Our first month at 2Excel Geo as Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysts
An insight into starting a career at 2Excel Geo.
by Jasmine Cartwright and Katie Payne | Dec 13, 2021 | Company News
Jasmine Cartwright
Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analyst
Jasmine also has particular interests in wider geomorphology and environmental reconstruction, geology and environmental sustainability.
Katie Payne
Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analyst
Katie’s experience encompasses continuous change detection (CCD) analysis, as well as species distribution modelling (SDM).
Katie has an interest in sustainability, environmental and habitat management.
At the start of November, we (Jasmine and Katie) joined the 2Excel Geo team as Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysts after completing our respective degrees. I, Jasmine, joined the Geo team with a degree in Geography from Durham University and a keen interest in geospatial analysis. Whereas I, Katie, joined with a Masters degree in Remote Sensing and GIS from Aberystwyth University, after discovering a passion for the subject during my undergraduate studies. We began our first two weeks together, working from the main office, located at Sywell Aerodrome. The office is based in the far corner of the aerodrome, with a great view for watching all of the planes take off! Our first few days at 2Excel consisted of introductory meetings, which provided a great way to meet everyone based at Sywell. As everyone works assorted hours in the office, it gave us a prime opportunity to get to know the team individually.
The office is based in the far corner of the aerodrome, with a great view for watching all of the planes take off!
One of the first people we met when we arrived at Sywell was Steve, 2Excel Geo’s collection manager and resident comedian. We were lucky enough to receive ‘The Steve Tour’ of the whole aerodrome, including a comprehensive tour of the hangars and an introduction to aviation and safety. This was also the first time we met some of the wider 2Excel functions and saw how the departments integrate. Once a month, the whole Geo team gathers in Sywell for a comprehensive departmental meeting, allowing us to get to meet everyone in person, as some team members predominantly work remotely. Additionally, during this week the team goes out, enjoying a meal and pub quiz! As we were still relatively new, it was a nice opportunity to enjoy each other’s company and get to know everyone outside of the office.
Following the completion of our initial two weeks, our working environments changed slightly. I, Jasmine, based locally, found a hybrid style of working appropriate, with a mix of office and home-based working. Whereas I, Katie, am based further away and predominantly work from home. Initially, I worried that this would make working harder, but luckily with everyones varied working patterns and a daily morning meeting you still feel really connected with the rest of the team.
We quickly started working on a variety of projects, and also attended the GeoBusiness event in London, allowing us to explore the latest innovations within the industry and also see some captivating demonstrations of work currently taking place across the UK. This also provided us with our first opportunity to network with other companies and speak with other professionals who have recently graduated.
Figure 1
Jasmine (left) and Katie (right) at the 2021 GeoBusiness Event.
Figure 1
Jasmine (left) and Katie (right) at the 2021 GeoBusiness Event.
In our fourth week, we also undertook two exciting, albeit cold, days of fieldwork in Cambridge. It was great to experience fieldwork within a professional setting and conduct surveys using a variety of techniques efficiently and succinctly.
Overall, our first month at 2Excel Geo has been one with a large amount of variety and excitement! We cannot wait to continue working within the multitude of current projects and continue to grow further within our roles!
Figure 2
Katie undertaking fieldwork in Cambridge.
Figure 3
Our Cambridge fieldwork covered a range of different environments.
