Here is a short Q & A with Application Developer, Andy Million. Andy joined the GEO Jobe team in August of 2020 and is based out of our Center for Research and Engineering (C.R.E.) in Gulfport, MS.
Q: What is your job at GEO Jobe, and what does it entail?
A: I am an Application Developer, creating and maintaining apps written in JavaScript and Python. I work with a small team developing custom software solutions for our clients. One day I may be debugging an error and the next day, I may be retrieving data from a spatial database to transform, analyze, and then load into a map.
Q: What attracted you to join the GEO Jobe team?
A: GEO Jobe has a great reputation across the geospatial industry. I wanted to be part of that team and help build that reputation. I was also interested in what GEO Jobe was doing. From UAV to robust ESRI tools, to custom mapping solutions, everything was appealing to me!
Q: What jobs and experiences have led you to your present position?
A: I graduated from college with a BS in Geography and a focus on geospatial technology. After that, I worked various GIS jobs from a non-profit to oil and gas, to state/federal contract roles. These different fields gave me a varied background and experience using different tools and working for different clients. My previous role as a full stack developer and gave me a great foundation to build on.
Q: What particular skills or talents are most essential to be successful in your job?
A: Communication and time management are very important. Communication is especially important in a Covid-19 world where the whole team is distributed and not working face to face. Time management is key because it’s easy to get sidetracked or spend too much time stuck on a problem.
Of course, problem-solving skills are paramount for a developer role. Being able to identify the issue and root causes is a big part of my role. Taking previous knowledge and experiences can speed up the process, so it is important to think of the small details, but also the bigger picture.
Q: Any advice for recent graduates entering the job market and aspiring to a similar role?
A: Both the geospatial and development world can be tough to break into. I think it’s very important to build a professional network and the sooner you start the better. This was much easier pre-Covid, but it’s just as important now, if not more. My first developer role was because someone I knew referred me for a job. My professional network has opened many doors and having someone that will vouch for you can go a long way.
Another bit of advice is to keep at it. It can be easy to get discouraged when you apply for a number of jobs and never hear back. Keep trying and continue developing your skills. Side projects and a well-polished portfolio are a great way to capture a hiring manager’s attention.
Q: What technologies and strategies do you use in your day-to-day work that are key to success?
A: I utilize a variety of technologies, but the primary ones are Git/BitBucket for version control, Webstorm/PyCharm for JavaScript and Python development, and Slack/Google for communication.
I use Spotify for music and the occasional podcast. I also have found that using a Pomodoro timer is great for time management and “time-boxing” tricky tasks.
Q: What would you like to learn more about or incorporate into your daily work?
A: There is no shortage of things I would like to learn! For now, I just want to focus on my problem-solving skills and work on algorithms and data structures.
Q: On a more personal side, do you have a favorite newspaper, magazine, blog, or sources of inspiration?
A: I really enjoy following adventure photographers/videographers. Seeing the incredible shots they capture of people climbing or biking in remote parts of the world is incredible. A couple of standouts that I follow are Keith Ladzinski and Jimmy Chin.
Q: What kind of technology do you prefer and why? (Mac or PC, iOS or Android, and any another cool tech)
A: I have been a PC/Android guy for a long time. Surprisingly, I just switched to an iPhone a couple of months ago. I grew up using PCs, starting in the days of DOS/Windows 3.1 so it’s always been the most comfortable choice. I do use and enjoy Mac/Linux products.
Q: What do you enjoy doing outside of the office?
A: I enjoy spending time with my wife and 5-year old daughter. I also enjoy traveling, motorcycle racing, and many outdoor activities (rock climbing, mountain biking, camping/backpacking, etc). When time allows, I also brew beer and work on cars.
