So, you hate your meteorology job huh?   You wish you could wave a magic wand and just leave tomorrow. You signed up for a job thinking it’s going to be one way, and then it ends up being completely different. We’ve all been there at some point in our careers.

Sometimes it could just be your boss that’s making your life a living hell…or maybe upper management is beginning to take away benefits to cut costs?  Whatever the reason is…you want out!  What do you do!?

Well it’s a difficult decision and here are 6 options.

Option 1:  You can always quit!   If you saved enough income to take it easy and self reflect for a while….then go for it!  But unfortunately for 99% of folks I’m sure this is not an option.

Option 2:  Switch groups!  Is there another meteorology group within your company that you like and you want to try out?  If so, start inquiring with these groups and talk to their hiring manager.   See if you may be a good fit for a future position or an open position.   Start building a relationship with this potential hiring manager by asking him if he’s free for coffee.

Option 3:  Find another meteorology job!   Sure, it’s the obvious one.  If you’re lucky that there’s another meteorology job that matches your qualifications and description close by, then go for it!  Chances are there will not be.   And also while you are at this current job, start researching other companies that hire (or are hiring) meteorologists.   And start building a relationship with the hiring manager.   But before you send out resumes/tapes, make sure you read my resume tips on (Don’t just press Send).

Option 4:  Launch your own start up!   This one is interesting.  If you are a good software programmer (or have a friend that can help), and have an idea that is a game-changer…go for it!  It takes little money nowadays to get off the ground if you have resources at your disposal.  However, launching your own company is a whole new animal….in my next post on this, I’ll discuss an idea I worked on and what I learned from it!

Option 5:  Stay the course!   A lot of unemployed people might say to you, “look at least you have a job”…it may make you feel better….but the bottom line is sometimes you just have to suck it up and have some patience.  It’s a tough market out there in meteorology…so it may be better to wait until you find that gig that you like.

Option 6:  Transition out of Meteorology!  Yeah, I said it!  As much as I’m an advocate for meteorology and utilizing your degree to the fullest extent…it’s okay to try out new fields where you can still utilize your skill sets.   For example, if you’ve always been a creative type and maybe you’ve done some creative things in your meteorology group…it’s your chance to show people some other talents you have.   Start connecting with recruiters, other hiring managers in different fields and show them what other skill sets you have.

I have a friend that just recently moved from meteorology to software development at an analytics firm.   And he is really happy that he’s found stability.  Before I spoil the juicy details, I’ll let him speak about his experience and transition.  But bottom line, sometimes you just need a break…and I understand that completely.

It’s one of the reasons why I expanded my career as a Trade Floor Meteorologist in Portland, OR.  I wanted to understand more about how the world of energy meteorology  affected global markets…I wanted to communicate the commodity price changes and economic reports to traders and upper management so they could stay in the loop and make more money!  So, I made myself interested and determined and created a new role out of it!

Soon, I’ll be interviewing a good friend of mine who will share his perspective on switching careers after being a meteorologist since he graduated.  Stay tuned!  (Photo credit:  Marktoon)