GIS Skills

What skills are needed to be a successful GIS professional?  Broken down by category, listed here is an in progress list of all the skills a GIS professional may be required to have.  Provide your input on essential skills in the comment section below.

Cartography

Map Elements

• Know all the components of a map layout.  See: What’s in a Map?
• Cartographic Design.  See: Principles of Cartographic Design

Spatial Analysis

Data

• Understanding of vector and raster GIS data types.  See: Geodatabases Explored – Vector and Raster Data
• Ability to create and modify geographic data from a variety of source such as text files, hard-copy maps, GPS data, and field notes.
• Ability to translate or convert data from external GIS file types. For example, the ability to import KML files into Esri’s Shapefile format.
• Ability to perform research in order to find and download external GIS data.
• Understanding and ability to prepare metadata.

Database Management

• Relational Database Management
• Structured Query Language

Equipment

• Ability to operate GIS related hardware and associated peripheral devices such as GPS units, plotters, digitizers, and scanners.

General Skills

• Basic understanding of Microsoft Windows operating system and ability to use standard office software (e.g. word processing, spreadsheet, presentation software).
• Proper use of grammar and spelling.  Oral and written language skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Understanding of how to seek out peer support to answer technical questions.

Programming and Scripting Languages

• Knowledge of Python
• Ability to script repetitive tasks

Software

Web Technologies

• Web Servers

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