lost by a popularity contest

[Just Plain Ruff]

And that qualifies you to manage people? I was a boy scout too and I got my eagle scout.

Sorry to be so blunt but you came here bitching about your service passing you over regarding a 2nd lt position.

[Just Plain Ruff]

so why did you restrict your profile on myspace to private? It sounds like you did that right after one poster pointed out your pictures.

If what that poster said about your piercings and goth appearance, I'm appalled you lost the popularity contest. SHOCKER

[mobey]

400 calls in one year? Why volly.... I do less than that and I am paid full time.

[Arctickat]

Clearly you don't understand that rising through the ranks of management IS a popularity contest, first and foremost, experience and skills are second. Upper management needs to consider one thing when looking to promote an individual. Will people respect his leadership. Clearly your upper management doesn't feel that your coworkers respect you enough to lead them and it's pretty obvious why. You are moaning and groaning about losing the promotion to someone you alone thinks doesn't deserve it rather than looking in the mirror in an effort to determine how you can improve for next time your chance comes along.

Suck it up princess, chalk it up to a life lesson and move on. Pouting about it will just amplify your lack of leadership ability and leave you stuck in the rut you are moaning about.

Another question, are you really Paul, or are you just someone trying to get him into trouble, I can't imagine anyone actually using his real name and location on here to whine about his employer. Unless of course he's hoping his employer will find this post and fire his ass. I know I would.

Oh, and guys, regarding his Myspace page...cut him some slack, those pics are from when he was 16, and his last log in date was over 3 years ago. He's probably on facebook now. I had no trouble accessing it, so it's not blocked.

[ERDoc]

I guess Matt was less goth/pierced than the OP. Good luck.

[rock_shoes]

thank you. and what qualifies me for this position is that i've been on over 400 calls in the past year and a half varying in different scenarios. and to save my ambulance corp from falling apart i decided to ride every night for two weeks straight because we were so short handed. as for going to school i have a balance of college and volunteer. as for past medical experiences. when i was 13 i started learning first aid skills through boy scouts. after that i became a life guard for 3 years. after that i became a first responder for a year. then i became an emt. and even to this day i still use those past skills in every day life. as for being able to run a position where i am in charge, i was in the boy scouts for 10 years and also earning the rank of eagle scout which is highly reconized by many people

If you take a good hard look at what you've typed out here and I think you'll have your answer as to why you were passed over for this promotion. You give the impression that you believe being an over achieving youth gives you the right to automatically assume a position of leadership in the adult world. This is not an assumption you can make. It's a good lesson and you should be thankful you were able too learn it at 19.

[mobey]

Oh, and guys, regarding his Myspace page...cut him some slack, those pics are from when he was 16, and his last log in date was over 3 years ago. He's probably on facebook now. I had no trouble accessing it, so it's not blocked.

My bad.... didn't even look at dates.

My apoligies.

[WolfmanHarris]

Okay, I tried. Hey Paul take some perspective for a second. I'm a student and do not consider myself to be qualified to supervise a proper EMS agency (the implication being that your's might have some room for improvement).

I applaud your dedication to your agency, but your qualifications don't mean too much.

I'm 24. I started taking first aid at 13 (actuall with scouts too). I also went on to be a lifeguard from age 16. I also became a first aid instructor, lifesaving instructor, swim instructor, took my aquatic supervisor and aquatic management training, advanced instructor, National Lifeguard Service instructor and examiner. I went to University and got my degree and while their volunteered on my campus emergency response team. During that time I responded to about 200 calls for service and spent three years on the executive as Training Coordinator. I also received my First Responder and then my Emergency Medical Responder and two years later became an instructor for both. I got elected to the Board of Director of the association for campus teams. Started a business, got promoted to supervising instructor with the Canadian Red Cross. Went to college and started a two year Paramedic program.

Now Paul based on our little comparison I'd say I'm more qualified than you AND that neither of us has any business managing an EMS agency right now. I don't fault you for this entirely though, it sounds like your agency, like a lot of volunteer services has a shortage of experienced, qualified EMT's and you might honestly be one of the most qualified for the position by default. In that case look at the larger problems your service has beyond you running for butter bar and figure out how that can be changed.

[under-dreaming]

There is no actual situation here besides the one that you are creating in your own mind. There is no doubt that you feel hurt. You are the root and the cause of those feelings.

"He who feels punctured must have once been a bubble... He who feels belittled must have been consequential, He who feels deprived must have had privilege..." - Lao Tzu

The good news is, you can overcome this. Once you are in the mix of things, it is easy to lose sight of why you were there in the first place. We enter into this profession because of the drive and passion to help others when they need us the most. We are here for others, not ourselves. Your situation is just one of the many lessons to be learned in life. Rock_shoes is right by saying that you are lucky to experience this at your age. I just hope you see it for what it is. You don't even need to respond to any of these posts here. The change has to happen within yourself, and nothing else matters. Set your heart in the right direction and you will not feel the tension of these situations like you have. You don't need to be a Lieutenant to practice the skills that can save lives. If you truly desire to pursue a career in this field, the opportunities will present themselves and you will climb up when the time comes. In the meantime, just be.

[crotchitymedic1986]

First of all, not all services fall to the popularity contest, but I acknowledge that it does happen. The problem is, when no one gets the leadership training that they need, and everyone is equal in medic skills, then sometimes the only dividing factor is, who can I work with best -- popularity.

You seem to think it was a popularity contest, but that may not be the case. I would never promote someone solely on longevity of service (which neither of you had), but it would be part of the overall factors considered. Ask yourself this:

1. Do I have any management training --- the boy scouts do not count, sorry ? Have you even completed all of the ICS modules ?

2. What have i done at this service that is "above and beyond ? Have you rolled up your sleeves and taken the initiative to make the service better ?

3. Do people look to me for advice ? If not, you may not exude leadership qualities yet --- people tend to seek out "leaders" for advice, whether they have the rank or not.

4. If the accusations are true about myspace, that shows immaturity.

5. Am I a professional leader at work, or do I spend most of my time bitching and moaning. When there are a group of employees standing around having a bitch-fest, do you interject the positive. When your coworkers are gossiping about another employee, do you join the conversation or put a stop to it ?

If you want a different outcome next time, make sure your resume stands out above all the others: take some classes, lead some committees, act like a leader at work everyday, take on the unpopular assignments. Dont let popularity be an option.

P.S: It is a common practice of employers to do a google and myspace search of applicants to see if there is anything embarassing about you before they hire/promote you. So if you are 40 years old with a myspace full of 15 year old friends, or you are 19 with a myspace page full of comments about your drug use, sexual habits, and pics of you worshiping satan, dont be surprised when you dont get the job.