‘GIS’: Gee, I’m Stupid to Be in This Field
Part of my job is to keep up with our rapidly changing world.
In all honesty, I must give myself a solid D-minus.
A harsh assessment, to be sure, but what can you say about a fellow who’s not even aware of one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country? One taught right under his nose in Orange County? A career in which the entry-level job opportunities apparently are so limitless that they outpace the supply of qualified college-level instructors?
No, I’m not talking about the world of infomercial spokespersons.
I’m talking about the world of geographic information systems--or, as the in crowd calls it, GIS.
Doesn’t anyone want to be a fireman anymore?
GIS sounds like a diagnosis you don’t want to get from your doctor. Instead, it’s a job (and I’m copying this out of the newspaper) that uses “computers to combine sophisticated data with layers of colorful maps.”
Unfortunately, I’m much too set in my ways to be studying anything new, and that bums me out because one of my favorite things is to combine sophisticated data with layers of colorful maps. Not to brag, but some have remarked that I have a real knack for it.
It’d be one thing if this profession were so arcane that only a few radical sects knew about it. But according to various sources, tens of thousands of GIS jobs are available--a number that dwarfs the number of people being trained in colleges.
Orange County’s own Cypress College has not only gotten on the GIS train, it’s now considered an academic leader in keeping it on track. The school began teaching the subject in 1997 and has received $800,000 in grant money to train GIS teachers nationwide.
Another line in the newspaper story caught my eye. College officials noted that many GIS students are already working and that, once armed with GIS expertise, they feel ready to conquer the world.
A San Diego State University official noted that about 25% of the graduate students taking the course quit school after mastering the subject--because they can then apply it to their real-world jobs.
Ah, the Good Old Days
Not to get overly nostalgic, but that reminds me of my early journalism career. I took beginning reporting as a college freshman and was immediately able to parlay that into a $1.40-an-hour job on Friday nights at the local newspaper, a job that required the ability to keep a phone cocked between my ear and shoulder while typing at breakneck speed.
Not exactly cutting-edge work, perhaps, but my relatives were impressed.
At the time, I was thrilled to get a job that would allow me to begin, as a mere college freshman, amassing my personal fortune.
Nowadays, GIS students are a bit more financially discriminating. The newspaper story quoted a USC department head as saying the field is so “hot” that he’s had trouble hiring someone for a teaching position. As a result, he said, he has kept raising the salary and lowering the experience required.
Eventually, he offered the job to the holder of a master’s degree with just 10 months’ experience for $60,000 a year. She turned it down because the salary was insufficient.
Unlike firemen, whose employment chances are limited to fire departments, GISers can look almost anywhere.
Don’t ask me how, but a Cypress College student with GIS know-how helped track grizzly bear cubs in Yellowstone National Park.
If that’s true, the possibilities in the field must be endless.
To that end, the newspaper story said GIS savvy could be used in political science, anthropology, business or any field in which space or location are factors.
A final note: The allure of computers and colorful maps is such that some college profs think the subject could work its way into elementary school curricula.
If so, I can picture a whole new generation of anguished parents who hear their third-grader say, “Dad, I’ve finished my spelling lesson, but could you help me with my geographic information systems stuff?”
Dana Parsons’ column appears Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Readers may reach Parsons by calling (714) 966-7821, by writing to him at The Times Orange County Edition, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626, or by e-mail at dana.parsons@latimes.com.