Profile
Elena Field
GIS and Web Mapping Specialist
Candidate CV questions (extra)
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Education
- European School of Varese – European Baccalaureate
- University of St Andrews – BSc
- University of Glasgow – MSc
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Qualifications:
- European Baccalaureate (comparible to A-levels) – I studied English, French, Maths, Biology, History, Geography, Philosophy, Ethics, Art and Sport. I studied Geography and History in French and Philosophy, Art and Sport in Italian.
- BSc (Hons) Geology – I studied Biology, Maths, and Geography before choosing Geology for my last two years.
- MSc Geoinformation Science and Technology.
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Work History
- During School – Bus Monitor
- During University – Teaching Assistant and Geobus Volunteer
- Au Pair in Spain and France
- Researcher in the University of Leicester
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Current Job
GIS and Web Mapping Specialist
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Qualifications:
- European Baccalaureate (comparible to A-levels) – I studied English, French, Maths, Biology, History, Geography, Philosophy, Ethics, Art and Sport. I studied Geography and History in French and Philosophy, Art and Sport in Italian.
- BSc (Hons) Geology – I studied Biology, Maths, and Geography before choosing Geology for my last two years.
- MSc Geoinformation Science and Technology.
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About Me:
I live in Cambridge and I am a cartographer – I make maps of Antarctica. I love drawing, reading, swimming, and travelling.
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Read more
I grew up in Italy and went the UK for university when I was 17. I can speak Italian, French, and English.
I am very creative. I like drawing and painting, especially if I get to be outside when I do! I also love swimming and playing tennis, and going to concerts.
I wish I could have a dog, but I travel too much at the moment!
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Read more
My job is a GIS and Web Mapping Specialist at British Antarctic Survey. This means I use Geographic Information Science (GIS) to make maps for scientists to help them learn more about Antarctica and where they are studying. I travel to the Antarctic each year to work at a Research Station. While there I work with pilots and field guides and sometime get to camp in the middle of nowhere!
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The qualifications required for this job are:
Geography is really important, and maths is useful to have too!
For this job, you normally need to have a BSc in geography or a related subject, and a Masters degree in Geographic Information Science or similar.
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How I got into this job:
I had no idea what I wanted to do, just knew that I like solving problems and being creative.
During my masters degree I started looking at satellite images of the Arctic – it looked amazing and I wanted to learn more and more about the North and South poles!
I chose my research project to learn about permafrost and climate change, and then I saw that British Antarctic Survey had a job opening. It was supposed to be a 2 year desk job, but I’ve now been there for over 5 years and have been to the Antarctic 4 times!
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Why did I choose this job:
I definitely fell into map-making. I liked going on fieldwork during my Geology degree, and always found mapping really interesting – I just didn’t know I could do it as a job! One of my teachers told me about some cool jobs in map-making, and that was it.
I chose this job because I wanted to do something challenging and it sounded different from any other job I’d seen!
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Experiences this job has given me that I might not have got elsewhere:
Travelling to the Antarctic was something I’d never even dreamed of being able to do, let alone for my job!
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My Interview
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How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
Map-making bookworm
What did you want to be after you left school?
I had no idea! I liked everything and wanted to be anything from architect to astronaut!
What's your favourite food?
Pizza!
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My Comments