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Geographers Occupation Detailed Description

Geographers career

General Job Description and Education/Training Levels for Geographers

The main tasks and work activities of Geographers are to prepare maps, prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations, develop software or applications for scientific or technical use, collect archival data. In general, for the Geographers, speaking, writing, reading Comprehension, critical Thinking and other 15 skills are required.
Geographers Job Description
EducationMost of these occupations require graduate school. For example, they may require a master's degree, and some require a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D. (law degree).
Related ExperienceExtensive skill, knowledge, and experience are needed for these occupations. Many require more than five years of experience. For example, surgeons must complete four years of college and an additional five to seven years of specialized medical training to be able to do their job.
Job TrainingEmployees may need some on-the-job training, but most of these occupations assume that the person will already have the required skills, knowledge, work-related experience, and/or training.
ExampleThese occupations often involve coordinating, training, supervising, or managing the activities of others to accomplish goals. Very advanced communication and organizational skills are required. Examples include pharmacists, lawyers, astronomers, biologists, clergy, neurologists, and veterinarians.
The following chart shows the education/training levels for Geographers jobs.
Less than a High School Diploma
0.00%
High School Diploma (or the equivalent)
0.00%
Post-Secondary Certificate
0.00%
Some College Courses
0.00%
Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree)
0.00%
Bachelor's Degree and Above
100.00%

Tasks and Work Activities of Geographers

  • Create and modify maps, graphs, or diagrams, using geographical information software and related equipment, and principles of cartography, such as coordinate systems, longitude, latitude, elevation, topography, and map scales.
  • Write and present reports of research findings.
  • Develop, operate, and maintain geographical information computer systems, including hardware, software, plotters, digitizers, printers, and video cameras.
  • Locate and obtain existing geographic information databases.
  • Analyze geographic distributions of physical and cultural phenomena on local, regional, continental, or global scales.
  • Teach geography.
  • Gather and compile geographic data from sources such as censuses, field observations, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and existing maps.
  • Conduct field work at outdoor sites.
  • Study the economic, political, and cultural characteristics of a specific region's population.
  • Provide consulting services in fields such as resource development and management, business location and market area analysis, environmental hazards, regional cultural history, and urban social planning.
  • Collect data on physical characteristics of specified areas, such as geological formations, climates, and vegetation, using surveying or meteorological equipment.
  • Provide geographical information systems support to the private and public sectors.
  • Analyzing Data or InformationIdentifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Getting InformationObserving, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Interacting With ComputersUsing computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Processing InformationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and EventsIdentifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Updating and Using Relevant KnowledgeKeeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for OthersTranslating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Training and Teaching OthersIdentifying the educational needs of others, developing formal educational or training programs or classes, and teaching or instructing others.
  • Making Decisions and Solving ProblemsAnalyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Estimating the Quantifiable Characteristics of Products, Events, or InformationEstimating sizes, distances, and quantities; or determining time, costs, resources, or materials needed to perform a work activity.
  • Prepare maps.
  • Prepare scientific or technical reports or presentations.
  • Develop software or applications for scientific or technical use.
  • Collect archival data.
  • Conduct anthropological or archaeological research.
  • Instruct college students in social sciences or humanities disciplines.
  • Collect geographical or geological field data.
  • Compile geographic or related data.
  • Advise others on business or operational matters.

Skills and Abilities for Geographers

  • SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
  • WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
  • Critical ThinkingUsing logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Active LearningUnderstanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Judgment and Decision MakingConsidering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
  • ScienceUsing scientific rules and methods to solve problems.
  • Complex Problem SolvingIdentifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Systems AnalysisDetermining how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect outcomes.
  • InstructingTeaching others how to do something.
  • Learning StrategiesSelecting and using training/instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
  • Time ManagementManaging one's own time and the time of others.
  • Systems EvaluationIdentifying measures or indicators of system performance and the actions needed to improve or correct performance, relative to the goals of the system.
  • Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.
  • CoordinationAdjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Social PerceptivenessBeing aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • MonitoringMonitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Written ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Oral ExpressionThe ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written ComprehensionThe ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Oral ComprehensionThe ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Inductive ReasoningThe ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Deductive ReasoningThe ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Speech ClarityThe ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Problem SensitivityThe ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
  • Near VisionThe ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Category FlexibilityThe ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
  • Information OrderingThe ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
  • Speech RecognitionThe ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Fluency of IdeasThe ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).
  • OriginalityThe ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.
  • Flexibility of ClosureThe ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Far VisionThe ability to see details at a distance.
  • Number FacilityThe ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
  • Mathematical ReasoningThe ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
  • Height gaugese.g. Abney levels
  • All terrain vehicles tracked or wheelede.g. All terrain vehicles ATV
  • Anemometerse.g. Anemometers
  • Inductively coupled plasma ICP spectrometerse.g. Atomic emission spectroscopes
  • Levelse.g. Automatic levels
  • Transmission electron microscopese.g. Cathodoluminescence microscopes
  • Power sawse.g. Chain saws
  • Soil testing kitse.g. Compaction meters
  • Conductivity meterse.g. Conductivity meters
  • Forestry sawse.g. Crosscut saws
  • Ion exchange apparatuse.g. Deionizers
  • Electromagnetic geophysical instrumentse.g. Demagnetizing equipment
  • Desktop computerse.g. Desktop computers
  • Digital camerase.g. Digital cameras
  • Videoscopese.g. Digital imaging microscopes
  • Digital camcorders or video camerase.g. Digital video cameras
  • Scannerse.g. Digitizers
  • Dissolved oxygen meterse.g. Dissolved oxygen meters
  • Drying cabinets or ovense.g. Drying ovens
  • Soil core sampling apparatuse.g. Dutch augers
  • GeographyKnowledge of principles and methods for describing the features of land, sea, and air masses, including their physical characteristics, locations, interrelationships, and distribution of plant, animal, and human life.
  • English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
  • Education and TrainingKnowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
  • Sociology and AnthropologyKnowledge of group behavior and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
  • Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • History and ArcheologyKnowledge of historical events and their causes, indicators, and effects on civilizations and cultures.
  • MathematicsKnowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.