GIS Resume Example & Writing Guide for 2024

You have the technical skills to analyze complex spatial data and the creativity to design intuitive maps and visualizations. But without a well-crafted GIS resume, your job search will fall short. And it’s no surprise, considering the growing demand.

Don’t worry, though. In just a few minutes, you’ll learn how to write a GIS resume that maps your future.

This guide will show you: 

• A GIS resume example better than 9 out of 10 other resumes.
• How to write a GIS analyst resume that will land you more interviews.
• Where to find GIS resume keywords and how to include them in your resume.
• How to describe your experience on a GIS technician resume to get any job you want.

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GIS Resume Example

Here’s how to write your perfect GIS resume:

1. Be Mindful of the Format You Pick for a GIS Resume

GIS analysts map, analyze, and visualize spatial data to provide insights and solutions for construction and other purposes. A great GIS analyst resume shows your ability to manipulate and interpret complex datasets and create visualizations to help companies make decisions.

But that isn’t everything. Your GIS resume shouldn’t be all about your professional essence. If you strip everything down to the core, you end up with a massive, disorganized data dump.

The best way to a great-looking resume for a GIS analyst? Pretend you’re processing the data you gathered to present it for a project!

To structure your resume properly:

• Start with a resume header that includes your contact information.
• Organize your resume into sections to make it easy to read and understand, like a well-made data map.
• Guide the reader through your career like a GPS. The reverse chronological format works best for this. Others may make them think they have no signal out in the boonies. 
• Use a legible resume font, like Arial or Helvetica, and keep it at 11 pt.
• Consider saving your resume as a PDF. Unlike ancient-era maps, almost every device today can read it.

Read more: The Full Guide to Best Resume Formats

2. Work on Your GIS Resume Profile

You want your GIS resume to be a truly seismic read. But here’s a harsh truth: Recruiters don’t spend more than 7 seconds on average on any resume. In that time, you have to convince them to read your application entirely.

The solution comes in the form of a resume profile. It presents your resume in elevator pitch form.

• Seasoned GIS professionals will want to write a resume summary highlighting their most impressive projects and accomplishments. Use concrete numbers and metrics to show off your expertise in an eye-catching way.
• Newbies should write a resume objective and showcase transferable skills and enthusiasm for working in GIS.

Read more: Great Ways to Open the Resume

3. Prepare a GIS Resume Work Experience Section

The work experience you present in this section carries the most weight. You need to describe it in a way that’ll make the recruiter feel like they’re playing with Google Earth for the first time.

• List past GIS positions in reverse chronological order, adding job titles, company names, years worked, and key responsibilities.
• Use bullet points to present that data in the most efficient way possible. Between 3 and 6 bullets is enough, with less for older positions.
• Start each resume job description with a resume action word to rock their world. Pair this up with numbers, percentages, and $ values of revenue generated or reduced costs. You’ll have recruiters swarming your inbox.
• Tailor your resume to fit the job ad. If the employer is seeking a "geospatial data analyst," that's the job title you should put in past jobs with similar profiles.

Read more: Technical Resume: Template & Guide [+Examples]

4. Mention Your Education on a GIS Resume

There’s no single path to a career in GIS. But there is one that won’t get you a job in the field—not listing education on your GIS resume. That’s a route best left untraveled.

Properly listing your educational background will help the company better understand the strengths you bring to the table and might be what gets you hired when it comes down to the wire.

• Got loads of experience? Give them the name of your school, your degree, and the year you finished school.
• Are you an entry-level candidate? Anyone with less than 5 years of experience can benefit from adding extra details from school, like relevant coursework, internships on your resume, or diploma honors.

Read more: Best Tool to Use in Your Job Search in 2024

Creating a resume with our builder is incredibly simple. Follow our step-by-step guide and use content from Certified Professional Resume Writers to have a resume ready in minutes.

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When you’re done, Zety’s resume builder will score your resume and our resume checker will tell you exactly how to make it better.

5. Prove Your Excellent GIS Skillset

The GIS industry is going through a popularity boom. If that trend continues, they’ll need professionals with the best skills available.

Look at this sample list of GIS skills for a resume:

Sample GIS Resume Skills

• GIS Software Proficiency (ArchGIS, GeoJSON, BatchGeo)
• Spatial Analysis
• Cartography & Map Design
• Remote Sensing
• GPS Data Management
• Databases
• Data Visualization
• Presentation Skills
• Critical Thinking
• Problem-Solving
• Communication Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Project Management
• Organization Skills
• Application Development
• Geospatial Mapping
• Collaboration Skills
• Attention to Detail
• List of programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, JavaScript, HTML, CSS)
• Database query languages (SQL/NoSQL)
• Cloud Computing
• MS Office Skills

But if you roll up with that kind of entourage, you’ll get a raised brow rather than a job.

Instead, find out how the company plans to utilize you & your prospective skill set. It should all be in the job ad. Once you’ve extracted the raw data, compile a mix of your GIS resume keywords: the hard skills, technical skills, and soft skills they value the most.

Read more: What Skills to Put on a Resume

6. Add Extra Sections to Your GIS Resume

Time to show your competitive edge. Being average isn’t enough—you need to stand out on your resume. By adding extra sections, you can show a more human side or add extra spice to your professionalism through versatility.

Consider including any volunteer work or personal projects that are (at least tangentially) related to your GIS skills. Of course, certifications and licenses that demonstrate your mastery of GIS tools and software are an obvious plus.

Special achievements you’ve earned, or even language skills can definitely be valuable assets as well. What matters most is the impression you make and that you don’t lie on your resume with outrageous claims.

Read more: References on a Resume: When (and Where) to Include Them

7. Include a GIS Cover Letter

We’re nearing the finish line.

Except there’s this tiny thing you want to remember: the cover letter. Like it or not, recruiters tend to expect to see one. Refrain from writing your cover letter, and you might come off wilder than a flat earther.

Here are some tips to help you craft a great cover letter:

• Know what cover letter format you’re picking before beginning to write.
• Address the cover letter to the appropriate hiring manager. Don’t shout at the void.
• Explain what made you apply for the job in the opening of your cover letter.
• Highlight your GIS skills and how they align with the job's needs. The more references to experience covering that same ground, the better.
• Make it clear why you’re the perfect fit for the role. Then, close the cover letter with a call to action to make them do a tectonic perspective shift.

Read more: What Should a Cover Letter Say?

Plus, a great cover letter that matches your resume will give you an advantage over other candidates. You can write it in our cover letter builder here. Here's what it may look like:

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See more cover letter templates and start writing.

Got any more questions? Need some more help? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop a line in the comments, and I’ll get back to you!

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