donsutherland1

Tough competition in the meteorology field is not an exception, but the norm experienced in many fields (especially those susceptible to global competition). Moreover, unlike the meteorology industry (and one can broaden it to the physical sciences category, which includes even more opportunities and having the flexibility to capitalize on opportunities in that broader segment would be a wise approach) which is projected to enjoy moderate growth, there are actually industries where the absolute number of jobs is projected to decline. http://www.bls.gov/oco/oco2003.htm The reality of the post-recession environment is that many fields have stiff or stiffening competition. There is a structural component to unemployment in a number of industries meaning that not every industry will recover to its pre-recession status and some of the job losses will likely be permanent. At the same time, the U.S. fiscal imbalances suggest that the spurt in the number of government jobs created in recent years is likely a temporary phenomenon. In fact, as fiscal consolidation ultimately has to be pursued (by choice or by financial/debt market realities in the medium-term and beyond), slow or negative growth in all categories of government jobs could become a reality. Hence, the private sector will likely account for a larger share of Met jobs than it presently does. Academia, might also, but public higher education institutions face immediate financial challenges that mirror those plaguing their state governments. What all that means is that today's college students will need to do everything possible to make themselves relevant/attractive, as entry into the job force immediately subsequent to graduation is no longer as seamless or assured as it was in the past, even for graduates from top-tier schools. This challenge confronting the current generation of college students is deeply worrying, as there is empirical evidence that graduates who have difficulty entering the labor force suffer from adverse long-term impacts (future opportunities are fewer, wage growth is less robust, etc.). Some older workers will need to make difficult choices, especially if they were/are participants in industries that are either declining or won't recover fully to their past extent. Highly educated people, in general, have greater latitude to adapt to job market challenges than those with lesser skills/credentials. Meteorologists/meteorology graduates fall into that category of highly educated people and they are eminently qualified for numerous related fields in the physical sciences that have strong job growth prospects. That doesn't mean things will be easy by any stretch of the imagination nor that their won't be frustration/heartbreak at times, but it does mean that things are not as bleak as they are in some other fields, notably the low-skilled, declining areas from which dislocated workers have little career mobility.

For another perspective, one can read the Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook (2010-11 edition): http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos051.htm