Jobs and careers in the fields of geography, environment and planning: Your overview

Why geospatial, environmental and planning jobs are more important today than ever

Our world is facing major challenges: climate change, growing cities, increasing environmental pollution, increasing energy demand — and at the same time, we need a digital infrastructure and reliable data to sustainably plan and protect our environment, our spaces and our resources. This is exactly where specialists who work in geospatial, environmental and planning professions come into play. Whether surveying, urban and transport planning, environmental and water protection, renewable energy or geodata management — the diversity of disciplines reflects the complexity of our current tasks.

But many who are interested in the environment, geography or planning lose themselves in view of the multitude of subject areas and job titles. That is exactly why we want to provide clarity and use the following overview to show you which career field could suit your skills and interests.

An overview of the main industries

The following overview is based on the categories offered by the GoGeoGo platform. For each sector, you will receive a concise description and initial information on what it's roughly about.

Current trends and developments — Why now is a good time for a geo-career

Digitalization & geodata

With advancing digitization and growing availability of geographical data, occupations related to GIS, geoinformatics, remote sensing and data analysis are becoming increasingly important. More and more companies — from administrations to planning offices to the private sector — rely on data-driven decision-making processes and geospatial analyses.

Sustainability, climate & environment

Climate change, environmental protection, water protection, sustainable energy supply and renewable energy are top topics worldwide. This creates a growing demand for specialists in the areas of environment & nature conservation, hydrology, sustainable urban planning, climate protection and green energy.

Urbanization & infrastructure development

With the increase in cities, a growing population and the need for modern infrastructure, urban and spatial planning, transport planning, sustainable mobility concepts and cadastral work (surveying) are more important than ever.

Interdisciplinarity & changeability

Many challenges — such as environmental problems, climate protection, urban development or infrastructure — require interdisciplinary thinking and multidisciplinary teams. Specialists with combinable skills (e.g. GIS + environment + planning, or geology + hydrology + environment) are therefore being sought. This offers good opportunities for career changers or people with a hybrid profile in particular.

For applicants: How to find your suitable area

• Reflect on your interests & strengths: Do you prefer technology and data? Then GIS, geoinformatics or remote sensing could be exciting. Do you love nature, the environment and sustainability? Then environment & nature conservation, hydrology or renewable energy are more for you. If the focus is on planning, designing and urban development — then take a look at city/spatial planning or transport planning.
  
  
• Consider lateral entry or specialization: Some areas — such as “Other Geo Areas” or combinations such as GIS + Environment — offer good entry opportunities for career changers or for students with related courses of study.
  
  
• Find out about continuing education and specializations: Many jobs require specific knowledge — e.g. in GIS software, environmental technology, hydrology or planning.
  
  
• Use specialized job boards: Platforms such as GoGeoGo bundle offers from a wide range of disciplines and make it easier to find suitable jobs — instead of searching across many diverse job portals. If you are interested, subscribe to our job newsletter below.

For employers/advertisers: Why a specialized geo-job platform makes sense

• Targeted approach to the right target group: If you're looking for environmental or GIS specialists, for example, you can reach exactly the people with relevant qualifications on a specialized platform.
  
  
• Covering versatility & specialization: Your ad will be seen by searchers who search in your area of expertise or in interdisciplinary combinations — such as geodata + environment, planning + energy, or hydrology + geology.
  
  
• Professional impression & reach: A clearly structured platform with targeted specialist categories appears reputable and trustworthy — and appeals to smaller offices as well as large companies or administrations.
  
  
• Search & selection efficiency: With clear categorization and targeted communication, you save time and effort when selecting potential applicants.

Conclusion & outlook

Geographical, environmental and planning jobs are more than “niche jobs” — they are key disciplines of our time. In a world with increasing environmental and climate problems, a growing population, increasing urbanization and a growing need for sustainable infrastructure, specialists are needed who understand spaces, resources and data and can help shape them responsibly.

Anyone who wants to join now — whether as a career starter, career changer or as an experienced specialist — has good opportunities in many areas: from GIS, the environment, urban planning, hydrology to renewable energies or special disciplines.

If you want, you can take a look at our platform — discover the many job offers from different geo-industries, find the field that suits your interests, and start your green career.