Why geomatics positions are so difficult to fill

Geomatists are specialists who record, process, visualize and prepare geodata for a wide variety of applications — from cadastral maps to works registers and 3D city models. The profession combines surveying, cartography and digital geodata processing like no other. Nevertheless, positions in geomatics often remain vacant for a long time — for reasons that are deeply rooted in the job market.

The most common reasons why geomatics positions are difficult to fill:

• Lack of awareness of the job description. Geomatician is a relatively young apprenticeship (in this form since 2010) and is not yet sufficiently known among many school leavers, parents and career counselors. The result: too few trainees and a chronically small pool of candidates.
• Not found on generalist portals. “Geomatician” is not a standard category on StepStone, Indeed or the employment agency's job board. Job advertisements disappear under “Technical Jobs”, “Surveying” or “IT” — where geomaticians are not specifically searching.
• Confusion with surveyors. Geomatists and surveyors have related but different profiles. Geomaticians focus on geodata processing, cartography and visualization; surveyors focus more on data collection in field service. Job advertisements that do not clearly differentiate appeal to the wrong target group.
• Digitalization increases demand. XPlanning, 3D city models, open data, WebGIS — the digitization of municipal geodata creates a massive need for geomatists who can digitize analog inventories, process geodata and integrate them into modern infrastructures.
• Competition between public authorities and the private sector. Municipal surveying offices and cadastral offices compete with engineering firms, utility companies and GIS service providers for geomaticians. Both sides must communicate their respective benefits more clearly.
• Training alone is often no longer enough. In addition to geomatics training, many employers expect additional skills in GIS software, CAD systems or programming. Geomaticians with these additional qualifications are particularly scarce and are being courted by several employers at the same time.

From geodata processing to project management: Typical job profiles for geomaticians

Geomaticians work at the interface of data collection, processing and visualization — in municipal offices, engineering offices and utility companies. The profiles differ significantly depending on the context of use.

The following overview shows typical job profiles as they are represented on GoGeoGo:

Geomatics in local government

Job title: Geomatician/Geomatician, Geomatistin/surveyorin xPlanning

Skills: ALKIS, cadastral digitization, xPlanning, land use plan, GIS data collection, CAD

Geomatics in the utility sector

Job title: Geomaticianin/surveyorIn with water suppliers, geomatists with district administrations

Skills: Line documentation, work register, inventory digitization, GIS recording, network planning

Geomatics project management & photogrammetry

Job title: Geomatics Project Manager, Geomatics Application Engineer

Skills: photogrammetry, flight planning, project management, customer service, quality control, 3D modelling

Geodata processing & cartography

Job title: Geomatician/Geomatician (operational geodata processing), GIS specialist work cadastre

Skills: Map creation, geovisualization, digitization of analog assets, print preparation, layout, QGIS/ArcGIS

Whether you are a geomatician for municipal Cadastral digitization search for the Geodata processing with a supplier or project manager for photogrammetry and geomatics — the requirements differ significantly.

Geomaticians who, in addition to traditional training, also have additional digital skills: GIS software (ArcGIS, QGIS), CAD systems, XPlanning digitization or 3D modeling, are particularly in demand. In cities such as cologne, bonn and hamburg Demand is high — but districts and utility companies in rural areas also have a constant need for geomaticians.

More about the job description: Geomatics in Profile: Everyday Life, Tasks & Career and Surveyor training.

Typical employers for geomatics specialists

Geomaticians are employed in local government, utility companies and specialized geomatics engineering firms. The following selection shows examples of the types of employers represented on GoGeoGo.

Local administrations:

• City of Cologne — as a large city with its own office for real estate, surveying and cadastre, a typical employer for geomatics specialists. Profiles here include XPlanning digitization, cadastral work and geodata processing. Large cities offer geomatics specialists a wide range of fields of application and opportunities for further development.
• City of Troisdorf — is an example of medium-sized cities that use geomatists for operational geodata processing and cartography in the surveying office. Independent geomatics jobs are also common in municipalities of this size.
• Kreis-Unna — represents district administrations that use surveyors and geomaticians for cadastral and GIS tasks. In districts, geomaticians often work at the interface of cadastral management and digital geodata processing.

Utilities:

• HanseWasser Bremen GmbH — is an example of municipal suppliers (water, wastewater) who employ geomatists and surveyors to document and GIS survey their pipeline infrastructure. The utility industry is becoming increasingly important as an employer for geomaticians.

Geomatic engineering offices:

• BSF Swissphoto AG — represents specialized geomatics and photogrammetry companies that use geomatics project managers for flight campaigns, photogrammetry projects and geomatics assignments. A particularly attractive environment for geomatists with project management ambitions.
• Philippe Lebert GmbH — a Swiss engineering firm specialized in geomatics and surveying. Typical profiles include geomatics application engineers, GIS specialists for plant registers and geoinformatics project managers — roles that combine geomatics expertise with customer advice and project work.

A complete overview can be found in Business Directory.

Why niche platforms work better for geomatics recruiting

Geomaticians are a small, highly specialized group on the job market — and are virtually invisible on generalist portals.

No major portal has “geomatician” as a category. There is no section for geomatics on StepStone or Indeed. Job advertisements end up under “Technical Jobs” or “Surveying” — categories that are too broad and in which geomatists do not specifically search.

GoGeoGo speaks directly to the geomatics community. The category Surveying & geodesy and blog posts such as Geomatics in profile form the professional environment in which geomaticians search for jobs. Your ad is next to related surveying and GIS agencies — in the right context.

Make training places visible. Geomatics training places are lost in the crowd on generalist portals. On GoGeoGo, they stand next to skilled jobs in the same professional field — visible to students, parents and career counselors who are specifically looking for geo-training courses.

Perfect fit without loss of scatter. Professionals with a geomatics, surveying or geodesy background apply on GoGeoGo. For geomatics positions, this means: virtually no non-specialist applications and significantly faster staffing.

Why employers rely on GoGeoGo for geomatics jobs

GoGeoGo is the specialized job board for geospatial, environmental and planning occupations in the DACH region. For employers looking for geomatics specialists, this means in concrete terms:

Qualified candidates instead of wastage. Anyone who visits GoGeoGo is specifically looking for survey, geomatics or GIS jobs. Your job ad reaches geomatists, surveyors and young professionals who are actively looking for geomatics jobs. In addition, we reach out to job seekers via our geo-newsletter.

Niche SEO that works. GoGeoGo ranks for specialist keywords such as “geomatics job”, “geomatics job” or “geomatics training”. Our 13 subject categories — including Surveying & geodesy and GIS — ensure visibility among the right target group. The blog article Geomatics in profile also specifically attracts people interested in geomatics.

industry network. GoGeoGo is known in the surveying and geomatics community — through specialist conferences, LinkedIn networks and collaborations with multi-posting agencies such as KÖNIGSTEINER, Personalwerk or Rheinsatz.

SEO-optimized job ads. Each ad is marked with schema.org/JobPosting and appears in Google for Jobs.

Permanent ads via the employer profile. With the employer profile They are visible 365 days — particularly valuable for surveying offices and engineering firms, which regularly advertise geomatists and training places.

Fair prices, no hidden costs. Vacancies starting at 149€ (Classic, 30 days). No subscription trap, no success fees. Overview of all prices →

Municipal surveying offices, suppliers and geomatic engineering offices are already represented on GoGeoGo. Visit our Business Directory for a complete overview.