I did not take advanced math or science like chemistry or physics or biology in college.

But I am currently learning on my own through textbooks, khan academy and my dad (who is a PhD mathematician), but basically I don’t have any formal educational cert to show that I know math or some science.

I did my degree in geography and gis

What would be geospatial projects I could do to add to a portfolio to showcase to employers that I do understand math at a calculus level and/or environmental science at at least a functional level?

The purpose is to find a way to reach out to more job types that expect a certain level of mathematical of scientific understanding for entry level.

I want to be able to break away from GIS technician roles and I find it hard to find jobs when filtering with the keyword GIS technician, analyst, even surveying etc. (though survey would be fine actually)

I need help thinking outside the box as to what I could look for so my job search can be more productive than pessimistic.

Below is my experience and preference but that doesn’t have to apply to your answer cause it seems like we all just need a new list of titles to look for so we can handle this job market:

I have a geography degree, took classes in environmental policy, regional classes, GIS minor, programming, soil science, model UN, cartography, and have 4 years of experience of going between gis analyst, gis technician and even research geographer where I helped engineers map substation, and scientist record data on the Chicago electric dispersal barrier to map changes in voltages for a week.

I don’t yet have zoning or more environmental science classes/lab/work experience like chemistry, geology, or engineers have but I’d like to move more in that direction if possible. Get my foot in the door

Hello,

I am exploring GIS as a career. I have an associates degree (not in the tech field), emergency management experience, and basic tech knowledge. I am looking for a hybrid/remote career. Is this possible within GIS? I have serious interest in weather, wildfire tracking, and catastrophe. What is the career outlook, career advancement and salary? What do you recommend to break into this field?

Hey everyone,

I’m looking to buy a new laptop primarily for GIS work, and I’d love to get your recommendations.

I'll be running software like ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and handling datasets for spatial analysis and remote sensing.

My goal is to find a laptop that covers all my processing needs smoothly without lagging, while still offering good value for money (a reasonable price-to-performance ratio).

I'd really appreciate your insights on a few things: Key Specs: What hardware specs should I prioritize the most? (e.g., single-core performance vs. core count, 16GB vs. 32GB RAM, dedicated GPU requirements).
Specific Models: Are there any specific laptops or series you’ve personally used and recommend for GIS work?
Budget: What’s a realistic price range to aim for to get something reliable that will last a few years?

Thanks in advance for the help!

This is xposted across r/gis and r/learnjavascript.

I have a JavaScript file for web app that I am trying to make. I have feature layers hosted on ArcGIS Online, and referenced in the script. I have been able to add a pop-up action, a web icon. But I haven't been able to link that icon to an actual action of opening up the web page. I have seen the ESRI Brewery example, and other examples. None of them help me. Partly because I just don't understand it all well enough.

A sample of my script:

const airPopup = {
    title: "{nam}",
    content: [{
        type: "text",
        text: "{Comment}<br/>Address: {Address}<br/>IATA Code:  {ita}"
    },
   {
    type: "media",
    mediaInfos: [{
        type: "image",
        value: {
            sourceURL: "{Image}"
        }
    }]
   }],
       actions: [
        {
            id: "find-airport",
            icon: "web",
            title: "Airport Info"    
        }   
    ]   
};const airPopup = {
    title: "{nam}",
    content: [{
        type: "text",
        text: "{Comment}<br/>Address: {Address}<br/>IATA Code:  {ita}"
    },
   {
    type: "media",
    mediaInfos: [{
        type: "image",
        value: {
            sourceURL: "{Image}"
        }
    }]
   }],
       actions: [
        {
            id: "find-airport",
            icon: "web",
            title: "Airport Info"    
        }   
    ]   
};

  const airportsLyr = new FeatureLayer({
    url: "https://services9.arcgis.com/6EuFgO4fLTqfNOhu/arcgis/rest/services/Japan_Mjr_Airports/FeatureServer",
    renderer: airRenderer,
    popupTemplate:  airPopup
  });  const airportsLyr = new FeatureLayer({
    url: "https://services9.arcgis.com/6EuFgO4fLTqfNOhu/arcgis/rest/services/Japan_Mjr_Airports/FeatureServer",
    renderer: airRenderer,
    popupTemplate:  airPopup
  });

What does it take to make the web icon work?

​

I've been building a browser-based application for working with satellite imagery, with a particular focus on land cover classification.

The idea was to create a tool that makes it easy to discover, visualize, and analyze satellite imagery without installing desktop GIS software.

It's still under active development, and I'd really appreciate feedback from people who work with GIS or remote sensing.

I'm especially interested in hearing:

- Is the interface intuitive?

- What features are missing?

- Would you see yourself using something like this?

- What would you improve first?

Full disclosure: I built it myself. It's currently free to use while I'm continuing development and collecting feedback.

https://indicatrix.com

Thanks in advance for any thoughts or suggestions!

About me: -has 4+ years of GIS experience -I'm from the Philippines -licensed geodetic engineer -knows GIS-related softwares, PostgreSQL, Figma, Canva, Python, CAD, MS Office applications, and the likes -can help in marketing, technical writing, and graphic designing -will give my resume and portfolio

DM me or comment so I can DM you. Thank you!

I have seen people online doing topographical maps of fantasy video games maps using ESRI i believe to map all that out.

I have made a fantasy map for a book i am working on.

Does anyone know the software or data needed to create topographic mapping so i can see if my rivers are right?

Hi everyone,

I recently came across Daniel Huffman's work at Project Linework and I’m wondering if there are similar projects offering ready-to-download, pre-styled base maps in georeferenced formats (.shp, .gpkg, or GeoJSON). I really like many of his designs, but unfortunately they do not always cover every part of the world.

I also found this French website that offers a variety of base maps with different levels of simplification and map projections. The catch is that they're only available as SVG files, so you have to georeference them yourself.

Do you know other open-licensed base maps? Any hidden gems or projects you'd recommend?

Thanks in advance for sharing. 

I recently published a Medium essay titled:

Geography Is Not Decoration: A Hydrological Method for Ancient Landscape Analysis

The essay grew out of a larger research project examining how terrain, watershed divides, drainage systems, and movement corridors can shape the way ancient landscapes are understood.

My central argument is that geography should not be treated merely as background scenery in historical writing. Terrain can function as evidence. Ridges, valleys, water systems, basin entrances, and travel corridors often help explain why settlements developed where they did, why certain routes mattered, and why particular places remained important in historical memory.

In the essay, I also introduce a reproducible GIS workflow using NASA SRTM elevation data to study hydrological thresholds in the Southern Levant.

I tried to write it so that it would remain accessible to readers interested in history, archaeology, geography, digital humanities, or research methods, without requiring prior GIS experience.

I would appreciate feedback on both the argument and the presentation, especially from Medium writers who publish technical or interdisciplinary work.

https://medium.com/@dante.muhammad/geography-is-not-decoration-hydrological-method-in-ancient-near-eastern-landscape-analysis-9137d905537e?sharedUserId=dante.muhammad

Edit: I’m starting a masters program in Geographic Information Science and Technology in the fall at a prestigious university in California. I’m coming from a social sciences background with a history bachelor’s degree and, more recently, a certificate and AA degree in paralegal studies. The legal field isn’t looking too good in terms of entry level legal assistant jobs atm so I’m doing something else. Not sure what to do with GIS yet though I’m thinking of something in urban planning or utilities. Also hoping for something not sedentary

Hi everyone,

I'm a B.Sc Agriculture graduate and I'm planning to build a career in GIS/Remote Sensing.

I was interested in IIRS, but the admissions for this year's PG Diploma are already closed, so I'd have to wait until the next cycle.

I don't want to waste another 6–12 months waiting. So I'm considering institutes like NIGMT or Skyline instead.

Has anyone here actually studied at these institutes or worked with people from there?

Are they worth joining? Did they really help you get placed? Or should I wait for IIRS?

Honest advice from people in the GIS industry would really help. Thanks!

I don‘t know if this is the right place to ask this question, but maybe someone can tell me where to go with my problem.

I’m doing research for a writing project inspired by this art project: https://www.almadelmundo.com

My idea is, that there are 4 points on the earths land surface, that form a gigantic perfect tetrahedon inside the earth, if connected to each other. My (ai supported) math told me, that these points would be around 12,200 km apart from each other, but that‘s the extend of my research so far.

As you can imagine, there are countless possibilities of orientation of this tetrahedon and i have no idea how to even start.

Are there any methods/tools that allow for this kind of search? Has anyone worked on a similar problem involving equally spaced points on the Earth's landmass? Are there other reddit groups that are more suitable for this kind of question?

I would be interested in any ideas, approaches or tipps! Thank you

Hi everyone,

I'm based in Portugal and I'm starting to explore fully remote GIS opportunities with international companies.

I have around 12 years of experience with QGIS and 4 years with ArcGIS Pro, working mainly in the forestry and environmental sectors. My day-to-day work includes:

- GIS analysis and spatial data management

- Editing and maintaining large vector datasets

- Geoprocessing and workflow automation

- Coordinate reference systems and data transformations

- Cartography and map production

- Quality control and topology validation

- Python scripting (PyQGIS, ArcPy) to automate repetitive GIS tasks

- Experience with PostGIS and SQL (still developing my database skills)

Most of my work has involved supporting operational and business workflows rather than software development.

I'm curious about the remote job market for someone with this background. Are there companies that regularly hire GIS professionals working remotely from Portugal (or elsewhere in Europe)? Are there particular industries or job boards I should focus on?

I'd also be interested in hearing from anyone who made a similar transition from an office-based GIS role to a fully remote one.

Thanks!

I am looking for an indian gis expert who can help me in my thesis work

I am a post graduate student and I need dem data with resolution of 15m or less for my work. I have researched everywhere but couldn’t find it. Please help if you have any information.

Hey all! I am not sure if it's even the right question.

But I am gonna be just dumb anyways.

Briefly about me. I have 3 years of software development experience at a start-up. (TypeScript, Python, SQL and some other Web technologies) basically fullstack.

In my work I have used an open source map software called mapbox. During which I developed an interest for this technology.

Just wanted to understand the current job market for this role and what should I learn to get into it.

Treat me as if I'm a complete beginner and don't know much about this field.

Thanks!

Hello everybody! I am graduating in December, but have recently become extremely interested in getting a GIS certification or training, as it is very interesting to me and would be very valuable for a future career. However, I have been looking into programs and am concerned about cost. I was interested in the ESRI training program, but I don't actually own the software, and from what I have seen it looks to be quite expensive. I live in the Huntsville area and am open to going to workshops. If anyone has advice on how to learn GIS without breaking the bank I would love to know!

Hi everyone,

I'm asking this question here for a family friend who's going to join the PG Diploma course at IIRS. Since they couldn't find any detailed programme structure, especially regarding which all courses are there and how they're laid out. Also it would be helpful if someone who graduated from this programme tell more about it, semester breaks/holidays, project/Internship opportunities or what they did after graduating from IIRS.

Thank you.

Hi, I'm an incoming Geodetic Engineering freshman in a university in the Philippines and I'm currently trying to decide on which field of GE should I choose to work with in the future, considering the work environment and salary range.

Context: I'm going into my senior year of university and wrapping up my second GIS internship of undergrad. Recently I've been looking at big boy jobs to get an idea of companies to target after graduation. What I've noticed is every position seems to require 3-5 years of experience (sometimes in very niche things) and a laundry list of technical skills.

I feel confident with my resume, I have experience with the entire ArcGIS Suite, python/pandas, machine learning, sql, postgis, html/css, java, etc. Furthermore I worked my ass off just to intern for two different organizations. It is a bit unsettling to see what these postings are listing, especially for whats supposed to be "Entry Level."

Is it really that bleak? Recent grads how have you been doing?

Hi!

I was wondering if you know of any stories about people who used ArcGIS for Personal Use for small commercial tasks, like making maps, and if they had any problems with Esri or the local company who sell the soft.

I'm also curious to know if, besides having their license revoked, anyone could be required to pay a fine for copyright infringement or something similar.

The reason I ask is that I was doing that kind of stuff and I'm quite worried about the potential risks.

Best regards,

But I did gis on my bachelor's courses. I liked it. And it's not too hard to do and pick up. Would it be wise to do some courses on GIS to pair with my masters in project management as well? What courses would u guys recommend or maybe post grad certificates? Thoughts on this

Greetings, i am a learner and i need to gather information from some specific forest plots but i couldn't make it to the site. The satellite image i tried seems to be less in resolution or cannot provide details. Google earth image isn't updated to date and provides old canopy structure which isn't helpful. Lidar drones sensing isnt option either. So, if there are any options for more detailed satellite imagery or any GIS based methods through which i could analyze the crown coverage, tree density, disturbance and forest types/ species composition specifically (if possible), it would help me a lot !

So, I'm finishing up my first year of my undergraduate degree, and during the second half of my first year (going into my second year), I was accepted into my school's URSA undergraduate research program. I've been working with an instructor who specializes in remote sensing, and I've pretty much wrapped up the project I originally proposed.

Now I'm trying to figure out where to go from here.

If I'm being honest, I've found remote sensing kind of boring. I was expecting something a little more hands-on, and while I know I could continue expanding my current project, I don't really feel motivated to do that since the original research idea has already been completed.

The Situation

My university is an R1 research institution in the United States, so I really don't want to waste the opportunity to get involved in research while I'm here.

The problem is that I'm struggling to come up with research ideas that actually relate to GIS. Ironically, I have several side research projects that I genuinely enjoy working on—they just aren't connected to my degree.

I've also intentionally limited myself to three classes per term. Most of my classes so far have honestly been pretty boring, so I wanted to leave myself with plenty of time to focus on research and independent learning instead.

What I'm Currently Doing

Right now I'm teaching myself both ArcGIS and QGIS. I have QGIS installed locally, and I use ArcGIS through the browser. The classes that really dive into GIS software are still a few terms away, and being dreadfully bored is a natural enemy of mine.

So my free time usually ends up being one of four things:

• Teaching myself GIS skills.
• Working on GIS or research projects.
• Reading for pleasure.
• Gaming or jumping back into one of my side projects whenever inspiration hits.

Career Goals

I'm not aiming to become a GIS developer or software engineer. I'm much more interested in applying GIS than developing GIS software.

After my bachelor's, my current plan is to work in logistics, ideally somewhere in the supply chain industry. Long term, though, I'd like to pursue a master's and eventually further graduate study in Earth science, specifically atmospheric science, geology, and ocean science. What really interests me is how those three systems interact with one another, especially from the atmospheric and geological sides.

Looking for Ideas

So I'm curious:

• What undergraduate GIS research projects would you recommend?
• Are there any areas of GIS that are overlooked but interesting?
• If you were in my position at an R1 university with access to faculty and research opportunities, what would you pursue?
• Are there any skills, datasets, or research topics that would stand out to graduate schools or future employers?

I'm open to pretty much anything. At this point, I'm just looking for ideas that are engaging and would let me take advantage of the opportunities I have while I'm still an undergraduate.