How do I find a part time GIS job?

October 26, 2007 2:39 AM

How do I find a part-time GIS job with a nonprofit or NGO in Washington DC?

I recently took a job with the federal government here in DC. One of the big differences between this job and any other I have worked is that we are only allowed to work for 8 hours a day. No exceptions. No overtime. I am use to working 10 to 12 hours a day. I have spoken with several of my coworkers and many of them have second jobs; most often in retail. I have toyed with the idea of taking a second job, however I would prefer to work for a NGO or Nonprofit. I am a GIS professional and know that my skill set is in high demand. I am looking to work no more then 10 to 15 hours a week. I have searched Craigslist, local papers, monster and the normal GIS job boards. So far nothing. I have search askMetafilter and found several unique NGO/Nonprofit job boards but they all seem to be looking for full time employment. Is there a place anyone knows of that list only part time jobs? Or does anyone have other suggestions for finding a second job in the GIS field?

posted by Morgangr to work & money (3 comments total)

You say you've found NGO/NP job boards, but you don't say which ones. I know idealist.org features some part-time and contract work, and also allows you to post a profile that NGOs and NPs can search for when they need someone with your skills.

My only other suggestion is aggressive networking. Try and drip by conferences and meetings where people with GIS needs might be (boards of health, town planning boards, technology in government conferences, etc., etc.). This may be particularly helpful in the sectors you're targeting, since a lot of NGOs/NPs (not to mention local governments) aren't as technologically savvy as you might expect and hope.

Good luck!
posted by j-dawg at 12:54 PM on October 26, 2007

Are you looking for a paying job, or a part-time volunteer position? I've been looking for something similar for months in Chicagoland and haven't found anything that pays.

Here's the Chesapeake chapter of URISA. I'd bet they have some leads on volunteer opportunities and possibly paid internships.

I would also think you could get involved long-distance with a variety of efforts. GISCorps has "short-term volunteer opportunities in underprivileged communities."
posted by desjardins at 1:23 PM on October 26, 2007

Are you a Democrat/Progressive? If so, send me an e-mail and I'll share with you a few listserves that cater to the progressive tech community in DC and elsewhere.
posted by willie11 at 7:17 PM on October 26, 2007