It’s true! I applied to Esri 64 times before getting hired and 63 of those times I watched as the application status changed from “in review” to “not a match . ”

To be completely truthful, it stung every time I checked my application status… and I would check every morning, but there were very critical and valuable lessons I learned through this process that I think would help you if you are going through the same thing, either at Esri or another GIS career aspiration.

At this point in my life, I was a recent college graduate applying for any opportunity I could reasonably “qualify” for. What to do and what not to do when applying for jobs was not in any course curriculum in college.

I had heard back from a few different companies, and even moved pretty far through the interview processes, but they could tell my heart just wasn’t in it. Sure , working for a Construction company that is using Geographic Information Systems (GIS ) to increase efficiency and map new locations for storage sounds interesting, but it wasn’t my passion.

Here’s what I did to not get noticed

I wanted to work for Esri, I wanted to help hem grow innovation in GIS. I heard of Esri in college and the more I learned , the more I respected the ir mission, the amazing team culture, and what Jack and Laura Dangermond do for environmental conservation.

I didn’t care so much for what I specifically did as long as it involved working in a GIS technical position. So , I applied for everything, and I mean everything . If it said 1-2 years of experience that meant entry level to me. In hindsight , of course, this was my first mistake.

Though I was passionate, I wasn’t focused I hadn’t tempered the application process. That comes across when you apply for 10 different positions, 5 of which are in different departments. Be patient for what’s right, sit down, think about what you’re passionate about, then see how GIS is applied, because passion isn’t something you can impersonate.

I thought I had a decent resume, formatted nice, a picture of myself, triple checked to make sure my email was 100% correct, but I wasn’t receiving the feedback I had hoped for. Being turned away again and again was demoralizing, but I knew in my heart Esri was the place for me, but my application approach was wrong.

How I started t o “stand out”

First, I realized it was best to only apply to a few positions at a time, then adjusted my cover letter specifically to the role I was applying for. I then reached out and spoke with peers and other industry professionals, about how to get notice d . LinkedIn seemed to be a common trend on how to network in the digital world.

So, I logged in, made an account and started adding connections , fast . I quickly realized I could connect via LinkedIn with individuals in the departments within Esri that I wanted to work for. When I would extend a connection invite, I would write a personal message along the lines of:

“My name is Zak, and I’m really interested in your company. I was hoping I could call you some time to have a conversation about your role . ”

I was so surprised that each and every Esri team member I connected with happily set up a time to call me to have this 1 on 1 conversation. I was blown away. When I spoke with them, they all talked so highly of the company and it just reinforced what I had already knew. At the end of our meetings, I was able to curve the conversation on who they spoke with to get hired, or who the hiring managers might be. This is how I was able to connect with many recruiters.