Geographic Information Systems Technologists and Technicians

People in this career often have these skills:

• Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
• Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

• Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
• Active Learning - Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
• Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.

People in this career often know a lot about:

• Geography - Knowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
• Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• Design - Knowledge of design techniques, tools, and principles involved in production of precision technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

People in this career often have talent in:

• Inductive Reasoning - The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
• Written Comprehension - The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Oral Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
• Deductive Reasoning - The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
• Information Ordering - The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
• Written Expression - The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
• Category Flexibility - The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
• Speech Clarity - The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
• Speech Recognition - The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
• Flexibility of Closure - The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
• Mathematical Reasoning - The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.

People in this career often do these activities:

• Prepare graphics or other visual representations of information.
• Prepare analytical reports.
• Create databases to store electronic data.
• Update computer database information.
• Provide technical support for software maintenance or use.

• Design software applications.
• Write computer programming code.
• Evaluate data quality.
• Develop scientific or mathematical models.
• Analyze data to identify trends or relationships among variables.
• Prepare data for analysis.
• Coordinate project activities with other personnel or departments.
• Test software performance.
• Design computer modeling or simulation programs.
• Document technical specifications or requirements.
• Troubleshoot issues with computer applications or systems.
• Collaborate with others to resolve information technology issues.
• Develop models of information or communications systems.
• Recommend changes to improve computer or information systems.
• Collaborate with others to determine design specifications or details.
• Train others in computer interface or software use.
• Analyze Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data for use in green applications.

• Cartographers and Photogrammetrists

• Remote Sensing Scientists and Technologists

• Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists

• Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers

• Transportation Planners

• Logistics Analysts

• Surveying and Mapping Technicians

• Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

• Computer Programmers

• Social Science Research Assistants