Now IT jobs for Arts students who take ‘geography’ as special subject
Mapping and data management now need students of the subject and are willing to pay
Students from the arts stream who have completed their graduation in ‘geography’ as a special subject can now get jobs in IT (information sector) companies which offer good salary packages. These jobs are related to data management and Geographical Information System (GIS) mapping at various multi-national companies.
Ujwala Khare, head of the geography department at Nowrosjee Wadia College, said, “We see it as a new trend which has started from the last few years. Almost 40 per cent of our students are opting for the same and getting various job opportunities in IT companies.”
“For this, a student from arts or science stream needs to take ‘geography’ as a special subject and then pursue a six months course GIS informatics which students do either from Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) or any other private institute. The fees for the course is Rs 20,000 Then they can opt for jobs at IT companies for work related to GIS mapping, data analysis and various other related work,” added Khare.
Vilas B Kamble, head of geography department, Modern College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Shivajinagar, said, “Currently we are going through flood situations in the state and similar types of disaster can happen anywhere in the world. There are types of disasters like landslides in the mountains, coastal areas land mapping, boulders falling and others. So with the help of this GIS informatics, students can chalk out preventive measures about the same.”
“It is an important role which is vital in almost all the IT companies which handle projects related to land, roads and infrastructure. Even with the help of satellite images this work is done and in IT companies such expertise is needed,” said Kamble.
“Other IT engineers who come from computer background only have the digital information how to convert and but a geographic expert gives the real ground data information to that IT engineer,” he added.
Rajendra Surywanshi, head of geography department, MES Abasaheb Garware College, said, “Once a student is placed in any IT multi-national company the starting package is around Rs 20,000 per month which increases with experience. But this sector has open the doors for students coming from arts background to the IT sector with very good salaries.”
“Remote sensing and GIS is the main field where our students’ works, the navigation system in smartphones, to analysis of satellite images and planning of the disaster management are all the works which students work professionally,” said Surywanshi.
A geography student Abhinav Kurkute who got placed in an IT company said, “I never thought about getting a job in IT company after completing my graduation in Arts, as I used to think that IT jobs are only for software engineers. But things have changed now.”
“I work in a private IT company in the data generation section. We generate data related to roads, there is also data generation inland parcel. Our work is all interlinked with the software engineers who work on the software mapping of the routes which is related to the field of geography,” said Kurkute.
