wall_cloud

likewise, I agree 100%. I meant working at the same place though

I think we bit that same bullet!

lol...I expect nothing less

yeah, I had no trouble with mids for the first 7-8 years but the last 1-2 years has been much tougher (I'm 33 now). I definitely hear ya!

Yes, it is.

maybe they mean they are blocking that 1 spot on the panel. I was under the assumption that vets were generally given a free bump to the panel but not guaranteed anything. Again, this is all news to me, so I don't know for sure.

ditto. That was my understanding as well.

Not all forecasters are former interns. Some are hired right into that position. Also, wouldn't the current veteran's preference interns/forecasters being taking the open forecaster jobs, only to be replaced by new veteran's preference interns?

its not anything I have heard anything about. If this were to be true, you could essentially forget about getting a job out of college. Pretty much every new opening would go to military and it would cripple the ability for current NWS employees to advance. I think there may be some bill as suggested but I really doubt that it is a "you must hire veterans" bill.

That wasn't true even 4 months ago. Unless he signed this legislation since then, they are generally automatically on the panel with veteran's preference, but they aren't guaranteed the job.

During the spring semester of my freshman year (mid 90s), one of our professors (who at one point was the director of the school of meteorology) told us point blank in Intro to Professional Meteorology that "you probably will not find a job in meteorology." He suggested that we make sure that meteorology is what we really want to do (good with any major) and that it would be a difficult road if we continue. I knew from the time that I was very young that I wanted to be a meteorologist so I didn't flinch. However, at the same time I never really developed a plan about where I wanted my career to go. After earning my B.S. with decent grades and a minor in mathematics, I took the first job I could find since I was getting married. I worked outside of meteorology for about 9 months then finally landed an entry level job at a private firm in Houston. I wasn't looking the whole time so it really didn't take that long to find this job (2001). This job started at about 27K which is pretty good by industry standards and Houston isn't expensive really. I didn't like the area though (Houston = too big for me at the time) so I moved to Oklahoma City to work for one of the proverbial sweatshops. The pay and hours were poor but I was forecasting the weather and I was happy with my location. I will warn that the raises were poor (5% first year, 0% 2nd year) so even as a supervisor the pay was right around 22K (for straight overnight shifts). After ~1 1/2 years in the private sector I had earned my stripes enough to get into the NWS. The timing was perfect I'm sure because, like everyone has said, the jobs are uber competitive. Since then, my career has reached heights that I never dreamed of. I know more about the science that I ever thought I would and I have much about difference computing systems. That said, I still work rotating shifts and likely will for several more years at a minimum. That is difficult but worth it in the end. My advice is that no matter how much you THINK you know, there is someone better out there. It has been said numerous times that you need to separate yourself from the pack by going above and beyond the norm. That can mean several things depending on your aptitude. If you are a computer savvy person, I would go the way of learning GIS, Linux, GIS, Python, GIS, and/or Tcl/Java (did I mention GIS?). Others may want to wok on their leadership and speaking skills. Do some posters for NWA meetings while in college, volunteer for leadership positions (SCAMS e.g.) and work with scouts and such. I think the most important thing you can do is apply for a SCEP position for summer employment at one of the WFOs. This is BY FAR the easiest way to get into the organization. My final suggestion is to not limit yourself geographically to get in the door. If you have to go to Alaska, Nevada or North Dakota...DO IT! You can always move after you get in and gain some experience. I have moved 3 times already to move up the ladder and even though I never pictured myself in any of those locations ahead of time, I still enjoyed them all. There is far more to a resume than meteorology skills. In fact, met skills are only a very small piece of the puzzle. If anyone has any more specific questions I would be happy to answer them. Send me an email/PM and I'll get to them when I can. I'll end this by saying that this career is NOT for everyone but if you work hard and are willing to sacrifice it can be very rewarding. You just have to be willing to bide your time and not expect instant results.