Kartoza Internships
Kartoza offers an internship program for suitably qualified candidates. The Kartoza Internship aims to prepare candidates for the workplace and build their skills, knowledge, experience, and portfolio. There are two general streams, GIS intern and Developer intern, for suitably qualified candidates. There is a lot of overlap between the streams and GIS interns will be exposed to some coding and developer skills. Developers will be exposed to GIS skills. Kartoza interns walk away with new or extended skills, real-world experience, and exposure to the operations of a small but dynamic and successful business.
Requirements
Minimum three-year undergraduate degree or diploma in one or more of the following: geography, GIS, geoinformatics, computer science, mathematics, physics, remote sensing, environmental sciences, IT, informatics, electrical engineering, or related.
- We will consider school students, school-leavers, or anything less than an undergraduate at our discretion.
- Your own computer and access to high-speed broadband Internet.
- 40 hours a week
- A willingness to learn, communicate and impress.
Intern Course
Week 1
Week one starts with onboarding and induction, getting to know the staff, learning how to communicate in the remote environment, and several self-study tasks.
Areas and subjects explored:
- QGIS: familiarising yourself with QGIS through a curated beginners course and completing a set of intern projects which includes making a simple map and producing artworks in QGIS.
- PostGIS: familiarise yourself with the concept of databases and how to store and manipulate data in PostGIS using some basic SQL.
- GeoNode: Get to know how GeoNode works as a place to store and access data and create simple maps online.
- Cartography: Learn to make beautiful maps with all the staff's tips and tricks.
- Spatial analysis: Learn how to use spatial data to do analysis and answer real-world problems.
- Coding (SQL, Python, JavaScript, Django):
- CLI and scripting
Weeks 2-4 and beyond
Depending on what you are good at, what interests you, and what we are busy with at the time, you will be assigned tasks across one or more teams.
Real-world projects that Kartoza Interns have contributed to:
- The Clean cooking explorer
- The Risk Informed Response Platform
- GeoNode Documentation
- Kartoza training material
A Word from Kartoza's Interns
Thiasha Vythilingam
I thoroughly enjoyed my time as an intern at Kartoza. I learned more in one week than I ever thought possible. Before I started, I wasn’t sure GIS was the path I wanted to take but as soon as I met the team and got given my first project, there was no turning back.
Kartoza has awakened a passion for GIS within me and I am so grateful to them and this amazing opportunity and real-life experience that I gained.My favourite tasks during the internship include the Bob Ross project and tourism map.
Zinzi Xakayi
My journey with Kartoza has been the most enriching and delightful experience. During this short time, I have been presented with endless opportunities that I have had the privilege to explore. Through that, I have learned essential skills such as being an excellent communicator, being patient and confident, having strong organisational skills, and a great work ethic.
I have met the most phenomenal people, mentors, and fellow interns who have played a crucial role during my GIS and Geospatial discovery.
I loved every moment of it!
Amy Burness
The Kartoza internship prepared me for working in the GIS industry. I discovered Open Source and I am never going back.
The exercises and real-world projects gave me invaluable experiences and now I have a strong and varied portfolio of maps and work I have done. Fantastic experience!
Nicholas Sun Hing
I have had a unique experience with my internship at Kartoza. I have gone from admin work on one day, to the expected GIS work, a little software development, hosting and assisting a live stream and finally creating and editing videos.
We had group training sessions with one of the directors Kartoza where we were given training and insight into GIS software we were unfamiliar with. What really surprised me was how many fellow video game enthusiasts there were in the company, just look at the staff’s 16bit game sprites on the website. You would not expect to play Among Us with your boss or for your first meeting to take place in a video game like Minetest where we had to escape a maze. I enjoyed my time with Kartoza and gained experience and skills from this dynamic and unique company.
Read the experience of the first group of Kartoza interns here: Newsletter
The minimum duration of the Internship is one month full-time on a flexitime basis. We understand you might be studying or working, but do need to commit to as close to a 40h week as possible. After a month, if both parties want to proceed, then it can be extended on a month-by-month basis. The usual length is three months. Kartoza takes on new interns roughly every three months. We offer a small monthly stipend. If your internship is extended AND you are productive AND we have a place on a paying project, then this might be increased in subsequent months. You will interact remotely unless you are near a Kartoza staff member and make arrangements to meet. Kartoza staff are widely distributed across several countries around the world.
Job shadowing and Vac work
We frequently are approached by school-leavers or students for vac work. Rather, apply for an internship if you qualify. We have on occasion hosted school students from Grade 11 or 12 to do a job shadowing day. School students often need direction on what to study or what 'GIS' or a 'real-world IT business' is all about. Job shadowing is allowed at our discretion and when feasible, as all of our team works remotely.
Undergrad students might need direction on specialisation, major subjects, postgrad choices or employment opportunities. The internship is the recommended path to take.
How to Apply
Please send the following information to info@kartoza.com
1. CV
2. Cover letter describing your experience (in English)
3. Educational transcripts
4. Samples of work you have done (maps you have made or code segments you have written)
An internship at Kartoza provides no expectation nor guarantee of employment. However, opportunities may arise entirely at Kartoza's discretion that interns can apply for. Interns may be taken on as permanent staff, on a contract basis, or for specific projects at Kartoza's discretion.
Intern Project Videos
