GISCI Announces Mentoring Program for Students, Non-Traditional Students, and Young Professionals

Students and young professionals enter the GIS field with questions. These can range from "what skills are necessary to become a GIS
professional" to "what will my typical work week be like" to "how should I prepare for an interview or internship." GISPs have the answers.

The mentored individual must be a student (undergraduate or above), non-traditional student (student attending school later in life) or
young professional (1-2 years in the field). The mentoring relationship is meant to last for a minimum of six months. After that, the GISP will be eligible for one contribution point towards his or her recertification. The mentored will be better equipped to confront the
challenges of the workplace. Additionally, both the student and mentor will have made a professional contact that can be relied upon for years to come. 

Ideally, both the mentor and mentee will reside in the same geographic area but this is not a requirement. The information that GISPs will be able to offer, be it technical, ethical, or professional will be invaluable to aspiring professionals as they move forward in their
careers.

Students or young professionals interested in the program should visit the GISCI website for further details on selecting a mentor. The program is open to all current GISPs. Incoming GISPs are eligible to participate only after certification has been granted.

There are 1,869 Certified GIS Professionals (GISPs) as of November 25, 2007. For more information regarding the GISCI certification program, please visit www.gisci.org or call (847) 824-7768.