Aren't jobs in astronomy scarce?

I really love astronomy, but I'm afraid I won't be able to find a job after I graduate!

While the job search can definitely be a harrowing process, most of the people I know who have graduated recently have found good positions, one way or another. If astronomy is what you really want to do, go for it! If you are willing to be flexible, it is unlikely that you will end up unemployed.

The training astronomers receive is in high demand in other fields. Astronomers learn to be problem solvers and pick up lots of math and computer skills. People who are trained as scientists are in high demand as "management consultants." (Now, please, don't ask me what a management consultant does, because I'm not quite sure.) So if the whole astronomy thing doesn't work out, it's not like you've completely wasted the last ten years learning obscure skills that can't be applied outside of astronomy.

January 2002, Britt Scharringhausen (more by Britt Scharringhausen)

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