Jack Armstrong

Current Employer/Organisation Name

Wessex Water

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

Since leaving Exeter I have been working at Wessex Water as a Regulatory Analyst. The work in this role includes data analysis for our regulatory returns, and GIS (namely: spatial analysis and Web GIS). After leaving the University of Exeter, I also started volunteering for the RNLI as a Geospatial Technician. And, for the last eight months, I have been working on a Web GIS app for lifeguards. 

Why did you choose this career? And what do you enjoy most about your work?

I chose to work and volunteer in these roles as they offered an opportunity to work in the GIS sector, and both have enabled me to develop as a GIS professional after completing my studies. These positions have allowed me to work on exciting projects with great people, and overcome challenges which have undoubtedly aided in furthering my understanding.

The aspect of both my work and volunteering that I enjoy the most is the real world impact. Although I really enjoyed my master’s, and was able to work on some very interesting projects, it has been exceptionally rewarding to use the skills that I developed in the course to, for example, create GIS apps for real end users, or undertake an analysis and provide results which will aid in decision making. 

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

The highlight of the programme for me was certainly my dissertation, and having the opportunity to not only work alongside the National Trust and aid in answering questions that were pertinent to them, but also to be able to focus on and conduct field work in an area close to my heart: the Lake District.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

The primary reason for choosing to study at Exeter was it’s fantastic reputation, and the modules offered in the MSc GIS course aligned with the areas I was interested in.