Post by Sara Ganetis on Sept 4, 2013 3:13:56 GMT
If you are a junior or senior then you must be starting to see the light at the end of your undergraduate academic tunnel. It may not seem like it because you are so focused on your dynamics class or your capstone research project, but you also have to plan the next phase of your life simultaneously. No worries, though, because all scientists had to do just that and did so successfully!
So the question is-- what next? Do you enter the job market? Do you go onto graduate school? Do you just run into the forest and hide with the squirrels? Two of those options are reasonable, but which one is for you?
There is no clearly defined linear path that is obvious to a student at your level. That may be really scary, dealing with that much uncertainty. However, as stated previously-- all scientists had to go through this. The first step, in my opinion, is to get comfortable being uncomfortable and understand that you can't scrutinize and plan every little detail. Think broadly and (above all else) put your happiness first.
There aren't a ton of resources out there apart from asking your mentors or people you see who have succeeded in obtaining a position (be it a job or a spot in grad school). Listed below are a few resources and ideas.
I'd like to ask graduate students and young professionals on MetScholars to chime in with their career path decisions, regardless of how short.
I'll start-- I was exposed to some exciting research opportunities as an undergraduate student but I was never comfortable with my knowledge-base meaning that I wanted to learn more (much, much more) which meant that I would continue on with more school. My interests in social sciences caused me to look into graduate programs in geography, but something was pulling me to stay within atmospheric science. I had contacted some researchers at various universities and government institutions prior to my senior year to get their advice on my independent senior research topic which got me to explore graduate school research topics which are fairly well described on any department's website (see this thread for a list of schools). I made a list with pro's and con's and who I thought I'd like to work with and on what topic mostly by sleuthing online but also a lot of emailing. I tried to see if the latest publications or conference presentations by that researcher really interested me which were usually listed on their CV if not openly on their site. By the time January rolled around (applications were due about then) I had traveled to the AMS Annual Meeting and spoke to some potential advisers in person. That actually made me send in one application quickly I hadn't yet considered. I settled on my current graduate school because that adviser understood that I didn't really have a firm clue on what I wanted to research but that I wanted to research something and learn a lot more than I knew at the time. I decided to go for a Ph.D. over M.S. because my program has a fast-track (no Master's) and even though at times it feels like it's too fast of a track, it's exciting. Do I know what I want to do after I get my degree in a few years? Nope, haha. I just know that I want to keep learning and eventually contribute new knowledge (and tons of scatter-brained code!) upon the field. And that's okay. It's okay to just be excited to be moving forward with no clear path. That may drive some people crazy but it's alright for me. I know I wouldn't like to forecast as my primary job and that I never want to stop learning. Ideally, I'd love to teach but am crazily intimidated by academia but I'll get to work on that. It's also very important to be honest with yourself about what you wouldn't like to do.
To summarize my advice, a) do your research on what's available, b) contact people, c) be open-minded and comfortable with uncertainty, and d) be honest with yourself. Best of luck!
Okay, graduate students and young professionals-- your turn! How did you get to where you got?
So the question is-- what next? Do you enter the job market? Do you go onto graduate school? Do you just run into the forest and hide with the squirrels? Two of those options are reasonable, but which one is for you?
There is no clearly defined linear path that is obvious to a student at your level. That may be really scary, dealing with that much uncertainty. However, as stated previously-- all scientists had to go through this. The first step, in my opinion, is to get comfortable being uncomfortable and understand that you can't scrutinize and plan every little detail. Think broadly and (above all else) put your happiness first.
There aren't a ton of resources out there apart from asking your mentors or people you see who have succeeded in obtaining a position (be it a job or a spot in grad school). Listed below are a few resources and ideas.
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Atmospheric Science
- UCAR Career/Educational Links
- AMS Career Guide for Atmospheric Science
- Career Vision: Is Graduate School Right for Me?
- Have your student club host a career fair or seminar and invite alumni to come and speak about their career paths
- The AMS Student Conference addresses this issue every year (check out last year's program to see for yourself!)
I'd like to ask graduate students and young professionals on MetScholars to chime in with their career path decisions, regardless of how short.
I'll start-- I was exposed to some exciting research opportunities as an undergraduate student but I was never comfortable with my knowledge-base meaning that I wanted to learn more (much, much more) which meant that I would continue on with more school. My interests in social sciences caused me to look into graduate programs in geography, but something was pulling me to stay within atmospheric science. I had contacted some researchers at various universities and government institutions prior to my senior year to get their advice on my independent senior research topic which got me to explore graduate school research topics which are fairly well described on any department's website (see this thread for a list of schools). I made a list with pro's and con's and who I thought I'd like to work with and on what topic mostly by sleuthing online but also a lot of emailing. I tried to see if the latest publications or conference presentations by that researcher really interested me which were usually listed on their CV if not openly on their site. By the time January rolled around (applications were due about then) I had traveled to the AMS Annual Meeting and spoke to some potential advisers in person. That actually made me send in one application quickly I hadn't yet considered. I settled on my current graduate school because that adviser understood that I didn't really have a firm clue on what I wanted to research but that I wanted to research something and learn a lot more than I knew at the time. I decided to go for a Ph.D. over M.S. because my program has a fast-track (no Master's) and even though at times it feels like it's too fast of a track, it's exciting. Do I know what I want to do after I get my degree in a few years? Nope, haha. I just know that I want to keep learning and eventually contribute new knowledge (and tons of scatter-brained code!) upon the field. And that's okay. It's okay to just be excited to be moving forward with no clear path. That may drive some people crazy but it's alright for me. I know I wouldn't like to forecast as my primary job and that I never want to stop learning. Ideally, I'd love to teach but am crazily intimidated by academia but I'll get to work on that. It's also very important to be honest with yourself about what you wouldn't like to do.
To summarize my advice, a) do your research on what's available, b) contact people, c) be open-minded and comfortable with uncertainty, and d) be honest with yourself. Best of luck!
Okay, graduate students and young professionals-- your turn! How did you get to where you got?
