Who is the YPN team? - Getting to know Richard
Introduction
Hi guys, I’m Richard Madumere an Enterprise Geodata Support Analyst here at Esri and a point of contact for the Southeastern Esri Young Professional Network (YPN), which by the way is the coolest platform for you to meet fellow professionals and learn from your peers without any pressure of being in a work environment. Pretty chill.
Path to Esri
So, I recently moved to the United States in January 2016 in pursuit of a master’s degree in Environmental and Geospatial Sciences at North Carolina Central University, after obtaining a bachelor’s in civil engineering from my home country Nigeria. You guessed right, it’s a big switch between the two fields, let’s just say I stumbled upon GIS and it changed my whole career path for good and I’ve had no regrets since then.
I later applied and got the opportunity to intern here at Esri as a support analyst in summer 2017, I had an amazing experience with great mentorship from Caroline Garris who also happened to introduce me to YPN. Fast forward to January 2018, I started a full-time position as an enterprise geodata support analyst at Esri Charlotte and it has been amazing working alongside great colleagues since then.
Tips and advice
As I hinted earlier, great mentorship plays a role in the success of one’s professional life and fortunately, YPN provides ideas on how to maintain these relationships. Additionally, I recommend staying active in the workforce and never missing an opportunity to develop your skillset.
Lastly, as YPN is kickstarting a regional chapter in Charlotte North Carolina and we are very excited about a couple of events under the works. Fingers crossed and keep an eye out for the regional chapter announcements in the coming weeks. Join us as we explore a world of possibilities in the Esri professional community.
Richard Madumere,
Enterprise Geodata Support Analyst