The harsh reality of being a GIS analyst

[@y0sh1js12]

I work as an Biologist in Germany, specializing in the monitoring of Birds and mammals. For some years, the main Bottleneck in the field was the amount of surveyed data. With the rise of drones and autimated monitoring I am sure the next bottleneck will be how the huge amount of data will be analyzed. Im sure that knowledge in GIS will be very profitable in that niche.

[@rastafella420]

Thank for this valuable information. I am thinking about career choise after my geography study. I don't like programming, but I liked visualising data using desktop GIS. Your info, that you usually work with GIS app, just using the ready data actually encourages me to look further and maybe take this as a career path.

[@MattForrest]

Amazing so glad to hear that!

[@optus7113]

Which universities provide post graduate geo-informatics course the best?

[@asadjamil3655]

Exactly 💯

[@MKM2310]

Did you find?? Help me too ​@@optus7113

[@danielc8723]

GIS career is very limited in terms of opportunities, does not pay very well, it’s a very interesting career at the beginning because of the visual aspect, but even that gets tiring and boring at some point. My advice is choose a career that is more broad such as data analyst or scientist don’t put yourself in a niche that doesn’t even pay that well, also keep on learning and adapting.

[@Blaze6432]

Thats what I am now figuring out unfortunately at 32. I wish I could turn back the clock and did something like IT and Data Analytics with GIS as a certificate or something.

[@mlpro2655]

​@@Blaze6432I'm 20 rn currently pursuing BA geography, do i still have a chance to become a data analyst or work in IT?

[@jibb1es]

“GIS expert reacts”-style video will never happen. It’s such an obscure field in the publics’s eye and honestly it feels like a chore explaining what you do to others. Oh but here comes the next dude being scarily good at geoguesser! (Honestly that doesn’t even have tangible applications unless you’re travelling) People are simple

[@mclagett1043]

Hi Matt I'm really impressed with your educational skills! I'm just researching options for starting a new career at age 44 and I'm trying to consider how/if AI will be effecting the career paths I'm considering in the next 20 years... What is your best guess as to the potential impact of AI on the GIS field moving forward? Thank you for sharing your knowledge Matt, best of luck to you.

[@dos3622]

the marriage of AI and GIS is reshaping how we manage operations, simulate scenarios, and anticipate the future

[@MattForrest]

Good question! AI will make things faster and more accessible. A lot of coding especially for analysis can allow you to use AI to build code blocks and have you adjust or perfect it. However knowing the scaffolding to run processes like Docker, data pipeline tools, cloud, etc. are big differentiating skills.

[@liam-ec-m595]

As someone starting at an engineering consultancy firm as a GIS analyst in the UK this is really interesting. I'm looking to pivot to technology consulting from the grad role.

[@MattForrest]

Awesome!

[@patrickchumley992]

Awesome video, thank you for posting this. Unrelated, where did you get that shirt? It's perfect!

[@MattForrest]

J Crew Factory!

[@jordanbranum327]

Love all the new videos this year!

[@MattForrest]

Thanks a ton appreciate it!

[@jordanbranum327]

@@MattForrest your great content helping me realize how to build up out of GIS analysis slump to bigger en better projects

[@MattForrest]

Awesome that means a lot! Glad to hear it!

[@kenoskyiscool]

I think this is the issue with nearly all 'analysis' roles. You go to school, or online, learn a bunch of cool stuff, and end up being stuck in ArcGIS or AGOL clicking buttons. Anyways, really just commenting to say that I just realized you are the author of Spatial SQL, great book and perhaps you can do a colab with the author of How to Succeed as a GIS Rebel in a future video?

[@MattForrest]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate that and that is a great idea. I think we could do something cool with a live stream.

[@oumardicko5593]

I'm currently a software developer but want to specialize in GIS (the programming part of course), any tips for me ? I'm currently following courses on ESRI and would go for a certificate before end of July

[@rsg7221]

Learn FME. It is the most used ETL tool within the GIS space

[@oumardicko5593]

@@rsg7221 i’ll keep it in mind, thank you

[@MattForrest]

I’m working on a course - stay tuned!

[@Riquelme00007]

How does the GIS go hand in hand with drones? I want to get into mapping with drones , already FAA part107 certified and I have my osha 10 to be on construction sites . I saw a GIS internship paid job in interested in but want to make sure I’m completely understanding how I can incorporate a GIS certification with drones. Found this page , cool videos

[@psylentsage]

I think they’re still gonna use planes at least in America just because the safety issues that come with using a drone(and companies already forked over the money to maintain and have the planes). Drones are harder for other pilots to see, if it’s battery dies or loses connection unexpectedly there’s no “emergency protocol” the drone will not glide if it falls on a person and kills them huge liability for company. Plus the standard camera they use for Lidar on a plane is much larger and wouldn’t fit on a drone so ur losing some quality. But I can definitely see drones being useful for smaller jobs like construction sites!

[@awesomeapq7086]

Looking into Geography and GIS majors. Any recommendations. Looking for something with possible room to grow and multiple job possibilities. Coming from a former civil engineering major

[@24youuu19]

so it's seems that is good decision to improve myself into more technical things in general geoinformation, e.g. programming in geoinformatics (with other supplements like ML) and remote sensing/photogrammetry/UAV

[@vinodmore5658]

Appreciate your work 🤌🤌 Can u make a video explaining what are the different opportunities are there in different domains like disaster management and like that and how to get started in that field..

[@TheAdamKohl]

NGA

[@MattForrest]

Will add it to the list but a lot of it is using these generic geospatial skills and then focusing on those areas and datasets

[@vinodmore5658]

@@MattForrest okay so I am completely beginner and knows only Python and now started learning geopandas, is that a nice Start?

[@mystoganzk]

Great Video! Just a question, you mentioned that as an Analyst, you mostly are working with data already gathered and set up for you, so who is in charge of gathering the data in the first place, and can you land a career as that role?

[@ranger844]

That really depends on what sort of data you wish to collect. A GIS Analyst may use pre-pared forestry data, hydrology data, address points, road networks, etc. Just as a GIS Analyst can jump from industry to industry working with different industry standard spatial datasets the person who collects that data focuses on 1 industry to collect data in. So you for sure can land a role as someone who collects data if you have a passion for studying water you may become a hydrologist (they collect their data, and either process it themselves or a GIS analyst may process it depending on the team setting and goal), a forester collects data, surveyor, or a GIS technician in government coordinates with land planning/engineering department and digitizes the address points for new proposed construction, or digitizes roads which are then inturn used by a GIS analyst.

[@MattForrest]

Good questions! You definitely can and it’s generally called Data Engineering.

[@mofaprosper2891]

I’m currently studying mathematics in the university Hoping i will be able to be a GIS Analyst one day (if possible)

[@marcusalan2702]

So if you had a choice between studying GIS and design which would you choose??

[@p4nd4444]

Question I came here for 😅

[@bennyanthro4891]

I work as an archaeologist in the private sector and thinking about taking a GIS certification course to in the future segue from archaeology. We use GIS all the time in my industry, mostly for making maps on the spatial relations of cultural resources in the field. Thanks for clarifying the GIS analyst role a bit better. I assume the salaries for the analyst role are comparable to an entry level position.

[@prathmeshshewale7792]

Is there a career in GIS?

[@bluwalker64]

My daughter is about to do a Master's degree in GIS, after a degree in archaeology and five years working her way up in commercial archaeology.

[@Enigma55-h7n]

How there! I too am an archaeologist in the semi-publuc sector (in Greece the work of archaeologist is a bit strange) but I love geography as well and I see that we need to have an alternative to archaeology for the future. I think that by following the stream of AI merging with GIS, we're gonna benefit a lot if we eventually need to take a different path to our career

[@samyakjain8459]

hii geoinformatics is good for career or not

[@pranaychowdaryputhumbaka9986]

Is it good to start a career in gis as a fresher

[@dansdaly]

Thank you for sharing this valuable info. You seem to have a gift and natural talent for producing excellent videos Matt. Thanks again.

[@MattForrest]

I appreciate it that means a lot!

[@WWG1-WGA]

Thank you !

[@MattForrest]

Welcome!

[@Samad-v7]

Is geoinformatics and surveying a good course

[@ifoodieTV]

Can you answer this question 🙋 please. what are the similarities between data analytics and gis?

[@MattForrest]

Data Analytics focuses on creating outcomes from data that help organizations do any number of things more efficiently. GIS focuses primarily on the collection and management of geospatial data. The key is that GIS data generally powers spatial analytics, but that data tends to be locked away in a GIS system making it harder for data analysts to actually use it.

[@ifoodieTV]

@@MattForrest hmmm. That is disappointing that GIS data cannot be used for DATA ANALYTICS.

[@MattForrest]

@@ifoodieTV It still can be! It’s getting easier to use but hasn’t always been that way :(

[@ifoodieTV]

@@MattForrest ok because my goal is to learn GIS first. Then DATA ANALYTICS. For GIS. I am using QGIS platform.

[@PScharity]

Very good content destroyed by unwanted BG music

[@harperwelch5147]

Sounds like the problem might be that this is a boring and repetitive job. Low creative opportunities. Moderate pay.

[@TheCoolOwen]

Anything GIS related is a dreadful career path. I now work in telecom site acquisition and make low 6-figures.

[@Lewie2013]

What does that entail and how did you get into it?

[@TheCoolOwen]

@ I am spreading the 5G.

[@SA-xt1gd]

This is why i use chatgpt

[@shalivahanapraveen6021]

Is GIS role is IT or NON-IT please reply It will be help full

[@fionamunyazi1546]

It's more of an IT career

[@dannyluelee]

Oh man, you’re from Wisconsin? No way lol.

[@MattForrest]

Minneapolis is my home town but went to school at UW-Madison! 👐

[@WeHaveNoTalentSorry]

Wow super boring and unhelpful.

[@YasirElsadigElamin]

Very annoying background music literally stopped me from listening!

[@louislegendre8714]

Man..... that's some nice hair. "Rick Astley"🤌

[@MattForrest]

Strangely enough I have heard that one before!

[@emilyau8023]

😂