Do You Want to Be a GISP? Practical advice on how and why to get certified By Christa Campbell Although I have been in the GIS profession off and on, it has always been my goal to focus my career in the GIS realm. That has not always been easy. After three years away from GIS, I decided to jump back in and get up-to-date. The first obstacle I faced was how to present myself as a professional. While I have a diverse background with strong GIS skills, relying on just a resumé, especially in today's economy, didn't seem sufficient so I decided to get involved again. I enrolled in seminars, went to classes, connected with past colleagues, and attended local user group meetings. It was at a meeting of the Inland Empire GIS User Group in June 2009 that I first heard about certification as a GIS Professional (GISP). The Southern California Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) hosted a lunch immediately after the meeting and following lunch, a GISP certification workshop was held. I was curious enough to stay after the meeting and participate in the workshop. However, even after attending the workshop, I had lots of questions. I was still unsure about GISP certification and decided to find out more. Some Questions and Answers What is a GISP? The official definition: "A GISP is a certified geographic information systems (GIS) professional who has met the minimum standards for ethical conduct and professional practice as established by the GIS Certification Institute (GISCI)." Okay. Now that we know that, what is the GIS Certification Institute? According to the GISCI Web site (www.gisci.org), it is "a taxexempt not-for-profit organization that provides the geographic information systems (GIS) community with a complete certification program." This wasn't enough for me. Why waste my time and money on a certification that might not mean anything? My first step was to do a little research. There are four member organizations in GISCI: the Association of American Geographers (AAG), the National States Geographic Information Council (NSGIC), the University Consortium of Geographic Information Science (UCGIS), and URISA. The GISCI Web site states that certification is endorsed by California, Ohio, New Jersey, Oregon, and North Carolina. In addition, the National Association of Counties (NaCo) has given its support for GIS58 ArcUser Fall 2009 www.esri.com CI and recognition of GISP certification. As of May 25, 2009, there were 4,492 GISPs. It sounded legitimate. The Bottom Line My next step was to find out if GISPs found certification to be a benefit. Have employers started recognizing GISP certification? Do employers require or prefer GISP certification when recruiting for a GIS position? The answer to all these questions was yes. For many of us, the most significant benefit is in the paycheck. Although none of the GISPs I asked reported an increase in pay, URISA's most recent salary survey (2007) revealed that employees with GISP certification had higher average salaries than their counterparts who lacked certification. Most GISPs I spoke with reported their employer reimbursed them for the application fee. In addition, GISPs reported they felt going through the application process was beneficial. Many GISPs have testified that the GISP certification helped advance or redefine their careers. They are proud of the accomplishment and believe certification will continue to become more valuable. Looking for a Job? Is GISP certification beneficial when you are looking for a new GIS position? I found GISP certification is just beginning to be integrated into the recruitment process when employers are filling a GIS position. While researching job postings, I found only a small number of employers who use GISP certification as a tool to find qualified candidates. Although it was not the norm, I did find several employers that listed a GISP as a requirement to qualify for the position, or desirable. For example: The City of Raleigh, North Carolina, advertised a GIS technician position that required strong editing skills and GPS field data experience and stated that GISP certification was