Take advantage of committee participation as a student. I served on three different committees as a graduate student and that said a lot about my character and the kind of academic professional I wanted to be. Academic employers like to see diversity and involvement in various collegial activities.
If your values are not represented, if you do not see yourself mirrored back within a company, then you will become frustrated and less empowered. Always remember that you are interviewing people at the same time that they are interviewing you. As often as possible, choose to work in places that value you and the things that you value.
I'm a happy person and I'm one of those people that loves to make people laugh and help them get their day going. Being on the morning show helps me to show more of my personality. I also love that I get the chance to help the viewers understand how the world of weather works and how it's going to impact their schedule or plans.
Emergency management or any disaster preparedness course you can take would be very beneficial! The NWS has great ties with this community, so having some background knowledge of this subject will go a long way and make you more marketable.
I returned to San Juan as a journeyman forecaster, and quickly rose through the ranks to become a lead forecaster at age 27. I then moved to the National Center for Environmental Predictions to be the chief of the South American Desk. But I was only at that job for a few weeks because I got offered a job in broadcast news in Miami. I became the first ever degreed meteorologist on Spanish language television in the United States.
In my childhood I have seen dark and thick clouds coming from the sea and producing continuous rains in my place. I was very curious to know about the clouds and atmosphere from my childhood.
The most challenging thing about my job is the high degree of responsibility that comes with it. Weather forecasting and hydrological modeling are complex tasks that require a lot of skill and attention to detail, and there is often a lot of pressure to get things right. Additionally, the nature of weather and hydrological systems means that there is always a degree of uncertainty in our forecasts and predictions, which can be difficult to communicate to the public and other stakeholders.
Despite these challenges, I find my work as an Assistant Meteorologist to be deeply rewarding and fulfilling, and I am proud to be part of a team that is working to make a positive difference in people's lives.
One of the most rewarding aspects of my job is the ability to assist individuals in a wide range of topics, from providing information on complex subjects to helping with everyday tasks. It's satisfying to know that my responses can help people save time, find solutions to problems, and gain knowledge about a particular topic.
I like to do things that have never been done before, and my job has had many of those. We were the first to measure and quantify the strength or hardness of hailstones, the first to 3D scan and print hailstones and have now done this for two state record stones, the first to test and destroy a full-scale two story home with hurricane-force winds, the first to conduct a full-scale fire ember storm, and most recently, we developed a brand new test method to rate the hail performance of roof shingles.
It's okay not to have a job lined up right after graduation. Your degree also does not entitle you to a job. I really want to highlight how important these two things are when you're searching for your first role. I spent six months looking for my first job after I graduated. I applied to anything and everything under the sun, including positions where meteorology was a footnote or not even listed in the job posting.
While exploring different concepts of boundary layer changes in mountainous regions of India, the most challenging part for me is traveling these mountainous regions and roads but it still gives me a smile.
The opportunity to practice in front of a green wall was essential in securing my first job. I also did some forecasting for an organization called Foot's Forecast. There was no pay involved but it helped me get some experience on my resume.
I always like new things and the challenge of learning in the job. The most important things on a resume is to convey your confidence and commitment through your experiences.
Forecasting can be challenging in itself, but it is also very fun. I forecast Ozone and PM-2.5 concentrations throughout the state of Michigan, so each morning and throughout the day I am checking the forecast and current concentrations via numerous monitors we have across the state. I love to forecast Ozone and PM-2.5 because, yes, the weather influences the concentrations, but they also can interact with each other and makes forecasting a fun challenge.
It is my experience that many people who tend to work over 50 hours tend not to spend their time as efficiently as possible. So it is important to value your time and have a balance.
Being a weather analyst, regardless if using numerical weather prediction or charts, forces a person to think outside the box. This is both what I liked most and provided a challenge for me.
During an active hurricane event, our whole team becomes hyper-focused on that specific event and it's unique features and impacts. I enjoy that we get to translate the scientific aspects of a hurricane to its societal impacts.
When bad weather threatens, it's important to break down the reasoning behind your forecast and give viewers the confidence they need to prepare. Viewers recognize a strong meteorology background when we're on TV analyzing the dangers behind the storms in real-time.
When I left graduate school, I went to work for Dr. Joanne Simpson and Dr. Robert Simpson. The lessons learned at the highest possible level of meteorology were dramatic. One of the outcomes of their influence was to always work with students in any way that was possible because that's just how things are always done.
I started networking early in my education by attending a local chapter of the American Meteorological Society. It was essential in putting me in touch with the right people at the National Weather Service so I could start working for them when I got up into my Junior and Senior year.