Hello,
I am about to graduate with a BS in community development and a BS in social science, minors in real estate and sustainable urban development. The idea is that I will be applying to graduate school for urban planning. However, a classmate of mine dampened my enthusiasm to do this by stating that he decided not to because he didn't want to be $80,000 in debt with a master's degree and no job. My heart sunk when I heard this, since this has been my passion for the last four years. He claims that the market is saturated with planners in Oregon.
I'm currently in a world of debt with school and my degree offers very little technical training.
I'm trying to supplement my education with real estate knowledge, grant writing skills, and a graduate certificate in GIS.
My question is to those familiar with the Portland job market for people with GIS certification. What is your opinion? Will job opportunities for people with GIS certification decline or remain steady? Do you think it is currently steady? I'm curious.