<html><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12pt"><div><span>Thanks Marshall</span></div><div><br><span></span></div><div><span>This is the guidlines which honestly the jobseeker is looking for. In addition to field knowledge, he/she must also look for behavioral interview guidlines e.g the STAR tech/proceedure, to "give structured and complete responses to questions asked". You can google this. <br></span></div><div><br></div> <div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div style="font-family: times new roman, new york, times, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> <div dir="ltr"> <font face="Arial" size="2"> <hr size="1"> <b><span style="font-weight:bold;">From:</span></b> Marshall Mdoka <marshall.mdoka@monash.edu><br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Africa local chapter discussions <africa@lists.osgeo.org> <br><b><span
style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b> Shiluvana Nhlamulo <ShiluvanaN@dwa.gov.za> <br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> Thursday, February 23, 2012 9:29 PM<br> <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Subject:</span></b> Re: [OSGeo Africa] 1: 500 000 hydrogeological maps of south africa<br> </font> </div> <br>
<div id="yiv658426377">
<div>
Hi All,<br>
<br>
Interesting emails have been circulated but did not assist much on
"how to prepare for a GIS interview". I think the best way to
prepare for an interview is you must know about the work
environment. You should know their policies, objectives,
products/outputs etc. As for the particular job you applied for, be
wary of the job description and what is expected of you etc. You
should be fully prepared for questions that relate to GIS packages
they have or any other software that was highlighted in the advert.
If you are not knowledgeable in any of those packages be honest but
show your confidence and expose your exceptional skills that will
convince them you can either teach yourself or be able to learn
fast. Its not everyday, that employers come across job seekers that
satisfy all their requirements. Myself, I have confidence in that I
can spend a better part of the day finding about those packages they
have if time permitting to such an extent that I would be able to
answer back or fiddle around in the advertised job software. So it
then boils down to knowing for instance the basics of GIS not a
particular GIS tool. This is the advantage of FOSS and mastering GIS
skills. They are available and lets fully utilise them to address
problems that commercial packages are addressing too. At the end of
the day, an interview is all about how you present yourself. Show
them you are smart, confident, willing to learn, team player, open
minded etc. then you will do right.<br>
<br>
I hope some of this info will assist an OSGeo Africa colleague
prepare for a GIS interview. The key is preparation and use the
internet to learn from expects on interviews.<br>
<br>
Good luck!<br>
<br>
Marshall<br>
<br>
On 2/23/2012 11:21 AM, Shiluvana Nhlamulo wrote:
<blockquote type="cite">
<div>
<div><span>I agree with you Rossouw, as GIS users we are forever
trying to
keep up with new software updates so that we remain assets
in prospective employers
and current employers. </span></div>
<div><i><span> </span></i><span> </span></div>
<div><span> </span></div>
<div>
<div><b><span>From:</span></b><span>
<a rel="nofollow" class="yiv658426377moz-txt-link-abbreviated" ymailto="mailto:africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org">africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org</a>
[<a rel="nofollow" class="yiv658426377moz-txt-link-freetext" ymailto="mailto:africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org">mailto:africa-bounces@lists.osgeo.org</a>] <b>On
Behalf Of </b>Chlodwik Rossouw<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, February 23, 2012 11:05 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Africa local chapter discussions<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OSGeo Africa] 1: 500 000
hydrogeological maps of south
africa </span></div>
</div>
<div> </div>
<div>This specific
or original discussion was not about opensource
vs proprietary software, it started off as advice to assist
someone
with preparing for an interview. If you go to an interview and
the spec asks
for skills or experience in specific software, does not matter
if it is OS or
proprietary, you must be prepared to answer questions with
regards to
the specific technology in use. </div>
<div>
<div>On 23 February 2012 10:40, Zibusiso Ncube <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:ncubezedm@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:ncubezedm@gmail.com">ncubezedm@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:
</div>
<div>Open Source VS Closed-source Software and proprietary
argument, this<br>
can get ugly.for the record, i would love all software to be
open<br>
source. In terms of the case in point, (and in SA in
general) most GVT<br>
"organisations " use proprietary software, sad but real
fact. you
have<br>
to be clued up on it when you go into an interview or you
wont get<br>
hired. However for the sake of advancement of OS and not to
take sides<br>
people might have to take on Gavin's advice/plea.<br>
<br>
On Thu, Feb 23, 2012 at 10:29 AM, Paul Scott <<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:pscott209@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:pscott209@gmail.com">pscott209@gmail.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----<br>
> Hash: SHA1<br>
><br>
> On 23/02/2012 10:13, Chlodwik Rossouw wrote:<br>
><br>
>><br>
>> Therefore, I can not see how any interview process
or even job spec<br>
>> can not contain or ask for skills or knowledge with
regards to<br>
>> specific software.<br>
>><br>
><br>
> Would you rather hire a person that can use MS Word, or
someone that<br>
> can do word processing?<br>
><br>
> That is the real question here. If I hire someone that
is
"qualified"<br>
> in operating MS Word 2000 as an example, and I upgrade
to the next<br>
> version, that person is redundant until trained. If,
however, I find<br>
> someone that can do word processing (i.e. not attached
to any specific<br>
> package), and they can remain agile since they know the
fundamentals<br>
> of word processing, they will never be redundant and
will forever be<br>
> an asset to my organisation. Same thing applies to
other pieces of<br>
> software. I would rather have people that can think for
themselves<br>
> than drones created from training courses where any
deviation from the<br>
> norm will have them floundering.<br>
><br>
> Training institutions, colleges and Universities need
to take this<br>
> lesson to heart as well, else we will never overcome
the barriers to<br>
> true excellence.<br>
><br>
> - --<br>
> - -- Paul http://www.paulscott.za.net
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.chisimba.com">http://www.chisimba.com</a><br>
> -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----<br>
> Version: GnuPG v1.4.11 (GNU/Linux)<br>
> Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://enigmail.mozdev.org/">http://enigmail.mozdev.org/</a><br>
><br>
>
iQEcBAEBAgAGBQJPRfjQAAoJEP24vLf5r1PRvP4H/3sLEi9jo9QcNBMxLC6NId4w<br>
>
TGq1X2Cuz6vN2uHUYcFzRwjPQvdXGU9ty8T7jN8Dn5jI1X8PmxbPk2T8mLXGS8Xa<br>
>
2+7GfzUPJSOQfYfac13I5Gnznk0Q7EJ4uzaGrxCaa8sAZavqkaF8zL+rO1KlRLKQ<br>
>
y7ok8tiLycT+Lg2w9harmgtrD46GSH4adihLrOkIQHpDm6g3bLpuCWlxExdPGYtw<br>
>
cPn+OCRBHseTuo5gWltLWB/2M2VvsPreoiokVVrC5WW3UMuAMSkVLOQKddRdtgkE<br>
>
kVmpYsM4ocR/5JSOu0oQucHEeaJscz6Y4ytvDZiamSny6s1q0ukrGjxP8ZQ89YM=<br>
> =16Q6<br>
> -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----<br>
> _______________________________________________<br>
> Africa mailing list<br>
> <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org">Africa@lists.osgeo.org</a><br>
> <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa</a><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
--<br>
Regards<br>
<br>
Zibusiso M Ncube<br>
<br>
181 Camlyn Gardens<br>
Theron Street<br>
Clarina<br>
0118<br>
<br>
0824806346<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
Africa mailing list<br>
<a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org">Africa@lists.osgeo.org</a><br>
<a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa</a>
</div>
</div>
<div><br>
<br>
</div>
<div>
<div> </div>
</div>
<div>-- <br>
-----------------------------------------<br>
Chlodwik Rossouw<br>
email: <a rel="nofollow" ymailto="mailto:chlodwik@gmail.com" target="_blank" href="mailto:chlodwik@gmail.com">chlodwik@gmail.com</a><br>
tel: <a rel="nofollow">+27 (0)766978543</a><br>
skype: chlodwik </div>
</div>
<div>DISCLAIMER:<br>
This message and any attachments are confidential and intended
solely for the addressee. If you have received this message in
error, please notify the system manager/sender. Any unauthorized
use, alteration or dissemination is prohibited. The Department
of Water Affairs further accepts no liability whatsoever for any
loss, whether it be direct, indirect or consequential, arising
from this e-mail, nor for any consequence of its use or storage.</div>
<br>
<fieldset class="yiv658426377mimeAttachmentHeader"></fieldset>
<br>
<pre>_______________________________________________
Africa mailing list
<a rel="nofollow" class="yiv658426377moz-txt-link-abbreviated" ymailto="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org" target="_blank" href="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org">Africa@lists.osgeo.org</a>
<a rel="nofollow" class="yiv658426377moz-txt-link-freetext" target="_blank" href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<br>
<pre class="yiv658426377moz-signature">--
ÐÏࡱá</pre>
</div>
</div><br>_______________________________________________<br>Africa mailing list<br><a ymailto="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org" href="mailto:Africa@lists.osgeo.org">Africa@lists.osgeo.org</a><br><a href="http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa" target="_blank">http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/africa</a><br><br><br> </div> </div> </div></body></html>