Lecture 13 (12/2)

1. Lecture 13 (12/2) Job Opportunities for Meteorologists

2. What Can I Do With A Degree? Four main classifications of career opportunities: • Applied meteorology (non-media) • Non-university Research • University Teaching and Research • Media Weathercasting

3. Applied Meteorology • Most common career for meteorologists • Weather forecasting – most common and well known • Forecasting opportunities exist in public, military, private sector (industrial and commercial), and aviation • Not typically a 9 to 5 job (shiftwork is required)

4. Public forecasting • NWS-issue watches, warnings, zone forecasts, etc. • Good benefits (working for the government) • Training programs • Potential for advancement if you’re good (and especially if you get a master’s degree)

5. Military Forecasting • All army and air force support is provided by meteorologists in the air force • If you might be interested in this, talk to a recruiter (you can enter as an officer with your degree or they will pay $ for your education). • Mostly forecast for aviation, but also for army ops, special ops, top secret stuff • May involve time away from family and getting assignments rather than deciding your own future • Often sent to grad school for a masters

6. Private Sector Forecasting • These places offer detailed, special forecasts to many different types of users • Users may include: utility companies, farmers and ranchers, ocean shipping firms and port operators, and highway depts. • Usually work for smaller company (usually some shiftwork required but not always)

7. Aviation Forecasting • Larger airlines (passenger and cargo) have their own meteorology departments. • But a lot of aviation forecasting is done by the NWS and commercial weather firms. • Services provided may include: terminal and en route forecasts, automated computer-generated flight plans, etc.

8. Consulting • You can throw about anything under this category. • Almost any type of meteorological service provided to a client. • Can deal with specialized environmental services (especially air quality) • Development of meteorological software and weather information systems • Forensic meteorology (application of meteorological expertise to legal matters and police investigations)

9. Air Quality Meteorology • Booming business and can mean good $ • Broad range of technical areas including: environmental assessments and permitting, dispersion modeling (pollutant concentrations), risk assessments, measuring air pollutant concentrations and meteorological parameters, and specialized studies such as photochemical modeling, acid rain, and global warming. • Work with polluters to help them follow the federal and state laws. • Involves chemistry too

10. Forensic Meteorology • Addresses application of meteorological expertise to legal matters and police investigations • May range from people slipping on ice and breaking bones--to robberies or massive car pile ups • Lots of other neat stuff possible

11. Other Applied Metrology Jobs • Marketing and sales – a companies revenue may depend a lot on the weather (need to know about more than just the weather) • Energy companies & weather derivative trading (involves economics too) • Derivative = insurance against something happening like low snow fall in a year at a ski slope, warmer than normal winter for energy companies, or a hard freeze that destroys crops.

12. A Couple More • Atmospheric measurements and instrumentation • Deals with developing better weather instruments, manufacturing them, and monitoring them. • Software and Information Systems – Develop & maintain metrological software, work with modeling, networks, etc.

13. Non-university Research • Usually requires at least a masters degree • No teaching • Divided between applied research and basic research • Applied research =deals with weather and climate observation, analysis, and forecasting. • Research you can apply to everyday activities and operations. • Ex: forecast techniques,forecast verification methods, & case studies

14. Basic Research • Addresses more fundamental atmospheric processes • Ex: formation of clouds and precipitation, air-sea interactions, radiation budgets, aerosol transport, thermodynamics, and global general circulation. • Basic research often support advances in numerical weather prediction models. • Still a flood of unanswered questions: effects of Global warming, what makes a thunderstorm tornado, etc.

15. University Teaching and Research • Requires a Ph.D • Hold faculty position at university or college • Professors usually do research supported by government or foundation grants • Most of the research is basic research • Meteorology is seldom, if ever, taught as a stand-alone subject at the elementary and secondary school levels. Usually integrated into physical science • If you want to teach below the university level, need to be a a physics, earth, or general science teacher

16. Media Weather Casting • Broadcast meteorology • Weather casting for television, radio, and newspapers • Highest profile of all careers in meteorology • Ranges from celebrity-type positions at major networks and cable channels to part-time, relatively obscure jobs at small-market stations. • Generally starts small, but can improve rapidly

17. More on Broadcast Metr • A lot of "behind-the-scenes" effort put forth by private meteorological firms (graphics software, other special tools) • A strong theoretical background in meteorology is a necessity, forecast experience is highly useful, and computer competence is helpful. • Strong communication skills are essential, in terms of both oral and written communication. • Can also be a radio broadcast metr (thru phone lines you can get studio quality sound)

18. Final note on Broadcast Metr • Tough business – can succeed fantastically or lose your shirt • You’re famous – good and bad • Can’t get drunk at the local bar • Often go to elementary schools and give talks to the kiddos • Salary range 17K to 1 million + • You should be able to get a job if you want

19. So How Much Ya Gonna Pay Me? • Starting salaries range from low 20’s to high 20’s (higher with masters or PhD) • NWS = advance faster, mid 30’s after a year or two • Within 5 to 7 years 40K-70K • Many jobs top out in 70-100K range

20. More on the Money • Professors make between mid 40’s (assistant) and mid 80’s (full) • A master’s or Ph.D. increases your earnings potential • Always try to make your credentials better (AMS Seal of Approval, Certified Consulting Meteorologist (CCM), etc.)

21. Web sites for job-seekers(bookmark these puppies on your home computer) Nonbroadcast links http://www.ametsoc.org/AMS http://www.nwas.org/jobs.html http://www.earthworks-jobs.com/clim.htm or http://www.earthworks-jobs.com http://mrd3.nssl.ucar.edu/~dob/www/jobs.html http://www.noaa.gov/jobs.html http://www.met.psu.edu/Jobs/jobs/index.html http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/a9noaa.htm or http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/ http://unr.edu/homepage/daved/jobs.html#met (links to many companies) http://libwww.syr.edu/research/internet/earth/jobs.html#Job http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Met-Jobs/ http://www.ujobbank.com/ http://libwww.syr.edu/research/internet/earth/jobs.html Broadcast links (you have to pay to post a resume/tape) http://www.medialine.com/ or http://tvjobs.com/ If you wanna go to grad schoolhttp://www.ametsoc.org/AMS/curricula/index.html

22. For next time: • Read last chapter (The Future of Earth) • Burn your book 