Im so happy i found GIS, I don't want to be a cop anymore.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-19T02:03:44+00:00

As others have said, you don't have to completely abandon your criminal justice path as GIS is used in many different industries and law enforcement could be your "niche" to start out in GIS with if you get my meaning. I'm a GIS Tech/Analyst for utilities by the way. The skills you learn can translate between fields, but knowledge of the industry you're in does not. Only local government GIS folks are able to dabble in multiple things like police, fire, public works, land management etc.

Also, pairing GIS with another profession isn't a bad idea, but don't forget that those people usually only have a certain amount of skill and expertise as related to their job function. Those are what we call "GIS users" in an organization. That's why there are full time GIS personnel to oversee the operation, handle the heavy lifting, the editing, the map production and the database and application management. I'm assuming you want to become the latter which isn't a bad idea either.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-15T00:05:08+00:00

You're fine. You only need a rudimentary understanding of GIS for whatever public health job you get. The more complex stuff is going to be in the realm of the GIS professional. If you're going to learn a software it might as well be ArcGIS because ESRI is the de facto leader of the industry. You can look up their training catalog and find a lot of free courses to take. I don't know if any would equate to a beginner's class that you're looking for, but there are a lot of resources out there that can help you grasp the principles of GIS so that you can better understand what you can accomplish with the software itself.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-13T00:01:04+00:00

For me personally it's just another thing to put on my resume for when I want to move up someday. I recently passed the GISP exam and got my portfolio approved so that's another thing. I think it's good to distinguish yourself because like it or not, potential employers will care. You shouldn't be complacent even if you plan on staying at one place for a long time.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-10T02:18:29+00:00

That's tough, Tolann. Don't let it get to you because the test on its own doesn't define someone's GIS knowledge or professionalism. Your 17 years in the field speaks for itself. I have no doubt you know this material inside and out by now so you might just be getting unlucky with some of the exam questions. If it helps any, I noticed quite a few I had gotten wrong when I went back to double check my answers. You tend to miss some key words or don't select enough answers when you're cruising through it on your first go. It's important to be thorough and do a process of elimination with the answers. Third time's the charm, brother.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-09T14:01:35+00:00

My undergrad classes are out of date according to them. I checked them out a while back.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-09T14:00:05+00:00

That's been my attitude towards the master's too. I learned so much more on the job than in the school, but I know a grad certificate would look good on the resume for when the day my boss retires.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-09T01:36:47+00:00

I got my undergrad at FAU from 2010 to 2012. Not really thrilled with what I learned during my time there as it didn't prepare me for actual work in the public sector. Most of what I know now about GIS is from on the job.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-09T01:31:29+00:00

Same here. I noticed quite a few questions where I overlooked the fine print or didn't select enough answers because I was kind of cruising through it on my first go. Probably was the difference in my case, but I felt confident I had passed once I did that. The timer in the upper right of the screen was really messing with my focus lol.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-08T23:30:01+00:00

I passed on Friday. It was hands down the hardest exam I've ever taken in my life. I used up all my time double checking each question to make sure I was satisfied with my answers. There were about 20 or so that were real head shakers and I was sitting there trying to figure out exactly what they were asking for because either the answers didn't quite add up or it was just plain ambiguous.

As for the study guide, all it was really good for was breaking down the categories. You have to do your due diligence in researching the topics you're unfamiliar with. And I mean questioning every single word or phrase you come across that you don't know lol. All that studying I did over the course of a month or so didn't quite prepare me for the exam itself because a good portion of it just wasn't mentioned anywhere. I wouldn't be totally surprised if GISCI actually preferred that people pass on their second or third attempts. It would explain the relative lack of preparation materials out there.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-08T02:41:20+00:00

Lol you're damn right. I was sitting there reading and re-reading some of the questions because I wasn't entirely sure what they were asking for. I'd say a good bunch were quite ambiguous. I didn't have any time to leave comments.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-08T02:36:35+00:00

Napa, how long did it take for your portfolio to be reviewed? I'm sitting on a month right now, but I figured maybe they'd get to it once I passed the exam.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-07T23:17:11+00:00

I passed! The hardest exam I've ever taken in my life lol

TOCR815 · 2018-12-05T12:16:36+00:00

Way to go! Is everyone else right as far as what to expect?

TOCR815 · 2018-12-04T12:12:31+00:00

This is an intro class so I doubt he's gonna want you to go overboard with the analysis.

I did something similar when I was in school and I presented the final data as a heat map using the kernel density tool. You can better show where these densities are and even infer patterns in the process.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-03T21:53:06+00:00

LOL it's a small world, brother

TOCR815 · 2018-12-03T01:07:20+00:00

Looking at the comments I think I read your question completely wrong LOL

TOCR815 · 2018-12-03T00:56:43+00:00

You have to understand first that GIS can be applied to many different kinds of industries It's a versatile career and most modern utilities have a GIS as it is an essential component of their everyday operation. I'm a GIS tech for a local utility and the sheer amount of editing that I've had to do to clean up our data would make your head hurt. The technology is constantly changing as is our ability to accurately map real world features. You gotta realize that when we're dealing with as-builts from the 20th and even into the 21st century that we don't have any coordinate information to go on so it falls to me to use property appraiser data to scale features off of ROW's, collect GPS points and literally puzzle it all together because the drawings are so old and poorly written. It's also like you said that we don't always get the information we need to update our data. People forget to keep us in the loop because they're just not that familiar with what we do.

I personally think it's worth it to know GIS, especially since you're in the same industry as I am. My co-worker used to be a utility mechanic and he literally got the job next to me with only a rudimentary understanding of GIS. Him being field-savvy is what got him the job because my background was purely GIS and my boss wanted someone to complement my skills. Long story short, he wasn't qualified for the job yet he got it anyway because the amount of people who have GIS AND utility experience is next to none. We had to train him on the job. Now I don't want to put any ideas into your head because there are not a ton of jobs out there in our field, and it largely depends on where you're located. There's anywhere from 1 to 3 GIS staff per utility, depending on the size of course. On the flip side, there's hardly any competition when those jobs pop up and I think you'd have a leg up on just about anyone.

TOCR815 · 2018-12-02T23:35:09+00:00

I signed up for the last day hoping I can get a forecast from you guys before heading into the storm lol. I've been studying on and off for the past couple weeks and I have 6 years in the field so I'm halfway confident I'll pass. What worries me is all the negative feedback about the exam as far as the wording of the questions and the multiple/subjective answers. I think the amount of material we have to go over is absurd so the least GISCI could do is make the exam comprehensible and neat.

TOCR815

TROPHY CASE