Another useful skill that I did not realize until recently was convening and organizing sessions at large scientific conferences. It is good for students who plan to go into research to gain experience in organizing meetings related to topics of interest.

Social media helps me reach those who do not seek out traditional media news sources. I would encourage all students to find opportunities for science communication and to reach out and try it. This is becoming more important all the time.

Experience, whether paid or unpaid. Take internships or many job shadow opportunities so you know what is expected in the work. Commitment in jobs. If you bounce between jobs every couple months, that sends red flags. You need to spend a year or two at the same place to establish trust and connection with viewers and to begin to understand local variations in weather.

My first job after the masters was with North American Weather Consultants working on air pollution monitoring and prediction, and also some work on weather modification. This was an exciting job doing field research: driving 4X4 trucks, riding in helicopters, serving in right seat on research flights—about 1/3 of my work was outdoors and I loved it.

Leadership experience. It can be leading a project, but also could be as simple as volunteering on local and/or professional boards. BE ACTIVE. Make it obvious that you can get work done, especially in a group setting. Clients want to know that you will be a good person to work with.

Software, coding and programming skills are extremely important for individuals working in the field. More recently, data science and machine learning skills are becoming more utilized.

Entering the military one thing all personnel should have is leadership, GPA, and volunteering. Volunteering goes hand in hand with leadership.

Internship. Internship. Internship. I cannot adequately express how important it is to pursue internships. College professors can teach you a lot about meteorology, but applying this knowledge in a real working environment is critical to getting that first job.

The biggest things I look for are weather knowledge and how you communicate in person. If you can't communicate in person, you will struggle communicating to thousands of people. Also, work ethic! If you are going into this field, you have to be willing to put the time and hours in.

When there is threatening weather, when you have tornado warnings or a hurricane moving toward people or flash flooding occurring, I really love the privilege I get to help warn people and help them stay safe and get through the storm.

Currently, it's all about computer science and information technology. Everyone has the skills in meteorology and climatology, but if you can't analyze lots of data and communicate it efficiently, then the work becomes exponentially harder. Skills such as GIS, programming, and cloud technologies will go a long way.

I like learning something new every day, and I also like the process of developing and evolving a big-picture plan for where we want to go with our capabilities and technology. I like the people I work with as well; we all have a passion for the weather and environmental missions at NASA, NOAA, and Air Force Weather.

The most surprising and exciting thing about my career has been all of the international travel I've been able to do. I've been to the Indian Ocean, Thailand, South Korea, Sweden, the UK, Austria and many more places all associated with research. I didn't expect it when I decided to pursue a career in research and it's been a very rewarding surprise.