How can a press release land you a sweet job or consulting gig? Read on for some tips and 10 examples and opportunities awaiting you.
When you see a PR / press release you may simply be thinking to yourself, “oh, another news announcement”… whatever! But have you ever considered that a PR release could be much more valuable to you than simply informing you about a new product release, a new hire, a project win or other announcement. The reality is that a PR release can be a very valuable tool for the job seeker or professional looking to score a sweet job or consulting gig.
Think about it, a typical press release often contains some very valuable information that is buried much deeper than in the headline. Most PR releases are distributed to share good news like a contract win, new software release, company expansion, new business partners, an enhanced developer program, or new customers. Companies share PR in order to boast about some great new stuff – think opportunity! Companies that are sharing news are often expanding their staff, many are also offering new services and thus, have a need for talent. Also, if you read the headline you may get some insight into some new users and uses of Geo technology that could be potential employers or companies seeking to contract services.
I took a random sampling of some of the recent PR that was posted on GISuser.com and have featured 10 companies and opportunities that exist – these are all from PR releases currently featured on the GISuser homepage (on March 26, 2013).
Innovyze, Broomfield Colorado
The company typically has announcements on a weekly basis, most recently touting a new software release. Their career page reveals a number of opportunities in Australia, Colorado, and California.
http://www.innovyze.com/about/careers.aspx
Esri, Redlands, California
Esri announces that the Catastrophe Services Department of the Property Loss Research Bureau (PLRB) has released a mobile version of PLRB Map, a mapping service that provides real-time severe occurrence data and information to members of PLRB, an association of 900 property and casualty insurance companies http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/29469/2/
Here’s a new service being offered to hundreds of companies, many of them could be in need of staff or consultants! You may. It also reports on some innovation in GIS/mapping for the insurance industry – think opportunity! http://www.esri.com/industries/insurance
Esri is growing and constantly hiring – See http://www.esri.com/careers
Autodesk, San Rafael, California
The company has announced the new Autodesk 2014 Design and Creation Suites. Again, think opportunity for consultants in helping Autodesk clients get up to speed with R 14. E-learning is a huge industry, with a new, major release the opportunity to offer training is HUGE!
Autodesk is constantly recruiting
See http://careers.autodesk.com/
IDV Solutions, Lansing, MI
IDV has been making loads of headlines recently and their software and visualization tools are gaining momentum. A quick jump to the company’s website reveals that they are growing and newly posted positions show opportunities for developers and sales staff.
http://www.idvsolutions.com/careers/overview.aspx
ITT Exelis, Colorado Springs, CO
Another weekly news maker, the company has recently boasted large contract wins… think opportunity! Think about it, any consulting firm that is being awarded large contracts is in need of staff to get the work done. The PR release even has a statement that reads “with growing positions in C4ISR, composite aerostructures, logistics and technical services”. A quick visit to the Exelis Career Page reveals loads of opportunities (Immediate openings for Mid level Systems Engineers, Test Engineers, Modeling and Analysis Engineers, and Integration Engineers)
See http://www.exelisinc.com/careers/Pages/default.aspx
Avenza Systems, Toronto, Ont.
The company has had several major software releases recently and their mobile solutions are taking off! A quick jump to their career page reveals no immediate openings, however, developers are invited to contact them with their CV, just in case!
See http://www.avenza.com/about/careers
DLT Solutions, Herndon, VA
The company recently posted a PR touting their success and growth (http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/29458/2/) and noted a 16 Percent Increase in Revenue in 2012; Totaling More Than $825 Million – growth typically means jobs! The PR also points out specific areas of growth and recent contract wins, heck, they even scored a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) with an estimated value of $2.5 billion to deliver Google Apps for Government as well as migration services. A visit to the DLT Careers page reveals several opportunities in marketing and business development
See http://www.dlt.com/about/careers
Supergeo, Taiwan
The company develops GIS and mobile mapping software and has a need to expand their Global reach via a reseller program. Opportunities exist for resellers interested in working with them http://www.supergeotek.com/About_us_join_us.aspx
Intermap Technologies, Denver, CO
The company recently announced a $750,000 contract win for airborne radar mapping services. The company has several career opportunities posted on their website at http://www.intermap.com/en-us/company/careers.aspx
Geospatial Experts, Thornton, CO
The company recently announced a new reseller channel for their mobile application offerings and GeoJot+ Field Data Solution – think consultant opportunity! (see http://www.gisuser.com/content/view/29435/2/) This could possibly mean a number of opportunities with these resellers or perhaps you can become a reseller in your region.
Do you still think press releases are fluffy, newsy, and of no interest? Well, for those of you needing a job, looking to jump into a better role, or perhaps thinking about starting your own small business or consulting service, I’d say you HAVE to be browsing the industry news headlines and taking note of who the news makers are. I may be touting my own horn here but if you are seeking work then getting our E-newsletter and following our updates on twitter @GISuser is a great place to start and a no-brainer… product mangers needing to identify work opportunities and also keep an eye on the competition you need to be doing this also and if you already aren’t then you are missing out on a number of potential opportunities – it really is simple. There’s one or 2 other online GIS publications also delivering weekly e-news as well and you should consider getting those updates as well. Spend 15 minutes each week, perhaps Friday morning over coffee and browse opportunities from these resources – I’m sure you’ll find opportunities and will also stay informed of important developments in our industry.