Like many people working in a technical field, when the question “what do you do” comes up, I typically end up doing a fair bit of explaining. Sometimes the person I’m speaking with wants to know what GIS is or what type of development I do. Other times, they have questions about GEO Jobe’s products, services, and history.
No matter what angle of work we’re discussing, the other person almost always comments on how passionate I seem about my work. And I am. I’m passionate about what I do, where I work, and who I work with. Working somewhere where you get to enjoy all three of those elements is a pretty rare combination (talk about winning the professional lottery), so I thought I’d share a bit about how GEO Jobe scores 10s across the board from me.
The Work
My job title at GEO Jobe is “Application Developer”, but the work I do is so much more than that. The applications and workflows I’ve gotten to develop have real-world implications that are easy to see and understand. It’s extremely gratifying knowing that the work you’re doing is helping people accomplish their work more efficiently.
For example, some of the universities I’ve worked with have built mapping applications that allow them to provide routing between rooms, plan new construction, identify potential safety requirements for major events, and even monitor landscaping, utilities, and building maintenance. These functions make it easier for administrators to get a big picture view of what’s going on at the university while also allowing them to zoom-in on specific concerns to get more information. It saves them time, money, and resources by helping them accurately respond to the needs of their changing environment quickly and efficiently.
In my time at GEO Jobe, I’ve built applications that have led to similar benefits for small businesses, large corporations, non-profits, and more. It’s amazing to see the ways GIS can improve peoples’ lives, and it’s incredibly rewarding to know that you’re helping to architect those solutions.
The Team
Most of the employees at GEO Jobe work at one of our two offices – our company headquarters, located in Nashville, TN, or our Center for Research & Engineering, located in Gulfport, MS. We also have a few remote employees scattered throughout the US as well. No matter which office someone is located in, everyone is friendly and responsive when you reach out. Steven McCall, our Director of Products, described the feeling as “GEO Jobe has a great team camaraderie, where everyone is always happy to help out and pitch in if anyone needs help.”
GEO Jobe has the kind of team that understands we all do better when we work together. As a result, people are willing to share their knowledge and experience with different clients, technologies, and projects. I see this on a daily basis in my own team, it helps us all grow as developers, as well as boosting the bigger picture overall.
It’s a lot easier to get things done when people are working together. It’s also more rewarding because people get to share in their successes as well. GEO Jobe’s leadership understands this and actively works to foster a collaborative environment. It’s one of the things that stood out to me early on in my internship at GEO Jobe, and one of the reasons I continue to enjoy working here today.
The Culture
GEO Jobe cares about its employees, and it shows. We have a weekly meeting where the whole company gets together in a virtual chat. Leadership lets everyone know what major events are happening and how the company is doing. When they update us on how the company is doing, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. It’s real, honest information. That kind of transparency from leadership extends throughout the company’s approach to interacting with their employees. It leads to a communication flow both up and down the ladder, building trust between employees and the company.
That trust isn’t poorly placed, either. GEO Jobe doesn’t just say they care about their employees, they show it. For example, we transitioned to working entirely remote weeks before Tennessee or Mississippi instituted “stay-at-home” orders. As part of the transition to an entirely remote workforce, GEO Jobe’s leadership instituted daily meetings for each team. These meetings are short check-ins where we can all touch base with each other. It’s not just about work projects; GEO Jobe made it clear from the beginning that part of the purpose of the meetings was to help maintain the social health of our teams and to keep people connected when they may be physically isolated.
So There You Have It
That’s what working at GEO Jobe is like, from my perspective anyway. The work is challenging and makes a difference, which makes it very rewarding. It’s a great company that takes care of its employees. The people really work as a team and are willing to help each other out. We care about each other and have fun together. When I was interning at different places, these were the things I realized were important to me. I thought I’d be lucky to find a job where I got two of those things. Working at GEO Jobe feels like winning the lottery, and, honestly, I feel like GEO Jobe makes an effort to prioritize each of those elements for its employees. It is a big part of why GEO Jobe has been, and continues to be, so successful.
