I would not recommend doing a postdoc. I would recommend focusing on
the GIS coursework and find a way to pay your bills via the least time
consuming and least demanding way/job you can find. Sometimes your paid
job is simply a distraction necessary to pay the bills - but if you can
chisel out time to work toward your true passion, you can achieve it and
it will become your primary job (and ideally pay the bills :) ).
I too got my Ph.D. in 2006. ;)
Cheers!
--
Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs
Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation
http://www.allthingsbugs.com/Curriculum_Vitae.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs
1-352-281-3643
On 1/3/2012 7:24 PM, malcolm McCallum wrote:
Have you done a postdoc?
If not, do one and while in that capacity, take a GIS course at the
school, assuming its at a school. Alternatively, take the ESRI
courses, they are very basic, but if you have a brain you can easily
expand from those beginnings.
Some say just buy a book and learn it. I'm not convinced that
ArcView/ArcGIS is something you just sit down and learn. The number
of extensions and such are so vast and the programming possibilities
are even more so. In fact, most of us use regularly only a small part
of the GIS capacity that relates to our specific area of research.
The basics can be learned with a tutor in about half an hour. The
power of GIS, however, takes a lot longer to master.
I have taught undergrad/grad courses in GIS many times, and have used
it quite a bit.
Malcolm McCallum
On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 6:13 PM, Christi Yoder<cyoder...@gmail.com> wrote:
Hi everyone! I have a question regarding GIS training. I got my PhD in
2006 and until May 2011 was employed as a researcher when the position
funding ran out. Since then, I have been unable to find a job, partially
because of my specialized experience. It seems that many job postings
these days require some level of GIS competency. Although I have had a
week-long introductory course in GIS and have collaborated with GIS
specialists in my research, I don't have the necessary skills. I have an
opportunity to obtain a scholarship for a GIS certificate program that
includes learning to use GIS, classes in spatial analysis and remote
sensing, and database management. I'd like to hear from professionals as
to whether this would enhance my chances of getting a job in the wildlife
field. Just to give an idea, my Masters in is Wildlife Biology and my PhD
is in reproductive physiology. I would greatly appreciate any input!
Cheers,
Christi
--
Aaron T. Dossey, Ph.D.
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Founder/Owner: All Things Bugs
Capitalizing on Low-Crawling Fruit from Insect-Based Innovation
http://www.allthingsbugs.com/Curriculum_Vitae.pdf
https://www.facebook.com/Allthingsbugs
1-352-281-3643
