GIS Career with no college degree

[JenniferOgle]

I am interested in a career in GIS.  I am getting conflicting information through my online research.  I am wanting to know the proper steps & schooling I need to take to do without a college degree. 

[JenniferOgle]

Would this be a good route to get started?  Would these courses help me to be able to apply for a job within GIS careers? 

Esri Free Web Courses | Learning Plan

[lal-sabbagh]

Hi @JenniferOgle ,

I recently completed a postgraduate certificate in GIS from Fanshawe College and am currently developing my skills further. Along the way, I discovered that Esri’s MOOCs and their Esri Training Academy offer excellent resources that closely align with what I learned in school.

You can enroll in a learning plan tailored to your goals and earn certificates to demonstrate your skills. While taking these courses, start building a portfolio by working on small GIS projects. This will not only enhance your resume but also showcase your practical experience.

For more information about Esri’s training and certification options, check out this link: Esri Training and Certification.

Good luck on your GIS journey!

[KevinMitchell1]

Most employers require a Bachelors degree, with a Masters preferred. Entry-level positions seem to be super competitive. I'm sure there are some small organizations out there that would drop the requirement. Perhaps small water utilities, county government, non-profits?

If you can learn how to build geodatabases, set up feature classes, edit features, create static maps, use Field Maps, etc., you could apply for GIS Technician roles.

[archDisk]

I would say that the main benefit of college other than ticking off that Bachelor's degree box in the hiring process is to get an internship and get real-world experience somewhere. If you aren't getting a degree and trying to just get a job, you may want to start working on a portfolio of sorts. Come up with something local to you and create something for it. You can likely even request specific GIS data right from your local government and they might even be happy to help. Might even offer you an internship!

[TimBohn]

Your best bet is to just get into an org and grow your learning there vs just various courses.  Many of our openings don't require a college degree.  

[JesseCloutier]

Hi @JenniferOgle, traditional education can be a good route for many but it's not the only path into a GIS career. Feel encouraged to check out the post How many of you have fallen into a GIS career without a degree? from @EH_Alaska in which a number of Esri Community members joined in to share how they found their way into GIS via other—sometimes unexpected—ways. You'll see in the comments that we've also linked to a Member Spotlight story we put together about Ellie Hakari (EH_Alaska) in which she goes into some additional detail about her learning journey. You can also find that story here: Esri Community Member Spotlight: Ellie Hakari Best of luck with your own journey!

[EH_Alaska]

Thanks for tagging me on this! @JenniferOgle please feel free to reach out to me for more details. Both myself and my brother were able to move into positions that typically require a degree. If you are motivated and willing to start small, you can definitely make it happen. 🙂

[JenniferOgle]

Thank you to all that have responded.  I started taking the free courses through ESRI and I'm enjoying it so far.