Timm Uhlmann

Unlike many of my colleagues in the field, I didn't always want to be a meteorologist and wasn't really interested in the field until college. I originally started as an electrical engineer with an aerospace focus at the University of North Dakota back in 2010, where I would later finish my bachelors degree. My first semester freshmen year, I took the introduction to meteorology course as part of my aerospace focus requirements. Within a few weeks, I already enjoyed the challenges of the day to day weather far more than those of circuitry and had changed my major to atmospheric science. Through the rest of my undergraduate years, I always tried to stay busy with extracurricular activities related to the field, both to garner more experience and to make sure I really did like the field I chose before it was too late to change. I did. I got research in with my soon to be undergrad adviser, David Delene; I explored broadcasting with an internships with Weather Nation in the Twin Cities, Studio One, and UND Weather Update; and in the summer between undergrad and grad school I was one of the meteorologists for the State Water Commission in North Dakota for their summer cloud modification project. When I finally got to UW-Milwaukee in fall of 2014, Innovative Weather just seemed like a natural fit, and boy was it ever! I can say with confidence that my service to Innovative Weather was THE most valuable element of my resume in acquiring my new job with the National Weather Service as a meteorologist intern. Between learning to serve different clients with different needs and risks, managing severe weather events, and digging into some of the more obscure kind of weather related problems companies can have, time with Innovative Weather was like educational gold. So in the end I would give this advice to those who follow: With the increasing competitiveness in meteorology, much like engineering, job determinations will come down to your internships, and Innovative Weather is one of the best.