Congratulations to our October Alumni of the Month, Enobong "Eno" Etuk! Eno is a Consultant/Technologist at Booz Allen Hamilton. He graduated from UMD in 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in Geographical Information Systems before moving to obtain a Masters of Professional Studies degree, in Technology Management at Georgetown University. Read on below for great advice and insight on working at Booz Allen Hamilton!
Name: Enobong “Eno” Etuk
Year of graduation: May 2015
Major: Geographical Information Systems
Minor: N/A
Current employment status:
· Employer: Booz Allen Hamilton
· Position: Consultant/Technologist
Did you/do you currently go to graduate school? If so:
· School: Georgetown University
· Program: Technology Management
· Degree: Masters of Professional Studies
What drew you to GEOG/GIS/ENSP?
I was drawn to the Geographical Sciences Department because the degree allowed me to stay technical while adding the critical and interesting Geographical component.
What internships or independent research did you do as a GEOG/GIS/ENSP major?
As a GIS major I interned with the Facilities Management Department as a GIS technician where I learned and applied a lot of classwork experience. Outside of this I interned with the NSA and another technology company while in school. Also while in school I also maintained several other on-campus jobs which allowed me to gain skills in and outside of my field of interest.
What do you do at your current job?
As a technology consultant for Booz Allen I am responsible to stay abreast to the latest technologies and use this along with my skills to provide services to a wide array of Defense and Intelligence clients. So far I’ve worked on projects as a software developer supporting the State Department and currently I support the Department of the Navy with their Cyber Security efforts.
What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success while they are still undergraduates?
Regardless of your major in the department I would try to learn as many programming/scripting languages as possible-no you don’t have to love it. I say this because development skills are a great skill to have and use to market you to employers coming out of school and further.
Also while in school try to obtain internships in areas or fields you feel as though you’d want to get into-you may end up thinking you want one thing until you have actually gotten a taste for it.
And lastly, make sure to network-I like this one a lot! When I say network I mean build genuine relationships with professors, school faculty, other students, etc. These same relationships can prove to be beneficial to both parties and will come in handy when you may need an academic reference, job hunting, mentoring, etc.
What recommendations would you make to current GEOG/GIS/ENSP majors for career and academic success after graduation?
Make sure you continue to network. After graduation and after you’ve established relationships and connections make sure to continue to nourish those seeds. So keep in touch from time to time with your connections to continue to build those relationships for lasting opportunities.
When looking for jobs as a recent graduate don’t be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone. You may not necessarily find something directly pertaining to your major or program (e.g. as a GIS Analyst or Programmer) but you may find an opportunity where you can apply your analytical skills you gained while in the program for instance. No knowledge is ever lost, and once applied to your current tool kit can be transferred to other areas.
What do you miss the most about UMD?
What I miss about the University is the invaluable access to a plethora of resources. As a student I enjoyed the pleasure of shooting a professor/faculty an email and letting them know that I wanted to meet them and learn about their subject area. If I knew them well, it got to the point where I would just show up. I truly liked the diversity that was present from the University and the different experiences that one could take in from this. And of course I can’t forget the fun, college game days and just being a college student in general!
What are some of your hobbies/interests?
I like to make the best of my weekends/evenings as a recent graduate now in the work force. I enjoy night life in DC, playing soccer, and getting to the gym to name a few. On a more professional level I am interested in the huge and growing field of Cybersecurity and have yet to tap into its intersection with GIS. I eventually can see myself going into a managerial role with a focus on information/cybersecurity.
Thank you Eno for sharing all your insight. We appreciate your great adivce. Good luck!
