isohume

Forecasting is more of an art than a science. In that I mean you can tell folks to look at A, B and C all you want...such as is taught now with the NWS forecaster development program. However...the only way to add skill and become highly proficient at the multitude of forecasting challenges is through subjective experience and learning from the experience of others. IMO.

The only time an MIC has to hire a vet is when the gold panel is "blocked" by 3 vets. The MIC is then obliged to hire a vet. The MIC doesn't have to hire a vet against a non-vet in most situations. In most situations, the vet is given a 5-point preference added to their final multiple and then they are scored along with everyone else. The MIC then has the choice on who they want to interview and hire. As far as the qualifications go...there is no way to know which person (vet, non-vet) is more qualified...only the hiring officials can determine that based on their needs. Besides, many times the vet is ex-Air Force weather and they bring much aviation wx experience to the table. Something which is highly valued for NWS jobs.

Yeah like others have said here...it was out of the NWS's hands. You should still apply for volunteerships at your nearest WFO tho. The NWS can afford to be very picky in hiring new interns these days and folks at the top of the list generally have their masters or a good amount of experience. Also, qualified veterans are getting more weight in the hiring process now with SCEP out of the way...so anything you can do to add to your resume which makes you stand out is highly recommended.

The SCEP program has been canceled and it's being replaced by the Internship Program. The Internship Program will be different in that it doesn't allow a pathway to hire participants directly for federal employment like the SCEP program did. It's basically a cost saving measure, but the Internship Program will look good on any resume.

You should never give up on your goals without trying and I don't think anyone here did that. You should be willing to move just about anywhere CONUS to secure your first job tho. You should also realize you wont make much money during your first few years. In the meantime, your job is to make yourself as competitive as possible...ie: high grades, research papers, internships, volunteering, etc.

I'm sure it varies greatly by University...but Iowa State did a good job of keeping things realistic when it came to future employment discussions. Our professors always harped on us that competition was stiff in met and you need to really do all you can at any given time to make yourself competitive. They'd joke about it...saying some of us would end up working at the Union selling books after a bad test. That motivated me. I didn't exactly want to waste all the money I was paying for a noble, yet service job. I'm pretty sure we all got it.

I couldn't believe the high number of my classmates that didn't have a specific employment goal after college.

Yeah, many of the NWS offices are overwhelmingly white male...GSP being one of the last ALL white male offices. I bet the m/f ratio is more even in broadcast met. Kinda weird seeing new met programs spring up like UNC Charlotte and Virginia Tech...as if there is a real need out there. I imagine they're trying to cash in on weather's popularity right now...twc's storm chasing, Abrams, Cantore, etc.

Yeah I think that's safe to assume. If anything, I could see more consolidation in the next couple decades. Weren't the Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) supposed to consolidate into two main hubs by now? I'm not even sure if that is still in the works. Anyway, my point is I think any downsizing will take quite a while and will be done through attrition. I agree with you...that the hiring trends will probably resemble the past 10 years over the next 20 years with some measure of consolidation. I could see SOO and IT positions regionalized to some degree.

Awesome...class of 2000 here. Go Clones! Man, the 90s were a golden time to be in the NWS with modernization ongoing. The Super Bid and the Backfill Bid? I imagine it was a crazy adjustment time tho.

There are a few. There are also military officers applying for NWS intern spots. Veteran's preference is only an additional 5 pts on your final multiple score.

It helped, but no more than any one else's veteran's preference. My military jobs didn't consist of anything to do with weather when I applied for the NWS. I think my GPA (3.54) and the fact that I worked three jobs in weather, while in school, helped more. I was a paid research aide for Iowa State University, I had a year-long internship as an air quality meteorologist for the State of Iowa, and I volunteered at NWS DMX.

This is true. Often a TOR will be issued for a remote area or sometimes the tornado only briefly touches down in a more populace zone. These tornadoes are hard, if not impossible, to quantify. They still tally up the FAR tho.

Apparently.

Probably a small percentage, especially with the increased amount of met graduates. I'd guess 15-25%. Who knows tho?

In the NWS, it's not too uncommon...GS13s and high stepped GS12s make 100K+.

Agree. My "toilet paper degree" is making me 90K+ a year.

Yeah I'm sure it's relevant and all, I'm just not looking forward to stormguy80 posting the same thing about how met is the most difficult career in the world to get into another 1800 times.

I had a dream last night that this thread quietly went away. Then I woke to this NIGHTMARE!

Agree with the above statements wholeheartedly. If you don't want to move to some "undesirable location" out of college as a met major...you most likely will never work in the field. It's called paying your dues.

I noticed your sig says a "concentration in Atmospheric Science". What does that mean exactly? What are the Dif Eq, atmos physics and dynamics requirement for that? I'm just wondering if it meets the AMS requirements.

It's just a momentary lapse into crazy I imagine. The larger the thread the more chance crazy creeps in. It'll bounce back I'm sure. Although...the original idea has been hashed to death really.

Well...that proves it. Asians cannot forecast weather worth a damn. Yeah...going into research requires a sleepy mind.

I've never found this to be the case.