Geography's Career Pathway
The skills you use in your geographical studies make you of potential interest to a wide range of employers. The close link between the subject and the world around us makes for a long and varied list of related careers for example working with development or aid agencies, environmental work, using Geographical Information Systems, working for the census office and in tourism and recreation. However most of these areas involve only one part of the broad subject of Geography.
Statistics show that compared with other subjects, Geographers are among the most employable. Many of those leaving university with a Geography degree enter three fields of employment: administration and management; marketing or finance. Other areas looking for students will a global lens are various Non-Governmental Agencies and Aid Agencies, local, provincial and federal governments, CSIS, the United Nations and the military (logistics). This is presumably because Geographers possess the abilities and skills that employers look for.
Did you know?
Geography Teaches Students Important Skills
Through the study of geography, students learn to read maps and interpret information at geographical scales, from local to global. They use data from maps, tables, graphs, and texts to recognize patterns and solve problems. Geography integrates concepts from science, social science, and the humanities, applying critical thinking to understand and address current issues of local, national, and international importance.
Geography Helps Students Learn About the World
Knowing where places are and what they are like is essential. As a major import and export nation with global commitments, Canada needs citizens who understand other parts of the world as well as our own country. This knowledge supports understanding international relationships and Canada’s role in them.
Geography Contributes to International Understanding
The world’s economies are increasingly linked through trade and exchange. If competitors know more about us than we do about them, they gain an advantage in serving markets and negotiating agreements. Comprehensive geographic education prepares students to engage effectively in the global community.
Geography Helps Us Understand Citizenship
Geography enables us to locate important events and understand the relationship between geography and policy. It informs decisions about resource use and helps us question policies that change landscapes and land use. Geographically informed students become effective leaders.
Geography Helps Understand Economics
Geography and economics are closely connected. Natural resource locations, transportation networks, industrialization, and energy production influence economies. Trade patterns are fundamental to both disciplines.
Geography Helps Understand History
Geography provides clues to the past. Landforms and climate shape migration, land use, and civilizations. Understanding historical landscapes and human activity is key to interpreting economic and cultural development.
Geography Helps Understand Environment
Geographers study human-environment relationships and natural systems. They research environmental impacts of social processes like population growth and technology, informing policies that citizens should understand.