isohume

You get what you give. It's that simple. If you didn't get selected for a postion...it's because you failed to make yourself number 1. This is the same in any industry. Salary increases work the same way. No one is going to give you something for nothing.

This is a good point. Gaining a meteorology or any earth science job is just like pursuing openings in any other job field. How much are you willing to do to make yourself standout from the competition and what are you willing to sacrifice in order to get the job you want? It's all up to the individual and there are no magical shortcuts.

A return to a pre-modernization setup will never happen. It defeats the purpose of the 88-D network. If anything, I could see fewer offices in the future. I doubt the number of WFOs will go down in the near future...but the CWSUs already have plans for consolidation.

The job opportunities aren't as bad as some may think, with options in air quality, broadcast, energy, fed gov, military, and the private sector. However, the competition for these jobs have always been high and will most likely always be that way...esp with newly and uneeded met schools emerging. I'm doing exactly what I wanted to be doing out of college...but if I had to do it over again, I would pursue a degree in chemistry. The reason being...no shift work, no need to move for advancement, and the ability to work just about anywhere in the country.