Defining Success in the Geospatial Industry

Defining Success in the Geospatial Industry, a column in latest issue of magazine-ArcUser winter 2011, released the Geospatial Competency model. This model is designed using a variety of skills required to develop a successful career in the geospatial technology field.

I mention this because currently I am working on my interpersonal and communication skills. Yes, preparing myself for Job interviews. It is said that soft skills are harder to acquire then technical skills. But I believe that soft skills are an inherent part of one’s personality and nobody is perfect but if you make a determined effort you can overcome any deficiency.

I am learning to find my limitations in area of soft skills. I have started spending my time watching live interviews, reading more books, and preparing for FAQ in job interviews. I am trying my best to crack the interview (whenever I get one! J).

Texas is not New Mexico!

I was really impressed by this New Mexico Soap. New Mexico is a soap making company.  The photo above is of a product called ‘lather as you learn’ state shaped bar. They have soaps in the shapes of all the states. However, I still wonder why they make Texas shaped soap with a label of New Mexico on it!!

How the state got their boundaries?

Now that my both GIS classes are over this weekend was ‘assignments free’ after quite a while. I watched couple of movies, went for shopping, had delicious dinner, spent some time with my husband and played United States Map Puzzle. That’s right, played map puzzle for fun. Contrary to my initial thought it was quite a challenge to recognize the states from their shape. Of all the states, California, Texas, and Florida has easily recognizable shape.

 I wondered how all these states got their boundary. My search for my question gave me a book- How the States got their shape, by Mark Stein. Here is the book’s first introductory page.

Now I really want to know, why West Virginia has a finger creeping up the side of Pennsylvania and why Texas and California are so outsized?!