Career Related Advice

[John Peters]

I am currently in an atmospheric sciences undergraduate program at The University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. I plan to make a career studying and forecasting severe thunderstorms (this has been my dream since a very young age). I was wondering what job opportunities exist that relate to this field of study, and the nature of their educational requirements. I'm only into my 4th semester of college classes, so I have some time to consider alternative possibilities as well.

Can anyone who has or has had a similar job briefly describe their educational background? How hard was it for you to find a job in your desired field? Was location an issue?

Any input would be greatly appreciated,
- John

 

[rdale]

Are you talking about a job that would only involve forecasting severe storms? I can't imagine too many exist for that purpose.

Obviously SPC would be the primary source for that - but I'd imagine any job (NWS or private sector) that is convection-specific would require you to have years of experience as a "general" forecaster first .

 

[John Peters]

Are you talking about a job that would only involve forecasting severe storms? I can't imagine too many exist for that purpose.

Obviously SPC would be the primary source for that - but I'd imagine any job (NWS or private sector) that is convection-specific would require you to have years of experience as a "general" forecaster first .

I guess I'd be looking for something more generalized initially.

 

[B Ozanne]

Can anyone who has or has had a similar job briefly describe their educational background? How hard was it for you to find a job in your desired field? Was location an issue?

Any input would be greatly appreciated,
- John

BS in meteorology. Very, very difficult. Everyone has a BS and most companies are looking for MS. Very few weather related companies where I live so location is a huge factor.

 

[Tony Laubach]

John,

One thing I am finding in my own experience as I, too, am wrapping up a BS in Meteorology...

As been stated, most companies are looking for a Masters, however, I have found a nitch as I am double-majoring. Seeing as I am not going into research and will likely not be going into NWS, I'll have an upper-hand as my second degree, Technical Communications, may allow me to do something weather-related AND work with computers. Having the degree with both may off-set not going for my Masters, which if I so choose, can obviously go after later.

Obviously a double-major is an expensive venture and very time consuming, but something to consider if there's a particular field in which you want to use your weather-related experience.

Best of luck!

 

[John Peters]

Just to clarify, I plan to continue past the BS and earn a graduate degree.

I've always assumed that I would end up working for NWS, but it's interesting to hear what other opportunities there are

 

[Rich Thompson]

John,

I can only tell you how it worked out for me, and none of my career path may be relevant now. I graduated with an MS in Meteorology from OU in 1992, and started with the NWS in Houston late that year. Eighteen months in, I got the opportunity to work at SELS (now SPC), and I've been there ever since.

SPC's current entry level position is the "assistant mesoscale forecaster". This position covers a GS-5/7/9/11/12 rating, and is a real mish-mash of responsibilities. Forecast products include national fire weather forecasts out to day 8, scheduled and unscheduled winter weather MDs, convective MDs, general thunderstorm probability forecasts in support of the convective outlooks (usually the second name you see on a day 1 outlook), and experience with the severe storm outlooks after you've been at SPC for at least 1-2 years.

An MS degree can help, but it is not necessary to work at SPC.

Rich T.

 

[Mike Smith]

The vast majority of work we do at WeatherData Services, Inc. in Wichita is the issuance of storm warnings (tornado, blizzard, hail, high wind, ice storm, etc.) for our clients. These are not repackaged NWS warnings and they are issued by our meteorologists. We require a B.S. only, but we do have meteorologists with higher levels of education on our staff. We certainly invite meteorologists with a B.S. to apply. Our web site is www.weatherdata.com .

We are looking for people who are good communicators, can think on their feet and understand the basics of WEATHER (as opposed to equations).

We'd be happy to hear from you when you are a few months from graduation.

Mike Smith

 

[Jayson Prentice]

John, I'm in the exact same situation as you. Also in my 4th semester here at Iowa State, going for a BS in Meteorology with a minor in Geology/Hydrology. I guess from my talks with the NWS guys out of Des Moines tells me that you don't have to have a graduate degree in order to work there. That is the route that I'm going to take, or at least want to take, is working for the NWS and like you my dream job would likely be at the SPC.

When applying for the NWS job, it is a huge pool of applicants and then they go through lists of things to look for to slowly widdle them down. Maybe somebody that works for them can go through that a little more in depth, but from what I understand is that dependence on a BS/MS degree isn't high on the list.

 

[John Massura]

Good day,

My career history includes a BS degree from Valpo in 1999. After school, I worked for the Air Force as a civilian doing satellite analysis (tropical cyclone position/intensity estimates, dust storms, volcanic ash, and snow depth). My position was eliminated in 2004 due to cost-cutting, and since then I've been working with Weathernews in Norman.

Now with my background out of the way, in my experience, in is extremely difficult to get into the NWS with only a BS degree. The best chance would be at in-the-middle-of-nowhere offices such as (and these are just examples, there are a good number of them) Elko, Fairbanks, Caribou, etc. These typically have lower numbers of applicants, but it is still tough. With five years of government employment (granted, as a non-status applicant, but still), I managed to only get one phone interview for an NWS position. When there are 25-75 applications per NWS Intern job, and you need to make the Top 3 points-wise to even be considered, it is very tough. Keep in mind, that even at Intern level, you are competing with those with MS degrees, ex-military that get automatic extra points, and others with loads of job/internship experience. This may have changed a bit in the last few years since I've applied, however I doubt it has changed much. I know you are going for an MS, so to get into the NWS with that, would be a lot easier, but I don't know how much easier.

I think nowadays, private companies (there are a lot out there) are the way to make it into the industry with a BS. There is a good amount of growth still IMO, with the NWS pretty stagnant job-wise. This may change as more people retire for the NWS, but again, I'm not sure how the trends are, as I have not been involved in the NWS hiring process in three years now.

 

[Rich Thompson]

John M. is correct - there is no real job growth within the NWS. Just about all job openings depend on someone leaving federal service, and then the domino effect leads to entry level positions.

I can't speak from direct experience, but it does seem that many more graduating meteorologists will get jobs with private companies than the NWS, or they'll do something else. You've got options like WeatherData (is everyone located in Wichita, KS?), Accuweather (is everyone located in State College, PA?), and lots of other companies that I don't know about. Once you gain more experience, you might be able to hook up with one of the energy trading companies and make the big bucks. However, the only folks I've known that have gone that route all had at least an MS degree.

It is easier to get your foot in the door if you're willing to take one of the less glamorous jobs in an out-of-the-way location. Work experience in meteorology and an advanced degree can both help. Personally, I went to graduate school to get a slight advantage on others I was competing against for job openings, and ended up completing an MS when it became apparent that I'd have to wait some time for a job I wanted. If you can be patient and improve your resume at the same time, the NWS may work for you. If you need a job now, then you'll probably have better luck going the private route. You can always use private company experience to boost your odds of moving into the NWS, and perhaps vice versa.

Rich T.

 

[V. Gensini]

Rich:

I am currently an undergrad at Northern Illinois University and just recently found out that I was selected to participate in the CAPS REU program in Norman this summer. I am blessed to be able to recieve this outstanding opportunity...I may even meet you this summer!? I am planning on graduate school and possibly a career in research, but I was wondering about job opportunities in Norman (such as the SPC etc.) and things like turnover rates...My dream career goal would to be a forecaster for the Storm Prediction Center. Any suggestions or comments about the SPC or other things I should take into consideration? Thanks for all your help!

 

[Aaron Kennedy]

I am currently an undergrad at Northern Illinois University and just recently found out that I was selected to participate in the CAPS REU program in Norman this summer. I am blessed to be able to recieve this outstanding opportunity...I may even meet you this summer!

Excellent oppurtunity (I didn't do it but know many that did). Good way to gain experience, especially if you want to go into research.

 

[Jim Bishop]

John, my best advice to you is don't focus so much on finding a job specifically forecasting severe thunderstorms, even though that's exactly what you want to do. Instead, find any job you can as an operational meteorologist. It would help if you find a job as a typical weather forecaster, but even a marine forecasting position would be fine for starters. It's all about having forecasting experience.

Rich already mentioned that your best bet is getting into the private sector. I couldn't agree more. Apply to everything of course, NWS and private, but really look hard for a private company to get you in the door. Get a few years of forecasting experience and then see where you can go.

I've been through my share of job interviews, all forecasting positions at private companies - this includes weather service providers as well as energy companies. They all seem to have the same 3 basic requirements. A B.S. in Meteorology (M.S. helps but isn't always required), 1-3 or 2-5 years (I've seen both those ranges many times) of actual forecasting experience, and EXCELLENT communication skills. I swear every single time employers are most interested in someone with years of experience. Experience really matters. And when it comes to forecasting, I believe someone with a few years of experience will get the job against someone with a master's degree, but with little or no experience.

As for the energy sector specifically, I got my foot in the door two years ago with a B.S. in Meteorology. I also know of a few other meteorologists with only a B.S. working on energy trading floors. So you don't need a M.S., but it certainly helps.