Phone call with Marcus

I spoke to Ravi at Collabera and we confirmed my phone call with Marcus at 930.  When called the number I ended up on a conference call with Marcus, Steve, Gordon and Vikram.  Steve apparently was an associate that I remember speaking with before.

I wrote that the team I had applied for a job with did support for the development of GIS software.  Marcus asked some questions for the team saying that the project I was applying for was phase two of the project and that they had a query tool that created tables, used GRASS and identified buffered areas.  He called it an ETl tool that does data visualization, where if the data doesn’t pass inspection it may not be used.

I described some of my previous experience and then Steve explained that Phase Two would be provide further integration with existing software.  He called it regression testing to see if data was displayed correctly and then described how the day to day activity was meant to query the db and verify that it make the correct outputs and if not then we would have to make the new data.  The team then explained that they were looking at what changes affect the front end tool correctly, saying that Gordon defines the requirements in liaison with the group and that everyone has to meet with him occasionally.  They said there were also general requests from other teams as well.

I told Marcus I wasn’t certain what a Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) was.  However, once they explained that it was a buffer tool which turned routes into events I told them that I had experience with tools like this.  They said it was an ETL tool and that was crucial to interface with the FME developer to understand what manual changes were necessary.

Marcus indicated that I needed to know about shp and geodatabase exports but Steven explained that a lot of that was peripheral.  Marcus also asked me what I had done in the GIS area.  Here I explained that my GIS background covered many years and that I was quite capable with the environment that they had described.  I also indicated that the specific types of buffering and manipulation were like second nature to me especially when it comes to tracking changes and testing.

I’m competent at data export/import and that once the tool is made then a lot of the work was already done.  I also noted that scripts need to be watched every time the process changes—especially if you make a new data source.  Steve then said we wouldn’t be building anything but that interfacing with the team was important.  He also said that I would be checking the source of the data and making certain that the front end tool was correct.

Vikram then went on to say that the process was just as complicated as my last position with the company.  He then asked me to explain how my previous experience coincided with what they explained.  I explained the process of moving data from sharepoint to access to the engineers and finally to the uploaders group.  I made certain to name all the principle actors as a reference as well.

I told them that the data Ihad been using didn’t use shapefiles and explained the lag between each teams procedures.  I said that we used Access to query and then send data to the engineers and that I also knew how to upload data.  I described the process of loading and then sending the data to the testers and went on to explain our “Linear Match” tool for addressing buffering issues.

Steve went on to say that they use Model Builder and I said that I had experience with it.  He then said that they used a testing model for testing which only needed my feedback.  I explained that a model is easy to understand if you have access to the source data to see what is going on with it.

I said that from the description I understood the job well.  I then confirmed the location and asked how many people were on the team and sounded like there were around 10 with 4 developers and a couple of testers.

Within an hour Ravi called to tell me I had landed the job and that the HR guy would call me.  He called a half hour later to confirm that I had received the job.  He then asked if I would accept it.  He said that the contract was 6 months with the possibility of more.  He then confirmed my compensation and said he would send me the details.

GIS at Stanford

I had an interview for a transportation planning position with technical expertise in GIS at Stanford.  I opened up Google Hangouts and received a call from a guy there named Ramses.  We talked about the Hangouts a bit and then he told me that this was the first of several interview rounds and I was one of ten being interviewed.  He said that he had a bunch of questions that he would go through that that this would provide a guide for his evaluation.  I asked about the job and we talked about the UCLA Professor Don Shoup a bit with whom Ramses said that he had consulted.

He said that the job is a data focused job and wanted to evaluate my skills.  The first questions were about Data Management, table production and visualization.  I went over my experience with SQL here.  I recounted my experience with Cartography and ESRI’s GIS and then my experience with MS Access.  I discussed how easy it is to learn the tools if you understand these things.  Ramses described the products his office uses: “R” plug-ins and data mining tools.

He asked about my experience with Java and Python—scripting, programming and command line.  I explained that I had taken classes and built things on my own webpage.  He then asked if I would be able to edit xml or if I had had experience with a debugger or a command line.  To this I explained that I was competent.  I gave him some examples of my modeling experience and I indicated that solving some of his problems might involve several iterations of scripting and a lot of time for the processing and development.  I made it clear that I was a capable GIS analyst with cartographic and network analysis skills pertaining to route optimization, scripting and online tools.

He then asked about my survey experiences.  Here I went into depth with examples I knew: my thesis and helping with the parking office at my university.  He explained that every year his office collects a representative survey from a population of 60000 campus users.  He said the successful candidate would be instrumental in the process of moving data from the survey to analysis.  I explained that my project management experience began with my experiences at Grad School and continued through to the last two jobs I had had.  He then asked me to explain to him why I should get the job and I said that this is the position that I wanted (my “dream job”) and that he had essentially gone over a long list of things that I was well qualified to do.

I asked about the environment in the office and turnover.  He indicated that there wasn’t a huge emphasis on punctuality and that working from home was occasionally possible.  He also said that there wasn’t a lot of turnover in the job and that a lot of people are around for years before they even consider moving on to something better.  He was taking over from his boss who was moving to the Airport.  When we wrapped things up Ramses mentioned that the next round of interviews would be in Stanford proper.

One Avenue

I had just come home from a great weekend camping trip to Marin when I sat down with my father to talk about my career search.  My dad believes that I need to go down to the employers and present myself.  Meanwhile, I kept trying to explain that I need a reason—specifically a relationship—upon which to base this kind of visit.  He said that he would let me know when next he spoke to his friends or associates.

The next day I found myself on the phone with a man who works as a consultant to the company from which he had retired.  I told him that I had previously worked as a consultant at the same company and that I wanted to talk to him about my attempts to get hired there.  He said he had worked for many years as a union employee and that one avenue might be to speak with the unions.  I explained to him that this was an avenue that many had suggested to me.

I then went on to explain that I had been using the company’s web-based job application system.  I noted that while they had actually responded to me I have always been rejected for positions for which I am fully qualified.  I then described some of my experiences as a consultant with the company and asked about the work environment.  He then described what the company’s consultants do in his office.

I told him that I wanted to get on the radar of someone at that office.  I then told him that so many potential employers don’t see that my most recent employer’s background made him a good connection.  He explained that the company keeps on reorganizing its services but that he it could use a little investigation.  This call has made me reconsider my concept of this type of job.  Up to now I had always been under the impression that I would land a job and then join the union.

Fwd: ArcFM

Hey Kevin,

 

Good to hear from you, thanks for sharing your insight!  SFSU does not teach ArcFM, and very few students have experience with enterprise GIS platform, so I doubt any of our graduates will qualify. I have never used ArcFM, I wonder how reliable it is. I have been teaching utility network analyst in my geodatabase class, and have to say every time I use it I keep my fingers crossed. I heard that PG&E invested a lot of money on GIS in the past few years, especially after the San Bruno gas explosion. The previous CEO always believed in lobbying instead of technology. Now finally they are paying attention to technology. Is this position something you are interested in? If so, good luck with it. My guess it would be fairly challenging for them to find a highly qualified candidate unless they open up the search to nationwide.

 

xiaohang

Fwd: ArcFM

Dear Xiao Hang Liu,

I saw the listing for an ArcFM position at PG&E Nancy Forworded from Sarah and thought I would email you.  I interviewed for this last month at Insight Global.  The recruiter had no idea what ArcFM is and needed information.  I could tell she was looking for the "right" candidate.  I told her about my experiences with Enterprise GIS platforms like this.  This week I got calls from 12 recruiters for the same position and even supplied my information to some of them.  I have never seen PG&E send out so many inquiries.

ArcFM is similar to many Enterprise solutions I have seen out there.  I used one that PG&E Gas Transmission uses.  ArcFM seems new though.  It is clearly used for electricity networks.  I am wondering how typical it is and if it might be common for your students to use it?

Thanks,

Kevin Flaherty

She knew nothing about GIS

I wrote that after I gave up on the Tumblr account I watched Baltimore win against Detroit and watched Family Guy.  The next day I got up at 645 and left an hour later to catch the 16x.  I read the paper and walked to Peet’s on California and Market.  I then went to New Montgomery for my interview with Insight Global.

Some young gangly man guided me to the conference room and that was where Ana Cyr interviewed me.  She asked me all of the same questions about my work experience that she had over the phone.  She didn’t have my resume.  All she had was a notebook and her card.  It felt like this was just consulting and that I should have been paid for what we discussed.  She knew nothing about GIS and asked me what ArcFM was.  It was clear that she needed that bit of information and that no one was providing it.  I think that while they may have used Career Builder or Monster to find me initially, the fact that they had an old resume means that they hadn’t used it recently.

I caught the L home and walked.  At home I ate a sandwich and started editing my bibliographic notes.  I wrote that I had been reviewing the aggregators.  I wrote that I did a little bit of the acknowledgments page and loaded all of my photos to Tumblr.  I also noted that mom and dad were nearly done with the tree.  I helped dad carry the tree upstairs and then helped mom put the lights on.  I wrote that I would leave for the cleaners to get my pants and then meet Kathryn.

Fwd: Fwd: Staff GIS Position (walnut creek)

Staff GIS Position

Date: 2013-03-22, 12:16PM

Lettis Consultants International (LCI) is looking for a GIS Specialist to support various GIS tasks applied to the general fields of engineering geology and seismic hazards assessment. This is an entry level position which could be filled by a GIS Specialist with less than 4 years of experience. Please see the job description below and submit your resume and a cover letter with "Staff GIS Specialist" in the subject line. You can also submit examples of your previous work products as PDF files or as website URLs.

LCI is an Earth Science consulting firm specializing in engineering geologic, seismic and natural hazards investigations. LCI is a small business located in the San Francisco Bay Area that is dedicated to providing its clients with science-based solutions to technically challenging Earth Science problems. LCI personnel have extensive experience conducting large, logistically complex, multi-disciplinary studies for critical facilities such as nuclear power plants, dams, ports, bridges, pipelines and LNG terminals.

Skills & Experience Required:
• Degree in GIS or Earth Science-related field with coursework in both disciplines (Masters degree is a plus)
• ArcGIS 10 or newer (intermediate/advanced)
• Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat Pro (intermediate/advanced)
• MS Office Professional (intermediate/advanced)
• Knowledge of additional ESRI or non-ESRI GIS products is a plus
• Knowledge of GPS data collection and processing is a plus
• Knowledge and processing of 3D datasets is a plus
• Knowledge of IT related to hardware and software is a plus
• Knowledge of website design and update is a plus

GIS Specialists possess the following skills, knowledge, and abilities:
• Earth Science: A basic understanding of physical geography and/or geology.
• Communication, Written, Oral, and Cartographic: The ability to convey GIS and spatial information to non-technical people.
• Analytical Skills: The ability to solve problems using the GIS suite of tools.
• Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
• Information Gathering: Knowing how to find information and identify essential information, and validate the information.
• Information Ordering: The ability to correctly follow a given rule or set of rules in order to arrange things or actions in a certain order.
• Computer Science: Using and/or developing computer programs to solve problems.
• Graphical Presentation: Creative production of high quality figures and maps for technical reports.

GIS Specialists perform the following tasks:
• Create maps and graphs, using GIS software and related equipment.
• Work with LCI geologists or clients to define data needs, project requirements, required outputs, or to develop applications.
• Gather, analyze, and integrate spatial data and determine how best the information can be displayed using GIS.
• Compile geographic data from a variety of sources.
• Analyze spatial data for geographic statistics to incorporate into documents and reports.
• Maintain and update of large spatial databases.
• Ability to work under QA/QC (quality assurance and quality control) projects environment
• Enter new map data by digitizing or by direct input of coordinate information using the principles of cartography including coordinate systems, longitude, latitude, elevation, topography, and map scales.
• Analyze geographic relationships among varying types of data.
• Prepare metadata and other documentation.
• Operate and maintain GIS system hardware, software, plotter, digitizer and printers.
• Present information to users and answer questions.

LCI supports a diverse workforce and collegial working environment. We support active research and professional development for all employees, with a strong belief that good science and good people make good business. LCI supports all full time employees with health and dental coverage, a 401(k) retirement plan, and other benefits.