GIS Interview Questions

1. GIS Interview Questions

2. GIS Interview Questions
Explain the difference
between join and
relate.
Which programming
languages are the
most valuable for GIS
specialists to know?
Describe your
favorite mapping
project.
What was the last
project you worked
on?
What are the main
components of GIS?
Explain GIS
commands. What is a
linked display?
Why are geo-
statistics important?
Look at this online
map. What about it
works? What could
you improve?

3. GIS Interview Questions
What skills do
you think are
most valuable
for a GIS
specialist?
Explain the
difference
between geo-
coding and
geo-
referencing.
How does
GPS support
GIS? Explain
what GIS is to
a fifth-grader.
Do you feel
prepared to
take on this
role? Why?

4. GIS specialists should have a variety of hard
and soft skills to do their work well. The hiring
manager might ask you which skills you deem
most important to see what you value in your
work and if those skills align with the
company's goals.
Example: "GIS specialists should have a
variety of skills, but the most important ones,
in my opinion, are patience, technical
problem-solving and communication.
Patience is important because it takes time to
acquire and review the data before building
the map. Technical problem-solving because
the information might be gathered or
represented using different programs and
communication because explaining GIS to
non-GIS colleagues is necessary."

5. This question requires specific GIS
knowledge to answer. The hiring manager
might ask this question or something
similar to establish that you know the
intricacies of the field.
Example: "While geo-coding and geo-
referencing are similar, they have a key
distinction. Geocoding is the process of
taking written data, like the name of a
place or an address, and assigning
coordinates on a map to that information.
Geo-referencing is the process of taking a
satellite image and assigning map
coordinates to it. The result is the same
(the coordinate assignment), but the
process of arriving at that result differs."

6. GPS and GIS are interrelated.
Hiring managers might ask you
to explain the difference to
show that you understand how
they support one another but
also to demonstrate how well
you're able to communicate
complicated information.
Example: "GPS collects data
from satellites to help people
determine their specific
location. GIS uses the
information collected via GPS
and organizes it in a functional,
understandable manner."

7. GIS is a complex field and can take some time to
understand. You may have colleagues with whom you
work who don't have a background in GIS. Hiring
managers might ask you to explain what GIS is in
basic language to show that you'll be able to explain
complicated data findings to stakeholders with
success.
Example: "GIS takes geographical data, like
coordinates and addresses, and finds patterns and
trends within that data. GIS specialists use those
trends to create visualizations and find solutions to
problems for companies and businesses."

8. Hiring managers want to hire competent and confident employees. Asking
you directly why you're the best candidate for the position allows you to
explain how your skills and experience will benefit the organization.
Example: "I absolutely feel prepared for this role. I've been working in GIS
for the last five years and regularly attend industry conferences to stay
informed on updates and new technologies. I feel ready to manage a team
and apply my skills to both GIS and management."