The following article is by Geography alumnus William (“Woody”) Robinson who graduated with Dean’s Honors in Spring 2011. Woody currently works for “FindTheBest”, which he describes as an objective, socially curated comparison engine that links comparison subjects with spatial data in order to allow the user to make quick and informed decisions about anything from colleges to GPS systems:
“Wait, what is your major?” I remember my dad asking this when I decided to switch majors from Accounting to Geography. He came around, however, after I explained Clarke’s Maps and Mapping (Geog 12) and Montello’s Geography of the US (Geog 150). All too often, Geography is stereotyped as a major that offers little occupational opportunities post-graduation. Lucky for us, we can sit back and laugh as GIS analyst positions continue to clog job classifieds.
In fact, the Geography job market is increasing at an astounding rate! FindTheBest, a local comparison engine, estimates that there will be a 26% increase in Geography positions over the next 6 years. As you can see in the attached image, geographers are ranked ‘very high’ in both salary and occupational growth. It becomes clear that many undergraduates simply do not grasp the potential of a major in this subject. Why?
Simply put, students are hesitant to explore subjects that are unfamiliar. However, with more accurate references and UCSB’s sterling Geography department, expect to see a spike in Geography undergrads this Fall. Until then, we can all laugh silently as parents (such as my father) ask, “You were a Geology major, right?”
Woody2.jpg<|>164<|>Woody Robinson is a recent graduate of UCSB who now works for FindTheBest, which he describes as “an objective, socially curated comparison engine that allows you to find a topic, compare your options, and decide what’s best for you”{|}GeogJobs.jpg<|>364<|>Geographers are ranked ‘very high’ in both salary and occupational growth
