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."