Check-In #6

It's been awhile. I have since determined that my immediate career options fall into a couple of broad categories: One, is staying in GIS and working in a map-production style capacity, probably as a GIS Specialist. Truly, it is work I enjoy. And it's work I would potentially really enjoy, if I were doing it at an organization (think public sector or non-profit), where the mission/culture/etc. were more in line with my personality. As opposed to...oh....say...retail. The other possibility is to use some of my professional experience (both at my last job and in my years of marketing/communications prior) to carve out a communications-y or writing-style role at within a larger geospatial environment.

In the latter of the two options, I actually just had an interview with a photogrammetry/aerial imagery company in a NW suburb. I would be writing technical proposals and presentations - something that I originally thought would be a good use of my "talents," such as they are, but now (following the interview), I'm wondering. While it would remain in the greater sort of "geo" field, a part of it would feel like "what the hell have I been doing for the past eight years?" Like I was picking up where I left off, in the last barely tolerable job I had before my career change. There's a lot to like about the company, but I'm having a little trouble identifying exactly what "doors" this opportunity is opening for me, in whatever path is my future.

Part of the problem is that I was not quite far enough along in the career exploration path with Cindy, prior to the layoff. I still don't know what I don't know.

And the x-factor is the economy, of course. At a certain point, you simply need to have employment.

Beyond the interview, I have a resume in one other place - which is with a county in the SW part of the metro. A bear of a commute, but I'd be doing GIS Specialist work - I would almost certainly enjoy the work and environment. I still don't know about being a GIS/technical guy far, far into the future - but it definitely at least makes sense in terms of the career progression; I'd love to work for a county, and there'd be some aspects of the job where there'd be a lot less riding on my (non)understanding of some of the super-technical aspects of the job (programming/application development) that I'm not so hot on; cause I'd be part of a larger team. The pay would be a little less than what I was making at my last job (and, again, the commute is about 40 minutes with no traffic), but I am totally hoping for this one, relative to the other one.

Much, much more has been transpiring and going on in the overall search process, but these are the two major things that are circulating right now.