Why pre-screen cartographers before the portfolio review
Cartography fails in two directions and a portfolio hides both. A map can be technically correct and unreadable, with every feature included and no hierarchy. Or it can be beautiful and wrong, built on data whose provenance nobody checked and reprojected carelessly. Cartographers worth hiring can describe what they left off a map and why, and where their data came from. A short screen asks both before anyone opens a portfolio.
What actually matters when screening Cartographer candidates
- 01
Portfolio
Review actual map outputs: topographic sheets, thematic choropleths, atlas spreads, web tile styles. Ask which projection, scale range, and data sources each used, and who published it.
- 02
Craft and rationale
Test command of generalisation, label placement, colour ramps for sequential versus diverging data, and tools: ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, Illustrator with MAPublisher, Mapbox Studio or CartoCSS.
- 03
Feedback and iteration
Probe how they handled cartographic review cycles: redline markups from subject experts, client comments on draft plates, accessibility fixes, or corrections after a positional error was flagged.
- 04
Working with the brief
Assess scoping work: negotiating scale and sheet size, sourcing OS, OSM, LiDAR or census data, metadata and licensing constraints, and hitting print or publication deadlines.
Pre-screening questions to ask Cartographer candidates
12 questions grouped by what they test. Ask the same set in every screen and score answers on a consistent scale, or send them as an async video screen and compare answers side by side.
Maps with a purpose
3 questions01What types of maps have you prepared?
Listen forMap types with the purpose each served and the audience it was for, rather than a list of outputs.
Maps described by appearance, or no audience or decision behind any of them.
02Have you created custom maps to meet specific user requirements?
Listen forRequirements gathered from how the map would be used, with a design decision that followed from it.
Requirements taken as a feature list, or no contact with the people who would use the map.
03Have you led a cartographic project?
Listen forA project with the data pipeline and production process they set up, and what they would change now.
Involvement limited to producing map sheets, or no ownership of the data behind them.
Verified and projected
3 questions04What is your approach to accuracy, and how do you maintain it?
Listen forPositional accuracy stated for the scale, with source currency tracked and updates managed.
Accuracy described generally, or maps published from data of unknown age.
05What strategies do you use to verify the reliability of geographic data sources?
Listen forProvenance checked with independent verification where the stakes justify it, and licensing considered.
Data used without provenance, or licensing terms not checked before publication.
06Are you familiar with scales, projections and other cartographic principles?
Listen forProjection chosen for the purpose and extent, with distortion understood rather than accepted by default.
Default projections used regardless of purpose, or distortion effects not understood.
Designed for the reader
2 questions07How do you ensure usability and readability in the maps you create?
Listen forHierarchy and generalisation applied deliberately, with something removed to make the message readable.
Every available feature included, or readability assessed only by the designer.
08Can you give an example of presenting complex information clearly in map form?
Listen forA map where the design decision carried the message, with what was simplified and what was protected.
Complexity handled by adding a legend, or the reader expected to work the map out.
Data at scale
4 questions09Can you describe your experience with cartographic software?
Listen forProduction tools used with styling and output managed reproducibly rather than manually each time.
Maps styled by hand each time, or no reproducible production process.
10How familiar are you with geographic information systems?
Listen forSpatial analysis performed independently, with joins, projections and topology all handled correctly.
Software used only for display, or spatial operations performed with no attention to projection.
11Do you have experience interpreting aerial or satellite imagery for mapping?
Listen forFeatures digitised with an understanding of imagery currency, resolution and what cannot be resolved.
Features interpreted beyond what the resolution supports, or imagery age not considered.
12What is your proficiency with scripting for manipulating geographic data?
Listen forScripted processing used for repeat work, so a map series can be regenerated when data updates.
All processing done manually, or map updates requiring the whole production run to be repeated by hand.
How to score responses
Score every candidate on the same four criteria immediately after the screen. At this stage you are shortlisting for panel interviews, not making the final call.
Portfolio
35%5Shows varied published maps across scales and media, naming projections, source datasets, print specs, and their own role on each sheet.
Craft and rationale
25%5Defends classification breaks, hierarchy, and typographic choices with cartographic reasoning, including colour-vision-safe ramps and legibility at target output size.
Feedback and iteration
25%5Describes specific redlines absorbed, distinguishes taste feedback from data accuracy issues, and shows before and after versions of revised plates.
Working with the brief
15%5Turns vague requests into a defined map spec covering audience, scale, projection, data licensing, and delivery format before drafting begins.
A map can be correct and unreadable, or beautiful and built on unchecked data. A one-way video screen asks what they left off and where the data came from.
Try it on HirevireScreening FAQ
Process basics
How long should a pre-screening round for a cartographer take?
Fifteen minutes across eight to ten questions, answered async, with a portfolio. Enough to establish what they produced, test their accuracy practice, and hear how they design for a reader.
How much technical capability should I expect?
Enough to handle the data as well as the design. A cartographer who cannot process spatial data will be limited to what someone else prepares, which is a bottleneck on every project.
Evaluating answers
What is the strongest signal when screening a cartographer?
What they left off. Cartographers who design for readers can name what they removed and why. Anyone whose maps include everything available has not made a design decision.
How do I judge their accuracy practice?
Ask where their data came from and how they checked it. Real answers name sources with currency and accuracy considered. Anyone using data without provenance has produced a map nobody should rely on.
Go deeper on this role
Sanat has been hiring since 2012 and watching the recruitment industry change up close ever since, and turned that screening process into Hirevire's video screening platform. LinkedIn
