoats 1d ago
Look at Parks and Rec, Open Space Agency, State Parks or Federal land management agencies. Some sort of Analyst position where GIS isn’t in the title but still part of the job.
2
2
u/Firelizardss 1d ago
Do you still have a clearance? It will open up a lot of doors in GEOINT and GIS work if you do.
2
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I do have an active clearance. I do apply to GEOINT positions still but they’re mostly senior positions where I am and I’m not considered that.
1
u/Firelizardss 1d ago
DM me, my company has openings.
1
2
u/paul_h_s 1d ago
Interesting Story:
my former company looked for a super junior for 4 months. in the end they hired some one with more experience.
why? because they didn't get any fitting person.
the job was 20 hours a week. flexibly (in the GIS person can choose when to work in certain contraints) at the beginng in the office later hybrid model.
skill level late bachelor with some GIS Experience. Perfect job for students in their master or end of bachelor.
1
2
u/Ladefrickinda89 1d ago
Sounds like 35G re-enlistment might be the option
3
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I was medically retired. If I could, I would…
1
u/Ladefrickinda89 1d ago
If you have an active clearance. The Big4 are always hiring, as are the various IC agencies.
Leverage the DD-214 to your advantage.
1
u/GarfieldTruther9 1d ago
Unfortunately it’s who you know and where you live, in some states I’m sure you can grab an internship easily, other ones not so much
1
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I’ve been denied internships because they didn’t consider me inexperienced. But regular jobs consider me experienced. I’m in Tacoma/Seattle area.
1
u/antilocapraaa 1d ago
Look into natural resource agencies. Consulting firms. Honestly even with a strong GIS background I’d bet you’d still be useful for a wildlife biology job as many positions can be GIS heavy
1
u/FireflyBSc GIS Analyst 1d ago
They do in Canada. My partner graduated with their degree in GIS last year and almost their entire class is employed.
1
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I’m in the U.S., so that doesn’t help. Can’t move, my spouse is still active duty military.
1
1
u/boobooboobby 1d ago
I’m in the US and graduated from a big 10 that’s a land grand uni and touts their research and natural sciences and 1 (one) person from my graduating program (spring 25) has a relevant job 😄 the person who won our department award in gis doesn’t even have a job
1
1
u/sugarfreematcha 1d ago
I started applying 6 months before graduation and got a job directly after graduation. It took that long, which is the average
1
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
I did too
1
u/sugarfreematcha 1d ago
Well I even got similar military experience also. I really think it’s just bad job market rn. Also my professor gave me good advice which is some states have mainly middle ground and up GIS markets. These are states with a lot of data already. For your first job you may have to move. Personally I found a lot of luck with municipalities.
1
1
u/DrDudeMurkyAntelope 1d ago
Sitreps might be of help. It's a job board, AI transition advisor for veterans. You could even get placed by then. https://www.sitreps.com/
1
u/KrisH8sKris 1d ago
Never heard of this one so I will monitor this site now. Unfortunately, nothing available where I am.
1
u/Correct_Mood_6993 1d ago
https://www.esri.com/careers/5238315007?title=gis-solution-engineer-defense&gh_jid=5238315007
Have you looked at this? Would compliment your Army experience nicely.
1
1
u/TRi_Crinale GIS Specialist 8h ago
I got lucky graduating with my GIS degree in 2019 and getting an entry level job, but 7 years later I'm still stuck in that entry level job because I can't get anything else. Unfortunately this is the case all over, and why there are no entry level jobs
1
u/rasta_pineapple2 8h ago
Did you do any internships while you were in school? I would count that as a year of experience on your applications.
2
u/KrisH8sKris 6h ago
Couldn’t get one, they said I had too much experience for an internship. And I can’t apply to those now because I’m not in school anymore.
1
u/Cookielemon 5h ago
My first job in GIS was at a permitting company. Then I got a gis admin position at a county government. Try county and city government in your surrounding area: Water department, tax assessor, zoning and development. A lot of them have internships too.
2
u/KrisH8sKris 5h ago
I monitor them regularly. Internships are only for college students. While I was in school I couldn’t get an internship because I had too much experience for an intern position. I only technically qualify for an entry position and I can’t find any
1
u/Cookielemon 5h ago
Even if you dont necessarily qualify apply anyway. Some of those job postings are copy paste or recruiters that don't know anything about gis.
0
u/WC47 1d ago
Def people hiring entry level still idk maybe I got lucky but I got a few offers
1
u/KrisH8sKris 22h ago
I don't even see listing that are actual entry level positions for my area, but I just learned only 10% of listings are entry
154
u/Imaginary-Clock6626 1d ago
No, but senior jobs that pay entry level pay do.