KEY POINTS:
While most job descriptions don't say "geographers should apply", there are a lot of career options for geography graduates.
Water quality, statistics, immigration, eco-tourism, music, population, planning - all involve geography graduates, says Colin McLeay, Waikato University senior lecturer in geography, tourism and environmental planning.
"Yet when you mention geography to people, they start talking about rote learning the capitals of the world."
As environmental scientist for Beca consultancy, Nigel Mather advises engineering sectors regarding the environmental impact on projects as diverse as roads, commercial structures, contaminated land investigation and water quality management.
With Auckland's Tank Farm development, Mather's role is to investigate the soil and ground water; testing to help with disposal and construction options. He is also working on an Albany stormwater pond treatment plant being developed into a park-like civic centre. "We're monitoring the construction and liaising between site contractors and the North Shore City Council."
He particularly enjoys the diversity and outside work opportunities.
"I'm on site a few hours every third day with the Albany job. The Tank Farm involved field work for a couple of weeks - taking samples, doing drilling and getting samples analysed. Then I was back in the office writing up reports on results."
Mather started at Beca two years ago after completing a Master of Science in geography through the Earth Science Department at Auckland University. While his thesis on coastal evolution didn't directly correlate with Beca's core business of engineering, it was interested in his geography skill base.
"I learned general scientific principles of ground investigations and things like logging soils (making notes). Those things cross over."
When Mather finished his undergraduate science degree in geology and geography, he worked a year at the Rodney District Council consents section before moving to a water and air quality sampling role at Watercare. He did a masters because he felt he wasn't getting the opportunities he wanted. "Postgraduate study developed my confidence and communication skills and has made me more technically proficient and better at self-management."
Durekha Sridhar started her job as air quality scientist at the Auckland Regional Council 18 months ago. The role involves managing a database of emissions of air pollution sources in the region, along with tasks such as developing sheets for public information. "I've got GIS (geographic information systems) experience too, so I also do a bit of mapping."
She says her degree has developed skills in monitoring, research and data analysis. Communication skills were also honed at university.
"Presentations develop your ability to work in a team and with people from different backgrounds. You learn to accept other points of view and adapt to situations you may not like but have to accept because they are beneficial to your project. These are important workplace skills."
Finding work was complicated for Sridhar because she didn't complete her masters until February, which meant she missed out on the usual new graduate recruitment opportunities.
So she took on a six-month university research position, toyed with doing a PhD, then decided she needed workplace experience. She worked six months as an ecological technician for a private consultancy before moving to her current job. However, she feels the employment opportunities for graduates have increased markedly in the environmental sector since then.
Sridhar and Mather studied physical geography; many other students study human geography. Amanda Banks, policy analyst for the strategic group of the Hamilton City Council, has a Bachelor of Social Sciences in geography and women's studies and a masters in geography.
As policy analyst, Banks gathers and processes information for council strategies and projects. She is involved in developing the council's disability strategy and is part of the long-term council community plan.
She said her qualifications taught her to challenge ideas and critique other people's beliefs.
McLeay says human or cultural geography includes looking at aspects of culture, like music and film, that promote social change and inform us about people and places.
He talks of a graduate who did his masters on the Heartland TV series, then won a job at the Wellington City Council, moved to the Wellington Regional Council and then the Department of Conservation. "His strengths were research, unpacking messages, taking information and writing it up."
McLeay says a key skill is communication. "You're only as good as your ability to present. No matter how brilliant you are, if you can't get your ideas across effectively, you're not effective."
* angelamc@powerlink.co.nz
