1. Plan the call beforehand. You may not be able to know exactly how the conversation may turn out but it is always a good idea to have a little plan to ensure that you get all you need from it and like most things it obviously gets easier the more that you do it. Have a pen and paper ready to take notes as well during the call as something may arise that you hadn’t thought about or you may think of other questions as you go.
2. Introduce yourself. This one may sound obvious but it is always important to let the person you are calling know who you are, your position and why you are calling. Ask if they have time available for such a discussion, and if not, arrange with them another time when you can call back, or leave your information and offer for them to call you when they get a chance.
3. Mention that the candidate and the position. Keep to the point of the conservation and be sure to mention the candidate and that they are being considered for a certain position; you can then continue and confirm the accuracy of the employment information that the candidate may have provided and verify the relation between the candidate and the person you are talking to. Allowing the referee know more about the position may also provide help to determine how they would do at such a position.
4. Ensure to ask general questions to provide sufficient information. Remember that this will help evaluate the candidate for the position so be sure to ask questions such as “Do you think the applicant would be a good fit for the job?” Then allow the person to have time to provide input on the candidate. Just like interviewing, open-ended questions and statements usually works best. Pay attention to any pauses in the discussion and be ready to dig for further information when needed.
5. Thank the referee. After you have finished gathering your information be sure to thank the person for their help and to leave a good impression with them about yourself because often the call can also provide some extra PR for you as well.

This was a excellent networking opportunity and a chance to see what else is going on in the Geomatics world. Having a mixture of those already in the industry and those looking to get into Geomatics made for lively discussion.

Join us next month for a trip to the Cantley receiving station on November 16th.

We will visit MDA and the Canadian Centre for Remote Sensing on GIS day for a tour of the facility. This is a free event and a must see for any remote sensing enthusiasts. Keep a look out on GoGeomatics for further details or follow us on twitter. If you wish to attend the tour please email jmurphy@gogeomatics.net to RSVP.

A special thanks goes out to Jonathan Bailey of SpatialBridge, and Dennis Nazarenko of Cardinalus for organizing the event. Another thank you to Jean-François Dionne of WESA for providing refreshments.

Some of those in attendance:

• Tyson Altenhoff – Geomatics Engineering
• Bilyana Anicic – Amec.com
• Jonathan Bailey – Owner – SpatialBridge.com
• Rebecca Barker – Geomatics Analyst at Health Canada
• Enrique Blondel – Remote Sensing and GIS Specialist – GISMatix.ca
• Harry Borlase – Northern Analyst – LookNorth.org
• Josh Chisholm – Student
• Jean-François Dionne, Senior Geomatics Resource – WESA.ca
• Aubrey Downie  – GIS
• Tristan Forward – Data Analyst at GeoDigital & Intern for GoGeomatics – GeoDigital.com
• Erin Forward – GIS Mapping Librarian University of Ottawa – biblio.uottawa.ca
• David Gachuche,  Owner – RiverCrosstech.com
• Jeff Hughes – Account Manager ESRI – ESRICanada.com
• Susan Muleme Kasumba – Eastern Sales Rep. – AirborneImaginginc.com
• Rory MacLean – Data Analyst – GeoDigital.com
• Sean McDonnell – Vice President – CPCS – Cpcstrans.com
• Jonathan Murphy – Owner – GoGeomatics.ca
• Dennis Nazarenko – Owner – Cardinalus.com
• Jeremy Paterson – GIS Analyst – Student
• David Stafford – Executive Director of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics – cig-acsg.ca
• Eric Seguin – GIS Analyst – CPCS – Cpcstrans.com
• Javed Syed – Imagery Interpreter
• Melanie Tranter, GIS AIS Assembly Specialist – NAVCANADA.ca

If your name does not appear on the list above and you attended, please let us know and we will gladly add you and a link to your website.

GoGeomatics: Where are you from?

Jenn: I’m from the extremely hot and extremely cold city of Winnipeg, Manitoba. I moved to Ottawa when The Centre for Topographic Information at Natural Resources Canada offered me a term to work with them. I jumped at the opportunity and was excited to live in a new city.

GoGeomatics: Where did you go to school?

Jenn: I attended the University of Manitoba. I did my B.A. Advanced with my Major in Geography. In my second year of studies, I took a cartography course and it was from that course, I became passionate about working with and creating maps.

In my mind, cartography is a perfect blend of art and science. It’s artistic because the map is the canvas and you’re depicting the real world in colours, lines and symbols. You get to be creative in how to represent the real-world. On the other hand, there’s also the science to it. Maps must be to scale. Measurements must be accurate. For a topographic map, the contours must give an accurate representation of the terrain. You can’t delete a contour just because it’s cramped between the shoreline and the adjacent contour. It’s your responsibility to give the contour a “good fit”.  A Cartographer has to adhere to the rules of cartography and also to the mapping specifications that are set out by their company.

For example, you want to be consistent in where you place the text that informs the map-reader of the geographic location of the mapping area. When you work on adjoining maps, you want the sheets to be similar in where the geographic location text is situated. Then the map reader’s eyes will always be drawn to the same spot to find the information.

That being said, cartography was taking second place to GIS. At that time, GIS was all the rage and was seen as the way of the future. I knew from back then that I would have to build a career in GIS so I could still have the opportunity to create maps.

GoGeomatics: How much GIS were you exposed to at university?

Jenn: This is really going back. There was one course that introduced and explained the concepts of GIS. However, there wasn’t any GIS software that we could use in the labs. The department was planning on purchasing GIS software in the, then, near future. The professors and instructors strongly encouraged us to take the initiative to learn about GIS on our own. It wasn’t until I got into the work force that I was exposed to GIS.

GoGeomatics: Can you give me the highlights of your working life so far?

Jenn: My most recent highlight would be working for Natural Resources Canada in mapping Canada’s North. I was one of many who created 1:50,000 National Topographic Sheets. This was the first time in Canada’s history where the entire Northern part of Canada has been mapped. Being part of history in the making is quite exciting.
In 2009, for my thesis project, I worked with Manitoba Hydro on creating raster images of temperature and precipitation scenarios over their water basins. I used tabular data from Global Climate Models (Canadian Centre for Climate Modelling and Analysis) and created raster images. The next step was to create an animation from all the raster images to illustrate the changing patterns.

GoGeomatics: Before that you were with ATLIS can you tell us a little about that?

Jenn: I accumulated my photogrammetry knowledge during my time at ATLIS. I’m quite proud of myself for being able to create Digital Elevation Models (DEM) in stereo. Not everyone can see objects in 3D. Furthermore, being able to work in stereo takes time to learn and master.

Creating DEMs involves looking at overlapping aerial photos in 3D. I wore special glasses that would enable me to see the aerial photos.  I would capture elevation points and breaklines to form the DEM. Some people use hand wheels, a foot wheel and pedals for doing data capture, but I used a hand puck. For me, using a hand puck was more comfortable rather than having to turn wheels and use my foot to click and capture points. The elevation points would be captured in a grid. Then additional points and breaklines would be added in order to represent the terrain features. An area with lots of relief would need a denser grid with lots of breaklines and additional elevation points. However, an area of flat terrain could have a larger grid with fewer breaklines.

The DEMs could then be used to orthorectify the aerial photos. Orthorectification involves altering the aerial photos so accurate distance measurements can be taken. Moreover, the orthophotos are now geo-referenced. Mosaics could be created from all the orthophotos.

The DEMs could also be used to create contour maps. Many of ATLIS’ clients would purchase orthophotos and overlay the contours on their maps.  ATLIS uses KLT software which is a suite package. ATLAS/DSP (Digital Stereoplotting) was the program geared to DEM capture. ATLAS/Ortho was used to rectify the orthophotos. Finally, ATLAS was the program used for map editing.
It was always fun for me to do DEM updates on cities. I could see where development had taken place since the DEM no longer matched the photos. This usually happened with urban expansion and road construction.

A great difference was made in DEM capture when the company moved from film imagery to digital imagery. The resolution increased vastly and it made data capture much easier.

GoGeomatics: How did your job change during your time at ATLIS? You were there for a number of years.

Jenn: It wasn’t my job that changed, it was me who changed. There are so many branches to Geomatics. I had reached that point where I was eager to learn more and I wanted to broaden my skills.

GoGeomatics: It was after that job that you went to Red River College. Can you tell us about the program they have for GIS? For you what were the highlights?

Jenn: To begin, Red River College is situated in one of the city’s industrial areas. It’s a technical college with a small campus surrounded with lots of green space. The green space is nice to wander around for fresh air during the nice weather. All the buildings on the campus are connected by hallways so you don’t have to go outside into the bitter cold during the winter.
The Geographic Information Systems Technology course itself is an intense but rewarding course. It’s a one year course and that tries to cover all the bases to prepare you for the GIS industry.

GoGeomatics: How large is the GIS program at Red River College?

Jenn: When I attended, we spent the day in a lab and the instructors would come in and teach their respective courses. The lab can accommodate 12 people. There were only 9 students when I was enrolled.
The courses offered are: cartography, programming, remote sensing, CAD, geodatabase management, surveying, spatial statistics and project management.

GoGeomatics: Did you have to write a final thesis?

Jenn: In the last two terms of the program, students have to work on a thesis project. Companies who work with GIS will offer projects to the students. That was how I got to work with Manitoba Hydro.
GoGeomatics: Can you tell us about what the instructors are like?

Jenn: In regards to the instructors: one instructor is Mr. Roger Hamelin and he has been teaching there for years. He teaches programming, surveying and project management. He was always available to help students when help was needed.  When it came to upcoming jobs opportunities, he was one of the instructors who would tell us who was hiring or might be hiring.

GoGeomatics: Highlights of the program?

Jenn: As for saying what the highlight of the course was for me, I  honestly have to say that it was the sheer excitement of being there and learning. Looking back, I tried to soak up everything that I could. Each project that I completed gave me the thrill of knowing that I had acquired more knowledge and skills. Plus, there were always maps to submit as part of the project.

GoGeomatics: You’re currently on the job hunt now. How’s it going?

Jenn: I am currently looking for my next opportunity. It’s been challenging for me since I’m new to the city and I have to learn who the companies that deal with GIS are. So not only am I doing the job search in the classical sense of doing internet searches, I also have to go out and meet other people who work in GIS as well.

GoGeomatics: Other than the GoGeomatics job board where do you look for jobs?

Jenn: I’ve met with MaxSys Consulting and Staffing and ATLIS HR. I also use Peter’s New Jobs and the Government of Canada job website.

GoGeomatics: Have you had any interviews?

Jenn: I have had some interviews and I’ve met some really great people. Having those interviews has also allowed me to learn more about the companies in regards to their projects and how the company itself functions.

GoGeomatics: Can you tell us about your most recent interviews? How did it go? What was the job?

Jenn: My most recent interview was for an environmental company. I felt that it went well. The job was for a GIS Technologist. The company would like to expand their Geomatics sector.

The one before that was with the Government of Canada for an upcoming project. It was more of an informal meeting so the manager could get a better idea of who I am.  Any interview is good practice for the next one.

GoGeomatics: What place do you feel networking has for job hunting? Do you try to network? If so how?

Jenn: Networking is helpful to meet people who are either in, or who know someone who are in the industry. It allows you to hear about the work that other people do. It can help determine which companies you want to work for. Plus, networking gives you a chance to “put a face to the resume”. Personality isn’t something that is reflected on a resume. By meeting with people, they gain a better idea of who you are and vice versa.

I’ve gone to GIS user groups such as the CanadianGIS user group, the National Capital Region GIS users group. I plan to go to the OSGeo group as well.

GoGeomatics: Do you have any skill areas that you want to expand? New tools you might be interested in learning?

Jenn: I’ve always worked in an office so I’d like to learn more about surveying and acquire field experience.
I’m currently trying out ArcView 10. Plus I’m reading about Open geospatial data and its software.
As well I’m slowly working my way through the OSGeo website.

GoGeomatics: Where do you think your strengths lay in geomatics? A particular discipline?

Jenn: My strengths are in  and photogrammetry. It always seems like the projects end with a final map which is great for me because I enjoy making maps.

GoGeomatics: What would be your dream job? Where? Doing what?

Jenn: My dream job would be where I could work on projects from start to finish. I would like to go out in the field and collect data. Then take that data, compile any other necessary information and work on the project(s). It would be great to continue working with photogrammetry and produce some maps as final deliverables.

I’d be happy with a company where I feel useful and I know that I’m contributing to that company’s success.

GoGeomatics: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us an share your experiences in the Geomatics industry. Any advice for other job seekers out there?

Jenn: Be patient but be assertive.

IF you wanted to contact Jenn you can reach here on email here j.n.white04@gmail.com

What is the Geomatics connection you ask? Teresa has GIS diploma from Algonquin College in Ottawa and moved into her current position by leveraging her education and talents in GIS.

GoGeomatics: Hi Teresa welcome to the GoGeomatics Career Blog. Let’s get into it.

Just as a background for our members can you tell us a little about you?  Teresa where are you from and what is your education?

Teresa: I’m originally from Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where my parents still live. I went to school at the University of Regina and finished with two undergraduate degrees, one in German and one in Geography. I got introduced to GIS while I was finishing up my German degree and decided that I would go back for a second degree, which only takes a year. So I took as many GIS and Cartography classes as I could and absolutely loved them. I knew that in order for me to get into GIS, I would have to take something more than my additional year of Geography classes. I looked at a few schools across Canada and eventually decided on Algonquin College in Ottawa, where I took the post-graduate certificate in GIS.

GoGeomatics: How was your experience at Algonquin. Can you tell us about some of the high points of the program for you?

Teresa: It was a very interesting program, as most people didn’t have geography backgrounds, but biology and philosophy and others. I ended up being the one that people came to for some Geography questions because I had taken a Canadian geography course and knew which tiny islands belonged to what province, for example. It was a good way to get people interested in the different parts of GIS, as we covered databases, cartography, programming, and statistics.

GoGeomatics: How did you go from GIS diploma from Algonquin to your current position?

Teresa: This is the proof of it’s who you know. I heard about FOSSLC when I was first moving to the city and ended up helping out with a few of their conferences. So when I was looking for work, Andrew Ross knew what I was capable of and had no hesitation in hiring me.

GoGeomatics: You’ve moved from a very technical background to a marketing and community management position within the open source community. What changed your focus from the technical side of GIS to marketing?

Teresa: As much as I love GIS, I’m not good at programming. I can be very good at organizing things, such as conferences apparently! So it is just a natural fit. I actually had a former co-worker tell me that I give off this air of being really well organized, which I thought was grand. I honestly love jobs like these where what I’m working on changes. I get to make maps, I get to organize conferences, I get to travel, I get to meet new people. It’s great, really.

GoGeomatics: In between Algonquin and FOSSLC you had a job at DM Solutions. What were you doing at DM?

Teresa: Initially, I started searching for open data for them to use in their MapSherpa project. So I spent hours trying to see if there were good sources of data and what was wrong with some of the data that I did find and what we could possible use it for. It was a great time to learn about licenses, about data sources and types and about metadata. I ended up doing support for MapSherpa, as well as working on data collection, finding potential partners, partner support. I did a lot of QA on MapSherpa as well, which was also a great fit, as I tend to break most technology that I can touch.

GoGeomatics: What do you see in store for the future of Geomatics and the open source community?

Teresa: Geomatics is definitely doing well in the open source community, things like the success of OSGeo and FOSS4G are definitely proof of that. More countries are releasing their data for free, more different levels of government are going towards open source, so it’s a very exciting time. Things are definitely changing. NRCan uses MapServer, for example, which is a huge open source project that the University of Minnesota, I believe, started. It’s such a big project, that I was actually quite mad that it wasn’t taught at Algonquin. Students need to know that things like this exist!

GoGeomatics: What type for opportunities are out there for those interested in working on open source software and geomatics?

Teresa: There definitely are some, but they aren’t as obvious as you might think. NRCan is definitely a huge one, but I suspect it’s only MapServer that they’re using. Smaller companies like DM Solutions Group are definitely another. Going into work for yourself is a huge one, to be honest. If you can find customers via LinkedIn or Twitter or what have you, you could easily work for yourself using only open

source software. Most of the work seems to be web mapping, which is getting huge right now. This starts from a simple Google map on a restaurant’s website (note, many still don’t have this) to much more detailed work.

GoGeomatics: If I asked you to put together a robust set of tools for me in GIS, remote sensing, and web mapping what would you recommend to GoGeomatics?

Teresa: I was taught with ESRI software, but I have to say, I really like using QGIS, GRASS, OpenLayers, and MapServer. They would easily be able to do what ESRI does for you, without a doubt.

GoGeomatics: Open source software is not really taught in the GIS programs in Canada. For the most part GIS programs stick with the ESRI suite of tools. What are your thoughts on that? Do you think more emphasis should be put on open source tools?

Teresa: Oh I know, and it makes me sad. Our ESRI license server went down at school (Algonquin) for two weeks and we couldn’t get any work done, it was incredibly frustrating. We actually weren’t able to do one of our Remote Sensing assignments because of this. Schools stick with it because ESRI knows that once they get into schools, they have people. Someone educated with ESRI will recommend it when someone asks “what GIS should I get?” It’s what they are used to and I understand that, but there are definitely differences. I would love for people to be taught open source technologies, simply because they are less ready out of the box and you have to think more. As a student, yeah, you might hate it at the time, but you’ll definitely have a better idea of what you need in a GIS than just saying “oh I only use ESRI because that’s all I know”. ESRI isn’t bad, but there are definitely alternatives that schools don’t even talk about and I wish they would.

GoGeomatics: Is there any up and coming open source software for GIS that we should keep our eyes on?

Teresa: Not that I know of, off hand. I would definitely recommend learning more python for people as it’s going to become fairly huge in GIS period, not just open source.

GoGeomatics: Are there any areas that you are looking to expand your skill sets in the future?

Teresa: I personally would love to get into Python programming, I took a bit of that at Algonquin and I know how powerful it can be.

GoGeomatics: Do you have any advice for new grads or those thinking of pursing a career in the field of Geomatics in Canada?

Teresa: Be willing to move, as much as I hate to say it. Small municipalities want a GIS technician and many will pay you well without any experience. Small town BC is a great example of this.

Learn to program, there are tons more jobs out there for you if you do.

Make new contacts, particularly in engineering firms, as they are the ones that will help you get a new position the most.

GoGeomatics: As well one last question. What web links do you recommend for those who want to learn more about open source software and geomatics?

Teresa: Take a look at OSGeo http://www.osgeo.org/ particularly as we have monthly meetings here in Ottawa (that I’m the chair of, heh!)

Check out FOSSLC’s videos on the subject: http://www.fosslc.org/drupal/videos

Get on mailing lists. There are tons and there are people willing to help you out with everything!

Also, get on Twitter. There’s a ridiculous amount of open source and geomatics people on it that are willing to help.

Thanks for sharing your expertise and time with us Teresa.

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Where are you from and what is your education background?

I’m originally from Toronto and went to school in Quebec at Bishop’s University studying Geography and Fine Art. I moved back to Toronto to write my honours thesis looking at how urban design affects people’s sense of security using Kensington Market as a case study. After graduating I found it difficult to find work with a BA that was not specialised. I ended up serving coffee, telemarketing, and driving a truck. Being 5ft and just barely able to see over the wheel was the kicker to go back to school.

A friend from Bishop’s told me about the GIS and Cartography program at COGS out east, she was studying there and thought it was a good program that would open up more doors. COGS and Sir Sandford Fleming College were the only 2 schools in Canada with a course specifically in Cartography. I enrolled in the 1 year post-graduate GIS-Cartographic specialist program at Fleming and left for Japan to teach english while I waited for the next start date.

What did you think of the program at Fleming? Any projects you worked on that really stand out as being useful in your professional career?

The program at Fleming was great, it was really hands on and practical, also very intense and full on. It had classes in land surveying, GIS, computer programming, remote sensing, and web and graphic design in addition to the cartographic classes.

Steve Pelletier taught the cartography portion. His classes were interesting and motivating. What I learned in his classes I have taken with me through every stage of my career. He was passionate about the subject matter and his knowledge was widespread spanning from cartographic conventions to which software is current and most adept to cartographic design.

The year was divided into three semesters with the final portion being a co-op project working with a company on a project to be used in real life. We were given the option of finding our own company to collaborate with (providing it included a number of skills we developed through the year), or to choose from a list of projects that had been approved by different companies that had expressed an interest. There was a lot to choose from and I ended up in a team of 3 working on a project with Avenza Systems Inc. creating an interactive map and website to house the map showing the capabilities of a yet to be released version of MAPublisher – a plug in for Adobe Illustrator that acts as a GIS and really does allow for the creation a product that far surpasses any of the other software I’ve used in terms of aesthetics.

The first two semesters were helpful to develop the skills I would need in the workforce, but it was the final semester with the co-op component that actually opened doors and gave me the kind of practical application of these skills I needed. Having industry work experience to put on my resume made all the difference. I don’t think having an education with truck driving and English teaching on it wouldn’t have paved any roads towards what I do now.

How long did it take you to find your first job in geomatics. Any job hunting tips for others still on the hunt for a first job?

This is a question that I asked at Fleming before I enrolled – the last thing I wanted was another degree to serve coffee with. I forget the exact percentage that I was quoted but it was almost a guarantee that I would walk out of the program and straight into a job, which I did. I should include a disclaimer that it’s not a given and an effort has to be made.

In terms of job hunting tips, keep your eyes open for opportunities and apply for anything that interests you even if it doesn’t seem very likely. Send your resume and expression of interest to companies you would like to work for even if there aren’t any vacancies posted. You never know if or when you might hear from them.

Can you tell us what your first job was like out of school? What did you do day to day?

I started on a contract with the Atlas of Canada as a cartographer. Peter Paul the section head there had contacted Fleming College looking for someone with a Fine Arts background as he felt that the aesthetic component was being lost from maps. Day-to-day I created maps for one project or another collaborating with different departments and responding to map requests. I learned a lot from my colleagues at the Atlas, getting help and tips with GIS and design problems. I learned a bit about the printing side of things from Jeff Monette who also teaches on the subject. Andrew Murray was the other cartographer at the Atlas; very skilled and helpful. He has created some really stunning maps – my favourite being the Circumpolar North (2008) map.

Since then you have made a big change and are now living and working in Australia . Can you tell GoGeomatics how that came about?

I went on exchange to Australia during my second year of University and really loved it. I had always been trying to get back and find work in Australia but it wasn’t panning out. I managed to get a full year jumping from contract to contract at the Atlas and was presented with an opportunity to go up north to Dawson Creek British Columbia to work as a cartographer for Tryon Surveys – a brand new company at the time started up by two brothers.

The job sounded really interesting with a lot of creative freedom to develop my own style and symbol pallet but Mile Zero of the Alaskan Hwy sounded too cold for my likings. I wrote to them and said that the job sounded great but I did not want to live up north. They said that’s ok, no one does. Come up for 4-6 weeks and then go somewhere with internet access. So I went up for 7 weeks, and had a great time. Although the scenery was incredible, I decided I never wanted to see another flake of snow again so off I flew to Australia and back to Melbourne to work remotely. This worked out well for a while but it was difficult to communicate effectively with the time difference and distance. Eventually the work slowed down and I was just updating existing maps which they could do themselves by that point. I had been dropping resumes every now and again as the novelty of working from home was quickly wearing off.

As luck would have it a hailstorm hit Melbourne and knocked a cartographer for Explore Australia off of a ladder, breaking his elbow and landing me a short stint with an immediate start while he recovered. This helped break me in to the Australian workforce, leading to a contract GIS role with a local municipal government while an employee of their underwent surgery. I then had a freelancing project for HEMA maps, 3D modelling with GPS at Systems Australia and finally working as an in-house freelance cartographer at Lonely Planet which lead to a permanent position with them.

What is it like to work for Lonely Planet and what type of work are you doing?

Lonely Planet is a great place to work. It is a very personable company and has social events for their staff which helps maintain the vibe and sense of community that was established when the company was much smaller.

I work on the maps in the guidebooks, collaborating with Authors and Editors throughout the various stages of mapping. The maps have different styles depending on which edition and what type of guidebook is in production. I also have the bonus of being able to explore and learn about all different countries from my desk.

What software tools are you using every day? Where do you get your data?

Every job I’ve done has used a different type of software. I’ve used ESRI’s Arc Map, Adobe Illsutrator with MAPublisher, AutoCAD Map, Photomodeler, Photoshop, and customised software. It’s a similar story with data depending on who I’m working for it could be Government data, purchased data, satellite imagery, aerial photographs, collected data…etc.

Are there any skills or tools you are thinking of upgrading to further your career in the future?

Yes, I would like to learn more about using digital elevation models and hill-shading techniques.

What are your future career goals?

To stay working as a cartographer for as long as I can (it appears to be a diminishing field), creating maps to be printed on paper – despite this dinosaur ‘Technology’.

Can you share any links to your work we can see?

(see attached)

Jen thanks for taking the time to talk to our members at GeoGeomatics.

GoGeomatics: Thank you for taking the time to answer some question for our members Thomas. Can you tell us a little about 43 Degrees North? We would like to know where you are based out of and what area you service. Who are your clients for the most part? What is your team like?

Thomas Hoppe: 43 Degrees North is situated in Cobourg Ontario in picturesque Northumberland County along the north shore of Lake Ontario. Approximately 60% of our clients are local, however, we also service key clients anywhere in the Ontario. We have provided services from the Atlantic coast in the east, James Bay in the north, Pennsylvania in the south, and Sault Saint Marie to the west. We provide a variety of geo-referenced solutions from boundary surveys, aerial photography ground support, pre-engineering surveys, construction layout, and survey training with an emphasis on GPS applications and technology. For the most part, our clients are municipal/ provincial governments, engineering firms, land developers, and land owners requiring services of a professional surveyor to support their operations.

GoGeomatics: What makes 43 Degrees North different from the other surveyors out there? What sets you apart?

Thomas Hoppe: I wouldn’t say 43 Degrees North is significantly different than other surveyors out there, but what does set us apart is the personal service as well as our desire and ability to utilize new technology to deliver our products and develop solutions that provide cost and time savings to our clients.

shot at 4:00 AM whilst on a survey for a gold exploration company in the James Bay Lowlands

GoGeomatics: What made you decide to become a surveyor in the first place?

Thomas Hoppe: Well, I had dropped out of high school and after a brief stint working the factory life, I decided to improve my life by returning to school and then attending college. After the first year, I wanted to do something in the engineering field. I happened by the placement office and there was a brochure asking the question “Do you like to work outside and travel?” That drew my attention, I applied to Ryerson Polytechnic Institute and here I am. To be honest, I have lived in the USA and worked in a good portion of the USA, as well as travelled and worked in Guam, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand.

GoGeomatics: What educational background do you have? What was training to be a surveyor like?

Thomas Hoppe: My education as a surveyor began at Ryerson Polytechnic where I obtained a 4 year bachelor of Technology in Surveying Engineering. I then began my articles to a land surveying company and after 3.5 years and 3 professional exams later, I obtained my commission. During my training, I had to obtain training and practice in a variety of applications whilst reporting to the surveyor I worked for as well as my monitor assigned by the Association of Ontario Land Surveyors. Every 3 months, I was required to write a report on the type of jobs worked on, what specific knowledge base I was developing, and elaborate on the principles learned.

GoGeomatics: As a professional surveyor what is an average day like?

Thomas Hoppe: Being in private practice, I am my own boss, so my average day consists of field work which I really enjoy, research for my projects, and would include face-to-face communications with my customers as well as sitting by the computer and processing the field data to come up with my solutions to the problems of the day. This gives me a good variety of tasks during my day and week and makes the job interesting.

a survey on one of the 30,000 islands in Georgian Bay

GoGeomatics: What is the best part of your work as a surveyor?

Thomas Hoppe: The best part of my work as a surveyor is the travel to different parts of the country and working on those relationships with clients where your contribution is both appreciated and valued.

GoGeomatics: Is there a project project or contract that you have taken that was more challenging than you first expected? Can you tell us about it?

Thomas Hoppe: One project that was very challenging the first time I attempted it was a simple Hydrographic survey on Lake Ontario. I was working with some coastal engineers on a parcel to be developed along the shore of Lake Ontario where the erosion along the shoreline needed to be considered in the development of the land. The task at first glance was simple, take soundings along the shoreline to where the average depth of water is 3 metres. What I had not anticipated was the bed of Lake Ontario – especially in this location – was primarily limestone and the way the bed had developed, the limestone was essentially a series of mesas under water. I had obtained simple digital sounding equipment linked to my GPS system, but what I didn’t anticipate was finding myself 500 metres off shore in a 13 foot flat bottom boat with a 10 hp motor. For those of you not familiar with the great lakes, the water conditions can change in 20 minutes, and the temperature of the Lake at this time of year gives you 10 – 15 minutes of survival if you decide to go for a swim. It took 3 tries, but eventually I got both the lake, weather, and boat to cooperate together and let me obtain the results.

GoGeomatics: We would like to know what type of geomatics software and instrumentation 43 Degrees North using?

Thomas Hoppe:   43 Degrees North utilizes the new Trimble R6 series of GNSS equipment and both a stand-alone RTK radio telemetry system and a nation-wide Real-Time Network solution where coverage is available. In addition to this, we operate the Trimble 5600 full robotic total station. The data is QA/QC’d by Trimble Business Center software and all drafting/calculations utilize Microsurvey Cad software. In the near future, we intend to start utilizing a terrestrial LIDAR.

GoGeomatics: Many of our members are looking for their first jobs in geomatics. How did you land your first job? What was that like? Any advice for any new graduate from survey programs for today’s job market?

Thomas Hoppe: My first job in surveying was as a third member in a field crew holding the dumb end of the chain. I tried not to let the pay and job description get me down, but I did change jobs 5 times in 2 years to steal experience until I started to article as a professional surveyor. My advice to new graduates is to get on with a company that will have you working in remote projects away from home. You will get to see the world and obtain some great experience. Don’t get yourself into a 9-5 routine, but embrace the occupation and immerse yourself into it.

a pair of ancient cairns on an island in Lake Huron

Thanks for talking to our 5,000 GoGeomatics members. To learn more about 43 Degrees North you can click http://www.43north.ca/ to visit the web site.

GoGeomatics:  To get us started can you tell us about your current position, who you work for, and what you do?

Mike Strutt: I work for Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc. I wear a couple of hats at Topcon, managing the training and support of our GNSS Reference Network Products as well as administering several Real Time GPS Reference Networks across North America

GoGeomatics: Mike, how did you get started as a surveyor? Where did you go to school?

Mike Strutt: Well, like many surveyors, I got into surveying by accident – in my case, the welding class was full. After high school I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do in life, but figured a night school course wouldn’t hurt. After learning that my first few choices were full, I signed up for the “Plane Surveying” class. I liked the challenge, learned of a job opening and was soon making my living as a survey crewman. The following school year I registered at Algonquin College in their 3 year, Survey Technologist program.

GoGeomatics: What do you enjoy the most about being a surveyor? What do you enjoy the least?

Mike Strutt: I’ve been out of the field for many years now, but as a Field Officer for the Geodetic Survey of Canada (Natural Resources, Canada), I thought I had the best job in the world. I got paid to travel around the country conducting ‘geodetic control’ surveys. Of course by the late 70’s the places where such surveys were required were usually in the far north. Seems my personality fit very well the description of land measurers described by Andro Linklater in his book “Measuring America” when he wrote ”a contradiction exhibited by so many land measurers that it is almost a defining characteristic – a passion for both exact definition and for untamed wilderness.” So I suppose that what I enjoyed most, was both the challenge of the survey and the remoteness of the projects.

And what did I like least? I think anybody that has spent any time on a field crew using conventional, optical instruments would agree that cutting line, or in Canada, digging line in the winter, sucks.

GoGeomatics: Can you describe what an average day for you might be like?

Mike Strutt: My majority of my days are now spent at a desk, logged onto a computer (or 2) and monitoring Real Time GPS Network operations across North America, supporting other network administrators and assisting in the expansion of new RTN’s (Real Time Networks).

GoGeomatics: Typically what instrumentation are you using for your work?

Mike Strutt: I still get the occasional chance to conduct field work, and I still love it. I use a couple of different GNSS (GPS and GLONASS) ‘rovers’. Both the GR3 and GRS-1 (Topcon) use internal modems and I have a wireless data plan that allows me to connect to the real time GPS network we are in the process of bringing online in Ontario. Right now we are going through the final stages of the release process for our latest version of Real Time GNSS Reference Network Management software “TopNET” and I am tasked with conducting field tests to evaluate performance.

GoGeomatics: GoGeomatics knows that you do a lot of training for surveying. Is there a particular area of what you teach that is poorly understood?

Mike Strutt: Good question. Before coming to Topcon almost 6 years ago, I spent 11 years teaching people to use GPS for surveying and mapping. I would have thought that by now, given the maturity and acceptance of the technology, that field technicians would understand the challenges and be proficient in the use of space based positioning. But while the technology has advanced and software enhancements have made GPS easier to use than ever, it’s still very easy to misuse. I think the 2 main areas I see today that still challenge users are datums/coordinate systems and RTK fundamentals. Both the concept of ‘what am I measuring’ and how do I represent it need to be better understood by the practitioners of real time kinematic GPS(GNSS) surveying.

GoGeomatics: Is there a particular project that you are proud of that you worked on? Something that tested and challenged your skills?

Mike Strutt: During my field days, all the projects I worked on for the Geodetic Survey of Canada required skill, persistence and common sense but the one that required the most diverse set of skills was, as far as I am aware, the last true ‘traversing party’ fielded by The Geodetic Survey of Canada. In the summer of 1983 we were tasked with establishing vertical control in support of mapping operations in Northern British Columbia. Pre GPS by a few years, we carried elevations over the Coast mountains from BC across the Alaskan panhandle to sea level by measuring vertical angles and distances and computing the changes in elevation from station to station using trigonometry. We flew from station to station in a Hughes 500D helicopter and over the course of 5 months we employed both traditional surveys (traversing and leveling) as well as the current ‘space based’ positioning technology of the day, Doppler (predecessor to GPS). The work was challenging and the scenery breath-taking. Our results were outstanding and it stands a project/field season I will never forget.

GoGeomatics: What skills are you using the most as a surveyor?

Mike Strutt: Mathematics. When I first started surveying, they said there’d be ‘no math. ’ They lied.  The other two skills, or perhaps they aren’t so much skills as traits or characteristics, are common sense and persistence. Technology is great, it’s not perfect. Too often I have run into users that run into a problem, the GPS receiver doesn’t work, or perform as expected, and they pick up the phone looking for “support”. Maybe that’s just a reflection of our ‘wired’ world and reliance on instant communications. Or maybe I’m just getting old and grumpy.

GoGeomatics: For those thinking about becoming surveyors or transitioning into surveying from another career what basic skills do they need to bring to the discipline?

Mike Strutt:While I think that this holds true for any discipline, an unending thirst for knowledge and an open mind will serve them well. Positioning technology is constantly evolving. It’s tough to stay current. After more than 35 years in the industry, the one thing I know for certain is, I still have a lot to learn.

GoGeomatics: If you had any advice for someone thinking about getting into surveying what would it be?

Mike Strutt:Start now.

Mike Strutt

Manager, Training & Support – Network/Infrastructure Products
Administrator, TopNEXT GNSS Reference Networks
Topcon Positioning Systems, Inc.

Mike began his survey career in 1974 and managed his first GPS project in 1987 while a field officer with the Geodetic Survey of Canada. Prior to joining Topcon where he now manages RTN Services, Support & Training, Mike spent in excess of 11 years and 10,000 hours delivering instruction on the use of GPS for surveying and mapping.

Dennis, we are pleased to meet you and welcome to the GoGeomatics Career Blog. Let’s get started.

What were the biggest challenges when starting this new venture and how did you overcome them?

The initial challenge was to make people aware that I had started Cardinalus and to present what it was that we had to offer – basically building an engine for promotion and lead generation. Obviously a key starting point was my own contacts but I found that in many respects I had let my network languish over the years. It wasn’t that I ignored it – just that I was not very committed to keeping in regular contact with people I had worked with or otherwise come in contact with over a 25 year career. So the first step was to resuscitate my network of contacts.

What is the Cadinalus mission statement?

Cardinalus’ mission is to further the application of new technologies by providing business guidance to either technology developers or potential users of technology.

Have you been in business long? How have your structured your operations?

Cardinalus has been in business since early 2008. The initial plan was to keep it small, pursuing work that leveraged my personal experience. However over the few years the company has been in existence, we have encountered opportunities that require knowledge and skills outside my particular domain. Collaboration with other experts on a project basis has allowed us to bring more expertise to our clients than would have been possible otherwise. At the same time, Cardinalus can maintain is small, focused structure.

Can you tell us a little something about your clients. What are they looking for from you? How do you help them?

My clients are either experts in some technology or organizations looking to gain understanding or implement technologies within their business that they have limited knowledge of. In the former case, they are looking for support in the areas of business planning, strategic market analysis, assistance in defining and launching a new product, that sort of thing. These clients may or may not be in the geomatics sector. The other group of clients typically is looking for knowledge or advice about options. These clients are most often looking for input to geomatics related questions. For them I am able to draw on my experience in the field as well as my network of contacts who likely have far more expertise in specific areas of geomatics. We can then help the client to look at things like the business case for incorporating geomatics technology into their business, the tradeoffs between various technology options, operational implementation, etc.

Who has Cardinalus been working with?

Our clients include companies in the geomatics sector (aerial photography, remote sensing, GIS, and web mapping companies). We also work with companies using geomatics data and technology in the telecommunications, financial and software industries. We have done some work with not-for-profit organizations looking to leverage geospatial technologies to better serve their clients.

What has been the most challenging aspect of moving from the working world to working for yourself?

The most challenging aspect has been balancing business development and actual paying work – ensuring that the work pipeline is being fed at the same time paying work is being done. In a small organization one has to wear both hats.

You have a blog of your own. Can you tell us about it and what your goals are there?

From a Cardinalus perspective, I want people to engage with us. I am hopeful that as we engage, there will be opportunities for us to do business together. For Cardinalus, the blog is a tool for us to share meaningful information that will help people understand how we might add value to their business. The blog is not intended to be the source of all the latest developments in the geomatics industry but rather to share some of the things either we are working on or interested in. The target audience is two fold (probably some people would tell me I need to focus better) – those who are developing technology and are looking for ways to build, expand or improve their business and those who might be trying to figure out how geomatics technology can be leveraged within their business practice.

http://www.cardinalus.com/blog/

How have you seen the geomatics industry in Canada change over the course of your work experience?

I think the industry has matured. We continue to have strong technology companies that are innovating in the areas of software, hardware development, data collection and processing but we have also seen an expansion in the broader application of geomatics technology outside the r&d lab into operational environments.

How do you feel about the future of the geomatics industry in Canada? What are the big changes you see taking place in the near and the far term?

The geomatics industry in Canada is part of a global industry that is changing very rapidly these days. Canadians have demonstrated historical leadership in geomatics but there is a lot of interesting technology development going on elsewhere. There is a level at which as a country and as an industry we need to decide whether collectively we want to strive for continued leadership in this sector. If we do, then a concerted effort by industry, government and academia is necessary. At another level, there are incredibly bright, energetic people in our business who will be at the forefront of the geomatics world regardless of our collective decisions. Some of these people are emerging not out of the traditional geomatics world but out of IT, business and social media worlds. A case in point is Adarsh Pallian founder of Geotoko – a service for delivering location based content. His background is not traditional GIS, remote sensing or whatever but he is building tools that are fundamentally geomatics based. He participates in the future of Canadian geomatics.

Where are you now in your business planning and implementation?

Three years have gone by very quickly. I still feel Cardinalus is relatively immature as a business. I would like to see business grow in Canada but I am also looking to expand business outside Canada.

What advice do you have to share with our members in regards to starting their own venture in geomatics?

This is an exciting time in the geomatics world. There is a lot going on. That can be both exciting and daunting. I think there is room for new ideas and innovation in this space and Canadians can be as successful as anyone else. At the same time, I think enthusiasm has to be balance by sober analysis and planning. If you are interested in starting a new venture, think through the business as best you can. At some level a new venture needs to make business sense. Decide what your goals are, take a hard look at what it will take to achieve them and then set out a plan for yourself.

We would like to thank Dennis Nazarenko for taking the time to share with us and encourage you to take a closer look at the Cardinalus Corporate Consulting http://www.cardinalus.com. We would also remind you that GoGeomatics is your best place to help you build and network your own professional Geomatics career and encourage you to get involved in the discussions on the GoGeomatics Forum or go to the GoGeomatics main portal page.

If you or someone you know is involved in Geomatics and would like to share your experiences with us then we would love for you to contact us.

Below is a great little video by the California Land Surveyors Association that provides basic information about careers in land surveying. This is an exciting Geomatics Career Field that is in high demand and often over looked by many young people when choosing a career path. Land surveyors are involved in many aspects of geomatics including urban and rural planning, Global Positioning System  (GPS) related services, software development, land information management, legal surveys and much more.

There are many employment opportunities for surveyors that  currently exist in both the private and public sector such as professional land surveyors, land survey technicians, technologists, mapping technicians, and geomatics technicians. Companies such as Stewart Weir and McElhanney (plus many, many more …) are in need of surveyors so besure to check out our job board for some of the many jobs that they post there.

I will continue to post more information about Land Surveying here on this page as we get it, but in the mean time if Land Surveying is of any interest to you then I suggest that you may also want to check out: Guide to Becoming a Professional Surveyor in Canada
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thanks,
T. MacKinnon

So welcome Mr. MacKinnon to Gogeomatics …

What organization do you work for? What is your title and how long have you been in that position?

I am currently employed as a Project Manager with Terrapoint / Ambercore in Ottawa, Ontario. Terrapoint is a Geomatics company that provides LIDAR scanning services in both airborne and terrestrial environments, as well as other services. For the past four years I have been traveling all over North & Central America managing teams of professionals (including pilots, technicians, surveyors, system operators etc.) whom come together as a team to provide state of the art LIDAR data Acquisition for a variety of clients in various sectors.

What was your previous positions?

Previously I worked at PCI Geomatics in Richmond Hill, Ontario. PCI is a world renowned Remote Sensing Software company probably best known for their OrthoEngine & Geomatica software packages. I have also worked with other organizations such as the AGRG and Government departments (see my online resume for more details).
 

Where did you acquire your geomatics skills?

I got involved with Geomatics in 1997 at Acadia University and then followed it up by going to COGS in Nova Scotia to get an Advanced Remote Sensing Diploma to accompany my Bachelor of Science degree.  I later returned to COGS a second time to take the Applied Geomatics Research program witch was dominantly LIDAR  based.

Can you tell us what a typical day for you is like?

The majority of my work takes place in what we call the field (travel to where ever the work needs to be collected, typically not my home town), I am assigned a certain project and follow through managing that project from the hand off from the sales department right through to the hand off to the production and calibration team.

A typical day involves coordinating daily tasks of the crew (pilot(s), operator(s), ground crew – my crew has been as small as 2 and as large as 15) on the project, talking to clients, setting up GPS equipment, rough processing of data and then validating that data for quality analysis and control. Once the acquisition part of the project has been completed then I mobilize the team to another location to survey another area.

Project locations vary from as remote as the jungles of Nicaragua, the vast tundra in Nunavut and then back to more urbanized environments like the cities of Calgary, Ottawa, Houston, New York etc.

What’s the best thing about your job?

It is a great way to travel and see parts of the world that you would never get a chance to see other wise and get paid to see it at the same time.

And my boss is usually hundreds to thousands of miles away from me stuck in an office!

What skill set do you use the most in your job?

The most valuable skill in this position is “People Skills”, since I don’t hide in a cubical I need to be able to get along with a wide range of clientele and fellow employees during many long days in various environments. However with that said a solid technical knowledge and Geomatics skill set is important as well especially when working with a wide range of hardware, software and various geography.

Is there a skill set you looking at expanding or learning in the future?

As far as Geomatics related skills, I have a pretty good solid knowledge and am alwsy brushing up my skills as technology keeps evolving (with this type of job, i am always involved with the latest technologies). Off topic, my airborne experiences in helicopters and fixed wings have made me think of getting my own pilots license someday and I already have several hours flying aircrafts .

Is there a project that you’re particularly proud of that you can tell us about? Specifically what was your role and how did the project succeed?

There are several possible choices here but my graduate work at COGS dealing with 3D flood modeling of south eastern New Brunswick for Environment Canada still remains as the biggest project that I am proud of. 

How do you feel about the future of our industry today? 

Geomatics has evolved a lot even in the short time that I have been involved with it and as a Canadian I am proud to part of an Industry that Canada still leads in. We also have to thanks to some like Google for helping make more aware of Geomatics and even though software like Google Earth is no GIS software package it certainly has made it easier for non Geomatics users to get a better understanding of what we do.

Do you have any advice for someone interested in becoming a “Project Manager”?

If you have a passion for LIDAR, enjoy flying in small planes and helicopters, like to travel and work with a wide range of people then this could be the job for you.

We would also remind you that Gogeomatics is your best place to help you build and network your own professional Geomatics career and encourage you to get involved in the discussions on the Gogeomatics Forum.

 If you or someone you know is involved in Geomatics and would like to share your experiences with us then we would love for you to contact us.