Building My Professional Presence and Growing Through GIS

As I continue progressing through my GIS coursework and hands‑on training, I’ve been focusing not only on building technical skills but also on presenting myself professionally to future employers. This week, I spent time refining my LinkedIn profile and reflecting on how my internship and training experiences are shaping my career path.

Highlights from the Environmental Management Industry

One industry that stood out to me was Environmental Management, especially because of how closely it connects to GIS. The summary highlighted how GIS helps organizations understand environmental change, support decision‑making, and communicate information clearly to the public. Environmental professionals rely on spatial data to track conditions over time, combine different datasets, and share findings in a way that is easy for people to understand. This aligns well with my own interests in environmental GIS and using maps to support real‑world problem‑solving.

Updating My LinkedIn Profile

Here is the link to my updated profile:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/cindy-etheridge-a6b962393/

When I began revising my profile, my goal was to make it a clear, accurate representation of who I am as a developing GIS professional. I focused on highlighting the skills I’ve gained through coursework and ESRI training ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online, geodatabase design, cartography, spatial analysis, and Python for GIS. 

I also updated my banner, headline, and About section to better reflect my interests in environmental GIS, spatial analysis, and technical communication. My approach was to treat the profile like a map layout: clean, intentional, and easy to understand at a glance.

Internship Update

My internship continues to be a meaningful part of my learning experience. I’ve been working with spatial data tied to historic preservation and community education, which has helped me understand the responsibility that comes with managing real world datasets. I’ve also gained experience communicating GIS concepts to non-GIS audiences something that’s becoming increasingly important in professional settings.

This work has reinforced my interest in applying GIS to environmental and community‑focused projects. Every week brings new challenges, and I’m becoming more confident in my ability to troubleshoot, document workflows, and produce clear, effective maps.

Looking Ahead

As I move toward graduation, I’m committed to strengthening both my technical foundation and my professional presence. Updating my LinkedIn profile was a small but important step in that direction. It’s exciting to see how my coursework, training, and internship experience are coming together to prepare me for an entry‑level GIS role.

I’m looking forward to continuing this momentum and exploring opportunities where I can apply GIS to real‑world environmental and community challenges.