If you do have someone you can go out with, I'd recommend sitting with them through the targeting process as well. Y'all new guys are really lucky compared to when I (and many of the guys who have been chasing longer than I have) in that you are already connecting with other chasers early on. I didn't know about this place when I started in 2006, and didn't meet any other chasers until 2011. Especially from a forecasting standpoint, it was a steep curve. I might as well have been throwing darts on occasion. Once I was in the right area I was in good shape because I'd been a weather geek and watching the skies since I was 6, but getting in the ballpark is something I still mess up at least a few times a year.
As you get more experienced, you'll find that there is always something you can improve on. That's where the off season comes into play. Just like with athletes, you need to figure out your weak points and work on them. For me, it's still forecasting, with photography/videography in a very close second, due to inexperience with camera and video equipment and especially with setting up shots. So those are the areas I try to work on the most during the offseason, along with maintaining on some of the other things that I've been doing much longer and have a better grasp on. Even something that many take as granted, mobile radar data, was something that took some learning on my part because I didn't have that capability until 2012.
It's always a learning experience. The key is to pick out one or two areas that you can focus on and work at it. If you try for everything at once, you'll be overwhelmed. Once you get a handle on those, pick one or two more things to work on.
That's the best advice I have to offer. Best of luck!
Good luck!
