<p>I've noticed on here meteorology is almost shunned as a career choice and as a major. Even in the general public you bring up you like to track hurricanes and thunderstorms and you are suddenly seen as a person that "loves death and destruction" that was actually said to me by a couple of co-workers. Once I was talking about why there aren't any video games on surviving tornadoes and hurricanes and he told me it was because people don't like to think about dying, yet there are tons of video games on war and shooting people. It didn't make any sense to me at all. Anytime I tell anyone I should have gone to school for meteorlogy they tell me I am a woman and many women do not do well in those fields and the job market is bad. I just graduated with a business degree and I cannot find a job to use my degree at so the market for business majors is bad as well. I am stuck at Wal-Mart just being a cashier. I'm enrolling in Penn State's Weather Forecasting program and people think it's stupid and dumb. I started studying and tracking hurricanes when I was five years old. I was not in hurricane Andrew but clearly remember being in Palm Beach County, Fl where Andrew was supposed to hit but instead slammed into Miami. I even remember what I had for dinner that night and it has almost been 20 years. I love studying how the clouds form and what to do when a hurricane threatens. Many people act very mad when I mention that. Why is this?</p>
<p>I don’t know. Maybe you’re just talking to the wrong or rare people?
I’m a female majoring in Meteorolgy… my school is actually pretty great and accepting with it too. Sure, I’ve noticed that the males greatly outrank the females in the major… but many of the females I’ve gotten to know I feel can outdo those guys anyday. In fact, our last Storm Chase Club president was a woman and great at what she does.
Even around my hometown I haven’t really had anyone say negative things to me.
I really don’t get why people would act “mad”. Maybe they just don’t understand. They might possibly see your passion as you not caring about the destruction such things can cause.
I know that’s something I can relate to… whenever severe weather is happening or I hear about tornadoes I generally go into an excited mode and describe things as “Awesome” or “Amazing” etc. Sometimes people will give me an odd look, thinking that I don’t care about the destruction or deaths being caused by those weather phenomena when I actually do care. I just choose to see the beauty in nature as it happens, but if I become aware about deaths I do get upset about it.</p>
<p>Meteorology, if it is your passion and you don’t mind minimum wage, split shifts, night shifts, seasonal work, ok. However, consider success most meteorologist would give their right arm for a NWS, NCDC or State job. Yet, those jobs are now filling up with those Ph.Ds
and M.Sci. Degree graduates who also have had their ticket punched in the Gulf War - military vets will get some preferential treatment in job applications, grad school, and PhD program applications. There is also some nepotism and who you know aspect like everything else. </p>
<p>On the bright side take a note from the Facebook movie - if you can forecast weather using advanced mathematical probability and modeling, then you probably can do as well in forecasting financial markets and risk assessment.</p>
<p>My advice to you is to go straight mathematics, statistics and find your specialization in grad school. </p>
<p>Did you not see the NWS is furloughing employees because of budget problems. Forecast is not promising.</p>