Practicing Geography

by Association of American Geographers

• ISBN13: 9780321811158
• ISBN10: 0321811151
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-01-26
• Publisher: Pearson

Summary

Whether you are just beginning as a major, taking classes toward a GIS certificate, working on an advanced degree, or considering a career change at a different point in your life, geography can lead to exceptional career opportunities. Practicing Geography: Careers for Enhancing Society and the Environmentis a comprehensive new resource from the Association of American Geographers (AAG) and Pearson, designed to prepare students for careers in business, government, and non-profit organizations. Funded by the National Science Foundation, this project brings together members of the geography community to author different chapters that discuss workforce needs, expectations, and core competencies in professional geography, profiling the professional applications of and opportunities in geography today.

Author Biography

Michael Solem joined the staff of the Association of American Geographers (AAG) in 2003 as Educational Affairs Director. At the AA G, he directs many federally funded initiatives including the Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education in Geography (EDGE) and Center for Global Geography Education (CGGE) projects, both funded by the National Science Foundation (NS F). Dr. Solem serves as the North American coordinator of the International Network for Learning and Teaching Geography in Higher Education (IN LT), is associate director of the Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education at Texas State University—San Marcos, and is Treasurer for the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Geographical Education. He twice received the Journal of Geography in Higher Education’s award for promoting excellence in teaching and learning for his Research on faculty development and graduate education in geography.

Kenneth Foote is Professor of Geography and former Department Chair at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Much of his research focuses on landscape history, GIS cience, cartography, and geography education, but over the past decade his work has focused especially on improving support for early career geographers and strengthening leadership training in geography. He has led the NSF-funded Geography Faculty Development Alliance since 2002 and is co-PI of the Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education in Geography project with Michael Solem and Janice Monk. Dr. Foote has served as president of the National Council for Geographic Education (2006) and president of the Association of American Geographers (2010—2011). He received the Association of American Geographers’ 1998 J. B. Jackson Prize for his book Shadowed Ground: America’s Landscapes of Violence and Tragedy and the association’s 2005 Gilbert Grosvenor Honors in Geographic Education.

Janice Monk is Research Professor in the School of Geography and Development at the University of Arizona where she coordinates a graduate course in professional development. She previously served for twenty-five years as Executive Director of the Southwest Institute for Research on Women, leading research, educational, and community outreach projects in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Dr. Monk is also Adjunct Professor of Human Geography at Macquarie University (Australia). She has long been involved with research and projects in higher education and in gender studies and has served on various editorial boards and advisory panels. Dr. Monk is active in the International Geographical Union’s Commission on Gender and Geography and is the long-standing editor of its newsletter. A former President of the Association of American Geographers, she has received several awards, including Lifetime Achievement Honors of the AAG and the Australia-International Medal, Institute of Australian Geographers. She is Co-Principal Investigator of the AA G’s Enhancing Departments and Graduate Education in Geography project.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xvii
Profiles of Professional Geographers	p. xxvii
About the Editors	p. xxix
About the Authors	p. xxxi
Preparing for a Career in Business, Government, and Nonprofit Organizations
Part Strategy and Serendipity: A Candid Guide to Career Planning for Geographers	p. 1
Careers Today	p. 2
The Work-Life Fit: Knowing Yourself	p. 2
Geography and Career Prospects: Knowing the Market	p. 3
Valerie Moye, Green Infrastructure Coordinator, City of Chattanooga (Chattanooga, Tennessee)	p. 4
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
Geography Education and Career Readiness	p. 15
If Geography Is Everywhere, Aren't We All Geographers?	p. 15
Careers for Professional Geographers	p. 16
Skills Used in Professional Geography	p. 17
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
Switching Sectors: Transitioning into and among Business, Government, and Nonprofit Careers	p. 27
Is the Grass Greener? Things to Consider Before Hopping the Fence	p. 28
Business Employment	p. 28
Anne Hale Miglarese, Principal Director, Booz Allen Hamilton (Washington, DC)	p. 29
Government Employment	p. 30
Nonprofit Employment	p. 31
Academic Employment	p. 32
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
The Value of an Internship Experience for Early Career Geographers	p. 41
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
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
Professional Networking, Tina Cary	p. 59
Invest Your Time	p. 60
Make Your Networking Plan	p. 60
How to Begin	p. 61
Benefits of Professional Networking	p. 62
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
Glenn Letham, Co-founder, Spatial Media LLC, and Managing Editor, GISuser.com (Vancouver, British Columbia)	p. 68
In Conclusion	p. 72
References	p. 72
Understanding Career Opportunities
Geography Careers in State and Local Government	p. 73
The Need for Geographers in State and Local Government	p. 74
Opportunities for Geographers in State and Local Government	p. 75
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
Dmitry Messen, Program Manager, Socio-Economic Modeling Group, Houston-Galveston Area Council (Houston, Texas)	p. 81
Concluding Thoughts	p. 82
References	p. 83
Emerging and Expanding Career Opportunities in the Federal Government	p. 84
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
Dave Selkowitz, Research Geographer, U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center (Anchorage, Alaska)	p. 88
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
Sarah Brinegar, Ph.D., Social Science Analyst, U.S. Department of Justice (Washington, DC)	p. 94
References	p. 95
Geography Careers in Large Businesses and Corporations	p. 97
Logisticians and Supply Chain Analysts: Connecting and Optimizing Operations	p. 98
Sustainability Managers: Quality of Life for Future Generations	p. 99
Karl Finkbeiner, Operations Analyst, Ingram Micro (Buffalo, New York)	p. 100
Andrew Telfer, Sustainability Manager, Walmart Canada (Toronto, Ontario)	p. 101
Geodemographers and Market Research Analysts: It's All about the Customer	p. 102
"Spatial" Statisticians and Data Analysts: More than Just Number-Crunchers	p. 102
Esther Ofori, Marketing Analyst, Macy's Inc. (New York City)	p. 103
Applying for Corporate Positions and Performing Successfully on the Job	p. 104
Armando Boniche, Circulation Director, The Miami Herald/El Nuevo Herald (Miami, Florida)	p. 105
References	p. 107
Geography and the Nonprofit Sector	p. 108
Geographers Outside the "Ivory Tower"	p. 108
Nonprofits: A Geographic Overview	p. 109
Bridging Geography and the Nonprofit Sector	p. 111
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
Kate Pearson, Strategic Partnerships Director, Habitat for Humanity International (Port-au-Prince, Haiti)	p. 116
Concluding Thoughts	p. 119
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
Starting a Small Geography Business	p. 122
Geographers as Business Owners	p. 123
A Spatial Perspective of Economic Activity	p. 123
Kristen Carney	p. 124
Value of Place	p. 125
"Ecopreneurship" and Interdisciplinary Thinking	p. 125
Preparing to Start a Small Geography Business	p. 126
Acquiring Business Expertise and Skills	p. 126
Thinking Creatively about Problems and Opportunities	p. 127
Developing a Professional Network	p. 127
Starting the Business	p. 127
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
Resources for Writing a Business Plan	p. 132
Acquiring Funding and Intellectual Property Rights	p. 132
Resources for Starting a Business	p. 133
Conclusion	p. 134
References	p. 134
Going Global: Practicing Geography Internationally	p. 135
Geographers Working Internationally-A World of Opportunities	p. 135
Geographers in International Development	p. 136
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
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
Teaching Geography Inside and Outside the Classroom	p. 147
Teaching Geography as Inquiry: Engaging Students in Active Learning and Investigations	p. 147
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
Tara Gettig, Environmental Education Specialist, Pine Grove Furnace State Park (Gardners, Pennsylvania)	p. 156
Summary	p. 157
References	p. 157
Geography Careers in Consulting	p. 159
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
Achieving Career Satisfaction Now and Into the Future
"Work" and "Life": Crossing Boundaries of Time, Space, and Place	p. 174
Valuing Time, Considering Space	p. 175
Work Policies, Choices, and Practices	p. 177
Carmen Masó, GIS Analyst, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (Chicago, IL)	p. 178
Jeff Young, Business Development Manager, LizardTech (Seattle, Washington)	p. 181
Moving Up, Moving On, Going Further Afield	p. 182
Concluding Thoughts	p. 183
Mei and Jun	p. 184
References	p. 185
Practical Ethics for Professional Geographers	p. 187
Engagement with Ethics	p. 187
Applied Ethics and Professional Pedagogy	p. 188
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
Creating the Life You Want: Lifelong Professional Development for Geographers	p. 198
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
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
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