Published on December 9, 2017

Women in STEM: Jane Bunn, Channel 7 Meteorologist and Weather Presenter

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Women in STEM: Jane Bunn, Channel 7 Meteorologist and Weather Presenter

In this post Show

Jane Bunn
Meteorologist Job Outlook
How to Become a Meterologist in Australia
What Do Meteorologists Do?
Women in STEM: Why These Industries Need You

A maths background doesn’t have to mean a lifetime of statistics and analysing data; there’s plenty of career doors that these diverse qualifications can open for you.

Jane Bunn is an Australian Meteorologist and Weather presenter for Channel 7, a trusted source for information on Melbourne’s always-changing weather. Armed with a range of qualifications; Jane Bunn is a great Ambassador for Women in STEM and proves that with the right qualifications, you can get anywhere.

We sat down with Jane to find out more about her exciting work, education, and why science, technology, engineering, and maths are in need of talented women.

Jane Bunn

About Jane

Qualified Meterologist
Channel 7 Weather Presenter
Over 10 years experience on television
Worked as a forecaster for Bureau of Meterology

Jane’s Qualifications

Bachelor of Science Majoring in Mathematics and Atmospheric Science
Graduate Diploma of Meterology
Graduate Certificate of Journalism

My main role is Meteorologist and Weather Presenter for Seven News Melbourne. This involves forecasting the weather, preparing the graphics and writing scripts, and presenting it in the 6pm news. I also do this for the 4pm news and the national program The Daily Edition, and on 3AW breakfast radio. As a meteorologist, I also maintain janesweather.com and prepare and present seasonal forecasts for agricultural groups including Rural Bank.

What qualifications do you have that allowed you to be in this career?

I have a Bachelor of Science from Monash University, majoring in Mathematics and Atmospheric Science. Part of this involved a semester exchange at Penn State University. I have a Graduate Diploma of Meteorology from the Bureau of Meteorology and a Graduate Certificate of Journalism.

Meteorologist Job Outlook

Stable future growth expected over the next 5 years

Bachelor Degree or Higher Qualification

Low rate of unemployment in Australia

8,600

Meteorologists employed in Australia

$79,992

Average Salary for Meteorologists

Weekly Pay for Meteorologist vs. National Average

What made you want to be a meteorologist?

I had no idea what I wanted to do when I left school. I started an IT degree but worked out that wasn’t for me. I went skiing for the first time that year, and became hooked on finding out everything about when the next snow would be and why it wasn’t snowing. I found myself procrastinating my work life with looking at the weather, and decided I wanted to turn my hobby into my career.

How to Become a Meterologist in Australia

While the exact requirements do change based on what area you’re looking to pursue, most Meteorologists in Australia have a background in atmospheric science, mathematics, statistics, or computer sciences. Prerequisite subjects such as biology, environmental sciences, and physics are a great advantage, with these principles used frequently as a Meteorologist.
meteorologist

Becoming a Meteorologist is possible at any age. Whether you’re researching University options or looking for a career change, there’s plenty of positions in this area that are accessible; from research to consulting. The usual requirement for a Meteorologist is a Bachelor’s Degree in Maths or Atmospheric Science. While postgraduate qualifications are common, they aren’t usually a prerequisite for most job openings.

If you’ve got your sights set on a successful career like Jane Bunn, meteorology is a great way to get into the world of broadcasting. To be a part of this exciting and challenging industry, you’ll likely need a background in journalism or communications to support your knowledge of television presenting.

Careers in Meterology

Forecaster
Climatologist
Atmospheric Researcher
Weather Consultant
Weather Broadcaster
Technical Officer
Meteorology Lecturer

What are some of the best things about your job?

I was Drama Captain at school and grew up dancing 6 days a week – I think it’s nice that I’ve managed to combine some of the creative and performance parts of my childhood with a job that allows me to achieve my goal: communicating the right message about the weather. My mission is to make sure the right information is getting through.

What Do Meteorologists Do?

Being a Meteorologist is more than just interpreting data. It’s about understanding the way the atmosphere effects us every day, on the Earth’s surface, in the oceans, and in different climates. As a Meteorologist, you can expect to spend the majority of your time analysing data and weather patterns, shaping predictions, and providing information and advice to a broad range of interested groups.

Weather affects almost everything we do day-to-day and without accurate predictions, it can create dangers and disarray. Meteorologists do more than informing us whether there’s a chance it’ll rain two days from now; they provide crucial insights and advice that can help predict natural disasters, severe weather warnings and assist us with being more prepared for events out of our control.

Not all Meteorologists are in front of the camera. Plenty of meteorologists in Australia work for organisations such as the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM). Other industries include radio, consulting businesses, aviation, education, military, and logistics.

The most common skills and tasks for Meteorologists include:

Science and Mathematical Knowledge – 90%
Environmental and Atmospheric Knowledge – 84%
Critical Thinking and Analysis – 76%
Communication Skills – 67%

Why are careers in STEM such as mathematics and science so important?

When I started my IT degree back in 1998 there were 200 students and only 5 of us were female. Females are doing amazing things in these fields and I was pleased to see that my degree at the Bureau of Meteorology had half female intake. When I worked as a forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology in Sydney there was one shift in the six week block that was all female while many were all male, and over time it is becoming more even.

Women in STEM: Why These Industries Need You

There’s so much that women can offer to careers in STEM industries. The talent, knowledge, and ideas they can bring to the table are unparalleled and these industries need to attract skilled women to help innovation and breakthroughs well into the future.

The best way to help secure your position in this fast-tracked sector is to have the right skills behind you. Browse courses today and start your career journey.

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In this post

Women in STEM: Jane Bunn, Channel 7 Meteorologist and Weather Presenter

In this post Show

Jane Bunn

About Jane

Jane’s Qualifications

What qualifications do you have that allowed you to be in this career?

Meteorologist Job Outlook

Stable future growth expected over the next 5 years

Bachelor Degree or Higher Qualification

Low rate of unemployment in Australia

Gender Employment Share

Full-Time Worker Share

8,600

$79,992

Weekly Pay for Meteorologist vs. National Average

What made you want to be a meteorologist?

How to Become a Meterologist in Australia

Careers in Meterology

What are some of the best things about your job?

What Do Meteorologists Do?

Science and Mathematical Knowledge – 90%

Environmental and Atmospheric Knowledge – 84%

Critical Thinking and Analysis – 76%

Communication Skills – 67%

Why are careers in STEM such as mathematics and science so important?

Women in STEM: Why These Industries Need You

Featured Provider

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