Careers in Geography

A great article on Geography Jobs from the U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Quarterly.

CAREER OUTLOOK

The demand for people who can apply the geographic approach in government and private enterprise is increasing considerably. Since many jobs held by geographers do not carry a geography title, it is important to describe the geographic approach and the unique point of view of geography to understand the broad range of job opportunities available to geographers. The particular career area chosen, of course, will depend on which of the varied areas of geography the student selects for specialization.

Geography is both a natural science and a social science, as it examines people and their environment and serves as a bridge between the physical and cultural worlds. As the original environmental sciences, geography provides a way of looking at the world that helps humankind cope with the Earth's ever-changing environments.

Geography is the study of place or space in the same sense that history is the study of time. This spatial view - the where of things - involves not only asking, "Where are things located?" but more importantly, "Why are they located where they are?" and the even more practical and applied question, "Where should they be located?"

It is the search for answers to the latter question that has propelled geographers into the mainstream of modern life. This issue affects almost all of us in one way or another. Where should new housing developments be built? Where should airports, power plants, schools, highways, fast food restaurants be located so as to balance the varied interests of all involved? Since the map is a basic medium for representing geographical ideas, cartography (map making) is an important field in geography and one in great demand.

Additionally, there has been a recent increase in the demand for geographers with knowledge and experience in geographic information systems (computer based analysis and mapping).

CAREER FIELDS

Most geographers eventually work in four basic career fields: business, government, planning, or teaching. Opportunities for employment as a geographer are continually expanding. Although most geographers may have very similar educational preparation, the purpose and scope of their work will differ according to the career fields they choose.

Business

If you are interested in business or planning, your geographic training can prepare you for a variety of assignments. Private sector firms need geographers who can select favorable locations for capital investments, determine the growth potential of service and market areas for business and industry, understand international markets and investment opportunities, meet environmental impact standards, and develop effective strategies for corporate planning.

Geographers in business must be able to apply their broad knowledge to the problems presented to them, must be selective and adaptable to work within a "time-is-money" framework, and must be good salespersons for themselves and for their capabilities. They must deal with the profit-making objectives of their companies while applying their knowledge and ideas to those ends.

The background and training for a business geographer differ little from those of other geographers. If you choose such a career it is important that you augment your background with business and management studies in order to compete with other professionals in the business world.

Government

Geography plays a large role in government at all levels. Traditionally, geographers who worked in local and state governments were planners, but today they work in many government agencies where their knowledge of the environment, the spatial attributes of place, the locational and functional linkages of governmental services and operations, and their broad view of regions give them an advantage over other social and physical scientists.

Geographers at the federal level work in many agencies at tasks ranging from map production to policy making. Many geographers work for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, Bureau of the Census, intelligence agencies, U.S. Geological Survey, the State Department, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the Health and Human Services Department.

Teaching

For many people, the most attractive geographic career will be in teaching. Geography appears under many guises in elementary and secondary schools, usually as part of a map skills program, as social studies courses on cultural regions, or as geography itself. The market for K-12 teachers has been stable in recent years although job opportunities may not be available in your local area. Therefore, people interested in teaching must be willing to move to where the jobs are.

The demand for college teachers is as favorable as for K-12 teachers, but the education and research requirements are much more demanding. The Ph.D. (D.Ed. or D.A.) is usually the minimum requirement.

EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION

To pursue a career in geography, a student must successfully complete a college-preparatory program of study in high school and gain admission to the University. English, social studies, earth sciences and/or physics and quantitative courses (mathematics at least through algebra and trigonometry) are especially important high school disciplines. You may declare a major or minor at any time during your college career, but the majority of students declare their major or minor in their sophomore or junior year.

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URL: http://www.siue.edu/GEOGRAPHY/Careers.htm
Published by: SIUE Department of Geography
Last update: August 27, 2009 by webmaster