GIS Career Pathways: Education Specialist
My Background
I’m originally from Miami, Florida, where I was raised by my hardworking immigrant parents from Venezuela. Growing up in Miami, I was exposed to many different cultures, and this sparked my curiosity about the world. I remember having a love for geography since I was young. I had an incredible Geography teacher in elementary school, and we had a huge atlas at home that I would flip through as a young child. Then, as a teenager, my aunt took me on multiple international adventures to Egypt, Australia, France, Thailand, Japan, and many more.
After experiencing different parts of the world, I decided to study International Affairs and Geography at Florida State University (FSU) for my undergraduate degree. From there, it was a bit of a whirlwind trying to figure out which career path was right for me. During that time, I became a 9th-grade World History and AP Human Geography teacher at a public high school in Miami. While it was one of the most challenging experiences I have ever had, it was also one of the most rewarding. After teaching for some years, I went back to FSU to get a master’s degree in GIS.
Getting to Esri
While completing my master’s degree, I applied to and was accepted in the Student Assistantship Program at the Esri User Conference (UC) in 2019. At UC, I had the opportunity to meet with the Educational Services team and the Human Resources team at Esri to discuss potential positions that could be a good fit for me, based on my experience—that’s how I discovered the Educational Specialist role. When I realized that this role merged my experience in creating educational content and my knowledge of GIS, I knew it was the right fit for me. I applied immediately, and then after going through the interview process, I accepted the position and started in January 2020. For the past five and a half years, I have grown in my role to become a Principal Educational Specialist Lead, which means, in addition to authoring courses, I also have the opportunity to work on internal projects and high-level department initiatives as well as help develop the team of Authors through mentoring.
Day in the Life of an Educational Specialist
A typical day for me is dynamic and involves various tasks that keep me engaged and challenged. Here’s an overview of some of my job responsibilities:
- Mentoring: I often take the time to mentor new team members, sharing insights and best practices.
- Content testing and revising: With various software updates happening throughout the year, I work on testing and revising existing content to ensure that it remains up to date with the most current software release.
- Creating new content: One of my favorite parts of my job is developing new training courses, such as MOOCs (massive open online courses), web courses, and instructor-led courses—this is where you get to be the most creative! So far, my favorite and most challenging course that I have authored is the GIS for Climate Action MOOC.
- Researching new technologies: Authors are given the opportunity to stay on top of ArcGIS technology and new functionality at each release. We’re also able to learn about new technology if we’re interested in writing a training course on that technology.
- Project collaboration: I meet with project team members regularly to check project statuses, provide updates, and collaborate to create the best training courses possible for our customers.
Skills for the Role
In my role, a blend of hard and soft skills is essential. Here are some key skills that contribute to success in the Educational Specialist role:
- Teamwork and collaboration: Working effectively with others is crucial in developing comprehensive educational content.
- Self-starter: Taking the initiative drives innovation and creativity within the team.
- Curiosity and passion: A genuine interest in GIS and our technology fosters continuous learning.
- Adherence to standards: Maintaining high standards ensures that our training content is consistent, reliable, and effective.
- Strong communication skills: Clear and concise communication is vital for conveying complex concepts and collaborating with other team members.
- Problem-solving and critical thinking: These skills help address challenges that arise in content development and technology integration.
Tips for Success
For anyone looking to thrive in a role similar to an Educational Specialist, here are a few tips:
- Be curious: Explore GIS and stay up to date with new technologies—this will help set you apart.
- Collaborate effectively: Build strong relationships with your team and strive for collective problem-solving.
- Communicate clearly: Developing strong communication skills will significantly enhance your effectiveness in delivering complex content.
Find Out More
Want to see what trainings we offer and the type of content that we create? Check out Esri Academy: https://www.esri.com/training/.
Interested in a position on the Educational Services team at Esri? Browse our current opportunities: https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/careers/job-search?category=Educational+Services.
You’re welcome to connect with me on LinkedIn and please drop a comment in this blog post if you have questions about the role. Thanks for reading!
