Geography as a Career. Geography Teaching

Professional geographers whose training emphasizes global thinking and awareness of place and location are in greater and greater demand. In today's world, prospects for geography as a career have never been brighter.

Geography Teaching. Geographers work in three broad career fields: education, government, and the private sector. Many geographers teach in colleges and universities, high schools, junior high schools and middle schools. Currently, universities in the United States offer many advanced degrees in geography.

In addition to teaching, most college and university professors are engaged in research and in university and professional service. Many are active in research on an immense variety of subjects. Indeed, many of the examples in this text are drawn from current research of professors, graduate students, and undergraduates throughout the world.

Other Career Opportunities for Geographers. The percentage of professional geographers who work outside of education is currently increasing. For convenience, we will divide our discussion of career options outside education between the public and private sectors.

Employment in the Public Sector. Many geographers find employment with national, state, and local government agencies. Federal agencies including the Defense Mapping Agency, the United States Bureau of the Census, the Soil Conservation Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration employ considerable numbers of geographers. Many are based in Washington, D.C., but there are numerous others throughout the United States. State, county, and city departments of planning, transportation, environmental protection, commerce, economic development, housing, health, and air and water quality also include many geographers on their staffs.

What do geographers in the public sector do? Although specific job requirements vary from agency to agency, we can make some general statements about the professional responsibilities of geographers in the public sector. Many public-sector geographers work as planners. Planners study past and present patterns of land use, economic activity, transportation, and other aspects of contemporary life with an eye toward making recommendations intended to improve the quality of life in the future. Planners work directly with maps and graphs in order to interpret trends and project future outcomes. To this end, knowledge of geographic information systems is often very useful.

The Department of State, the Foreign Service, the Agency for International Development, and the Central Intelligence Agency also employ many geographers. In recent years, there has been a noticeable upsurge in demand for people with expertise in areas outside the United States. Global interdependence and expanded international trade will increase the demand for geographers with foreign-area expertise. Other geographers work on domestic political issues. Geographers play an important role in drawing electoral district boundaries.

Some entry-level positions in the public sector require bachelors' degrees, while others require graduate work. Students with technical skills in cartography, computers, statistics, or geographic information systems are often at an advantage in competing for positions. Knowledge of foreign languages is valuable to students seeking employment outside the United States.

Employment in the Private Sector. Many geographers are employed by private companies including banks, real estate firms, utilities, retail corporations, airlines, travel agencies, hotels, restaurant chains, and industrial firms. The range of potential job opportunities is considerable. Many private-sector geographers work in the general area of locational analysis. Some are hired to determine profitable locations for factories, shopping centers, and retail outlets. Others are employed by development corporations to evaluate potential locations for residential developments, shopping malls, and factories. Still others work in the field of transportation.

Geographers are hired to analyze transportation plans for trucking firms and long-distance retail outlets. Geographers in the private sector often use their skills to help their companies expand business opportunities and increase profits.

People with backgrounds in geography also have career options in other fields. Geography background is useful for people going into law, especially environmental or international law. In association with areal studies and foreign languages, geography is a useful major for people planning careers in foreign or diplomatic service.