Hi Everyone- advice needed

[TafrensheaSouth]

I graduated with a B.S. in Geosciences in December 2024 and I’m currently pursuing a Master’s in Data Science and Analytics. I’m finding it challenging to land an entry-level GIS role because most positions require professional experience, and my background so far is primarily through academic projects.

Does anyone have advice on how I can strengthen my candidacy (e.g., portfolio ideas, certifications, or skills to focus on)? If you know of companies or organizations that hire early-career candidates or offer GIS internships, preferably in Central Florida, fI’d really appreciate any recommendations.

[49asvk]

Hello,

I come from a slightly different background, I did my bachelor’s in Computer Science and I’m currently pursuing a master’s in Data Science & Spatial Analytics with a specialization in Geointelligence. One thing I’ve noticed is that many GIS companies are moving strongly toward AI, so having data science and AI/ML experience is becoming just as important as traditional GIS skills.

I’d definitely recommend starting to connect with GIS professionals on LinkedIn and staying active in the Esri Community and the Young Professionals Network. A lot of opportunities and insights come from those spaces, especially for early career roles. Since I’m not based in Florida, I can’t really speak to specific local companies that are hiring, but networking can help you find those opportunities pretty quickly.

In my case, I landed an internship at Esri through campus placement, but I can’t stress enough how much projects on your resume matter. Employers really look at what you’ve built. Try to focus on real-world problem driven projects and showcase how you can combine GIS with data science. Also, don’t limit yourself to environmental or academic style projects, having a few projects tied to business, operations, or decision-making use cases can make your profile stand out a lot more.

On the technical side, it really helps to be strong in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online, along with Python for spatial analysis. Experience with ArcPy and libraries like GeoPandas and Rasterio is good. I’d also suggest following the Esri Academy learning paths, especially the ones focused on data science and spatial analytics, since they align well with where the industry is heading right now.

Hope you find this helpful!

[JesseCloutier]

Welcome to Esri Community, @TafrensheaSouth! I'm one of the Community Managers on this platform and I hope you'll let me know if I can help answer questions about how to use our online community. To build on what @49asvk had shared, you'll find that the Esri Young Professionals Network is a great resource. In addition to the web page provided, you'll find that they also have an active area here in Esri Community where you can connect directly with others on the topics you've brought up and make use of the many resources already added to the space: Esri Young Professionals Network. You may also want to keep one eye on our GIS Jobs User Group for opportunities that are a good match. All the best!

[CarlosLuna]

Hi there fellow floridian here. I am mostly computer science background but i have noticed GIS is kinda niche at least for the companies i've worked with (private sector) -- unfortunately they werent forward thinkers and did not expand their GIS other than 'place dot on map'

I have noticed that a lot of governmental organizations do have some sort of GIS team (try to look at jobs there) apply to them or contact the organization and ask if they have a GIS team. I would tell them you want a GIS internship and makes sure to ask them if there are any public maps available to view (you can get a gist of the type of work they are doing) -- search for county/city organizations and/or water utilities and start cold calling them.  

[PiumiJayasundara]

Hello,

I’m also a Master’s student in GIS and Remote Sensing, and I’ve been focusing on building a strong profile to land an internship. I have created a GIS-focused CV, showcasing academic and personal projects in a portfolio, and updating my skills with Python, R, SQL, and data analysis to be more versatile.

I’ve also found it helpful to keep LinkedIn and other reliable professional forums updated with projects and skills — it increases visibility and can attract internship or early-career opportunities. Combining GIS expertise with programming and analytics has boosted my confidence in applications, and I think this approach could be useful for others in a similar situation. Further, I am getting many job alerts through my LinkedIn profile on internships and junior analyzer positions specially in US. So, hope you will find this useful and wish you all the very best.