Featured Conference Track: Career Connections

Career Connections (Track #13) on Thursday Afternoon.

Don't Forget Your Resumes!

Join us once again for Career Connections at the 2025 WLIA Annual Conference (Thursday afternoon, Track #13)! Career Connections has become an annual event at the conference geared towards students, but open to all. This professional development-focused session seems to get better every year. Please see below for this year’s amazing lineup. Also, don’t forget to bring your resumes! We will have dedicated “open time” at the end where we will have volunteers ready to take a look and answer your questions.

Career Connections Breakdown:

30 Minutes - Speaker: Matthew Haffner, PhD, Associate Professor of Geography, University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire on the topic: “From Theory to Practice: Cultivating Geospatial Success in Industry.” Geospatial industries are complex, and the needs of individual organizations can vary greatly. This challenge is compounded by a frequent disconnect between what geospatial professionals look for in entry-level hires and what university students are taught in the GIS classroom. In this talk, Matthew will discuss some observed pinch points between academia and industry, how both groups can work to bridge these gaps, and how career seekers can position themselves for success. Additionally covered will be networking, building an online presence, and resume and cover letter tips that have worked for many UWEC geography graduates. Finally, Matthew will present a comprehensive list of GIS interview questions that former students have encountered over the years.

45 Minutes – Industry Expert Panel with Q&A
•   Frank Romo, CEO of RomoGIS Enterprises
•   John Nelson, Cartography and UX at Esri
•   Emily Champagne, Geospatial Manager, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD)
•   Grace Condit, GIS Analyst, Mead & Hunt

15 Minutes – Open time for one-on-ones, resume reviews, etc.

We hope to see you there!  If you haven't registered yet, there IS still time!  Head over to the Event Page to get started!