What Jobs Do Geographers Do?
Geography is a fascinating subject that gives you lots of skills to take into the outside world. Here's what one expert had to say: Whichever course you choose, geography is a good way in to any number of jobs. "It's a very employable subject," says Steve Brace, head of education and outdoor learning at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS). "Because it combines the social and physical sciences it gives people a lot of transferable skills. Graduates will have experience of field-work practicals and of working in teams, which employers value." - The Independent (leading national newspaper), 4th December 2006 |
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Surveyor | ||||
| A surveyor's job is to help out when designing or building new structures, such as bridges, schools, houses. They look at the land itself, the surrounding area, and how the new structure would affect this. They then decide whether it is suitable. The job involves a lot of travelling, map work skills, presenting of information, knowledge of people and land. It is possible to earn a lot of money as a surveyor, and you would probably also get a company car! | ||||
Cartographer | ||||
| A Cartographer evaluates sets of geographical data and refines, classifies and categorises the data to produce maps, charts, sections or models. Cartographers often work for the Armed Forces, working in navigation, planning, and strategy. Cartographers need to be able to use and make detailed maps, which is a skill learnt in geography. | ||||
Environmental Manager | ||||
| Responsible for developing and implementing policy on such things as energy efficiency, transport, recycling and waste management. As an environmental manager you might be asked how to make an environment more eco-friendly, or how a business or school can become more energy efficient. | ||||
Geographical Information Systems Manager | ||||
| Manages teams of IT professionals who use computer-based systems to handle spatial information This involves generating, supplying, and using computer generated maps and data. This is especially useful for companies planning to expand, also for government use, and in the armed forces. | ||||
Nature Conservation Officer | ||||
| Protects manages and develops wildlife habitats through biological surveys. Work may include conservation tasks, ecological surveys, meeting with visitors, negotiation with planners and developers or educational and interpretative work | ||||
Remote Sensing Scientist | ||||
| Processes satellite images and aerial photographs by computer to enhance specific features of interest and assess their significance. Satellite imagery might be used by weather services, by the military for surveillance, or even by farmers and planners. | ||||
Town Planner | ||||
| Directs or undertakes the planning of land use and the physical and economic development of urban and rural areas. Involved in making decisions about where new houses, businesses, shops etc. should be built, and what they should look like. Shaping the cities and towns of the future. | ||||
Tourism Officer | ||||
| Develops and promotes tourism which will attract visitors and produce significant economic benefits to the region. If you worked locally you would be asked to advertise South Shields, for example, and let everybody know what is there, and why it is worth visiting. | ||||
Random Fact:
The city of Istanbul in Turkey straddles two separate continents, Europe and Asia. |
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For more information on jobs in Geography, the following websites are useful: |
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