Major &
Minor: Geography – International Studies Emphasis
UWEC Standing and
Expected Graduation Date: Graduated December 2012
Interests and
Hobbies: Spending time with family and friends, staying active
outdoors, soccer, knitting
Internship
Employer: GeoDecisions, a GIS consulting
firm in Madison, WI
Length of
Employment: Summer internship 2012 but I am
still technically an employee if projects come up
Basics : Was your
internship paid or unpaid? Did you register for credits? Why or Why not? Did
you create the internship or was it advertised? Where did you hear about it?
My
internship at GeoDecisions was paid. I
did not register for credits as I did not need the associated credits to
graduate. I heard about the internship
through an email from Dr. Christina Hupy sent out from a Wisconsin State
Cartographer’s Office posting.
What were your
specific job responsibilities?
My
specific job responsibilities surrounded the conversion of water and waste
water utilities from an AutoCAD nonfunctional format to a GIS format. This conversion process is not completely
fool proof and creates random glitches in the data. My job was to go over the data and make
adjustments as needed. Eventually, I
worked on the Quality Control team to double check the team’s work using the
Network Analysis feature in ArcMap and running supplementary tests. I was also given the opportunity to make an
onsite visit to Champaign, Illinois where we worked with the onsite water utility
personnel to update any features that were not in AutoCAD. This was on the spot maintenance and problem
solving.
I
worked on side projects throughout the summer including
Broadband/internet/cable user-ship in Delaware.
I made maps for a third party company to test the expansion of coverage
for accuracy by creating coverage comparison maps. The third party company would then go to the
designated areas based on my road maps to test the coverage and speed of access.
I worked on updating fishing hot spot data in the US for a GeoDecisions
offshoot called Fishidy.com. This is
essentially a Facebook for fisherman to share and record personal fishing spots
with access to detailed bathemetric maps.
What do you think
gave you to edge to get the internship?
First
and foremost, I think my background and training in GIS proved that I was
completely qualified for the job.
Because of my background, I think I was also confident in using my
skills. I think demonstrated an
eagerness for the position. I also fit
into the mindset of the organization
Was it a valuable
experience?
Yes
this was a valuable experience. Not only
did I utilize my skills and add to my skills, I was exposed the world of GIS
outside of academia. I came to the
conclusion that I was capable for that type of job or project management but
decided that it wasn’t something I would want to do for the rest of my
life. I’m glad I tried it out. The people I worked with are great people so
I also made positive connections.
How did the logistics
work for you? Did you have to move?
I
moved to Madison for the summer.
Fortunately, my sister lived less than a mile away from the GeoDecisions
office so housing was not an issue. I
would have probably still taken the job had she not been there. Finding a sublease in Madison for the summer
wouldn’t have been difficult.
What advice can
you give to those who are looking for an internship?
My
advice would be to stay active in the search and keep applying. I applied to GeoDecisions on a whim because I
was in the midst of sending out three other applications when I received the
email from Christina. Also, show
interest and take initiative. Finding an
internship may lead to a job so take it seriously. GIS is a small world so if your company/organization
can’t hire you, they might know people who can.
Keep in touch after your internship is over!
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