Overview
Meteorology is a small field in the UK. The Met Office, a handful of private weather companies, and some aviation consultancies account for most of the forecasting roles. That means competition is fierce for graduate positions, and your resume needs to demonstrate that you understand operational forecasting, not just atmospheric physics theory.
This resume belongs to Owen, a Meteorology BSc graduate from the University of Reading who completed a summer placement at the Met Office in Exeter. His resume works because it bridges the gap between academic knowledge and operational skill. He names specific NWP models (ECMWF IFS, Met Office UKV), mentions synoptic chart analysis, and quantifies his forecasting accuracy during his placement.
Met Office placement is the gold standard
If you completed a placement, internship, or vacation scheme at the Met Office, lead with it. Owen's summer placement in the Public Weather Service team gave him exposure to operational forecasting cycles, media briefings, and severe weather warnings. Each bullet names what he did and how his work was used.
"Produced 25 experimental 5 day forecasts during the placement with a mean absolute error of 1.2°C for maximum temperature" is the kind of specific, verifiable claim that gets interviews.
NWP models and analysis tools
For forecasting roles, your technical toolkit matters enormously. Owen lists ECMWF IFS, Met Office UKV, GFS, and the NAME dispersion model. He also mentions Python scripting for data extraction and visualisation, which is increasingly expected for modern meteorological roles.
If you have used specific tools like IRIS, Cartopy, MetPy, or IDV, list them. Many forecasting roles now require programming alongside traditional synoptic skills.
Academic projects with real world applications
Owen's dissertation on Foehn warming events in the Scottish Highlands shows applied meteorology. He analysed 8 years of MIDAS station data (2.9 million hourly records), identified 340 Foehn events, and found a statistically significant warming trend. This kind of project shows a hiring manager that you can work with real observational data at scale.
Professional memberships
The Royal Meteorological Society (RMetS) offers student and graduate membership. If you hold it, include it. For some Met Office roles, Chartered Meteorologist (CMet) status is the long term goal, and showing you are already on the pathway signals commitment to the profession.
