I NEED AN EMT JOB

[emtdavid]

Hey guys i just got my EMT certification on Saturday September 25th and i been driving for a year.I am 19 years old i really want to work as an emt but i have no experience.My work experience is working as a waiter 4 years.I dont really want to volunteer but i feel like its going to be my only option which sucks.Anybody have any advice for me?

[JTpaintball70]

With your age and no experience (especially living in NYC if I saw your other post correctly) vollie is just about your only option. You could try to get on with a hospital as a tech (not just ER, but look at floor techs as well), but they usually also want experience. Sorry man, hope you get something. But the market for EMT-Bs is just oversaturated.

[quad_ems_chic]

Volunteering or working in a hospital as an aide are wonderful ways to gain experience. You don't necessarily need experience to be and aid. It might depend on where you are.

I have both volunteered and worked as an aid and it gave me great insight on how the pre-hospital and hospital settings work.

I started out as a volunteer and I'm glad. I realized that I wanted to do this job because I love it and not because it's a paycheck

Edited September 29, 2010 by quad_ems_chic

[crotchitymedic1986]

Best advice is to go to Paramedic School. As pointed out, the market is saturated, the only places EMTBs are used is usually rural (volunteer), and you are too young for most insurors to cover you as a driver. Make sure you keep your driving record spotless. By the time you complete school, you will be of age, and will be more hirable as a medic. Its not only that schools have flooded the market with EMTBs, but you have to realize that all the fire monkeys who were forced to Be EMT-Is but never used it, immediately put it to use when the construction industry tanked (most of them had some side business related to construction or housing).

[+medic]

Come on up to the Boston area there are tons of EMT-B jobs. Cant throw a rock around here with out hiting a IFT- BLS truck. If thats not an option for you go volly with a local serivce till you can get though medic school.

[fakingpatience]

Hey guys i just got my EMT certification on Saturday September 25th and i been driving for a year.I am 19 years old i really want to work as an emt but i have no experience.My work experience is working as a waiter 4 years.I dont really want to volunteer but i feel like its going to be my only option which sucks.Anybody have any advice for me?

Honestly, if that is your attitude, Don't become a volunteer. Yes, it will be hard to volunteer while you are working another paid job, but it is what lots of us needed to do to get our foot in the door. Most places will not hire you until you are 21 (some 20.5). In my experience, private agencies (the ones who are more likely to have jobs available) do not do a great job of training- my training was only 6 days long, and it terrifies me that someone brand new to EMS can come into my agency, have 6 days of training, and then be released as a provider. I volunteered for a year before I got a paid job (I also was not old enough), and I am so grateful for my experience volunteering. I had mentors who wanted to teach me and make me a better provider. Had I not had prior EMS experience, I WOULD NOT be comfortable now being an EMT, after such a short amount field training. But as I said, the private agencies are looking at the bottom line. They need more providers and do not want to pay for a longer field training time when you are only the 3rd person on the ambulance instead of clearing you to practice as a basic.

IMO, you need to look at why you really want to do this. Are you in EMS simply for an 'easy' job and money? If so, get out now. Hate to be the one to break it to you, but you will never make 'good' money in EMS. However if you are in it for your love of EMS, then it won't be to much of a burden to volunteer first, while you build up your experience and wait till you get a little older to be hirable in most places. +medic mentioned IFT BLS trucks. That is another option job wise, if they would hire someone your age, but I know multiple people working IFT who also volunteer in a 911 system, just for more experience, and again, to make those connections that will be useful when you are looking for a different job.

Long story short: yes, it will be hard work, but it is what you make of it. Your time spent volunteering should not suck, you should look at it as an opportunity to grow as an EMT, and be making a great impression on all you interact with so they can think "wow, I really want EMTDavid to work for us". Make those impressions and gain experience now, and in a few years, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a paid EMS job.

[uglyEMT]

Honestly, if that is your attitude, Don't become a volunteer. Yes, it will be hard to volunteer while you are working another paid job, but it is what lots of us needed to do to get our foot in the door. Most places will not hire you until you are 21 (some 20.5). In my experience, private agencies (the ones who are more likely to have jobs available) do not do a great job of training- my training was only 6 days long, and it terrifies me that someone brand new to EMS can come into my agency, have 6 days of training, and then be released as a provider. I volunteered for a year before I got a paid job (I also was not old enough), and I am so grateful for my experience volunteering. I had mentors who wanted to teach me and make me a better provider. Had I not had prior EMS experience, I WOULD NOT be comfortable now being an EMT, after such a short amount field training. But as I said, the private agencies are looking at the bottom line. They need more providers and do not want to pay for a longer field training time when you are only the 3rd person on the ambulance instead of clearing you to practice as a basic.

IMO, you need to look at why you really want to do this. Are you in EMS simply for an 'easy' job and money? If so, get out now. Hate to be the one to break it to you, but you will never make 'good' money in EMS. However if you are in it for your love of EMS, then it won't be to much of a burden to volunteer first, while you build up your experience and wait till you get a little older to be hirable in most places. +medic mentioned IFT BLS trucks. That is another option job wise, if they would hire someone your age, but I know multiple people working IFT who also volunteer in a 911 system, just for more experience, and again, to make those connections that will be useful when you are looking for a different job.

Long story short: yes, it will be hard work, but it is what you make of it. Your time spent volunteering should not suck, you should look at it as an opportunity to grow as an EMT, and be making a great impression on all you interact with so they can think "wow, I really want EMTDavid to work for us". Make those impressions and gain experience now, and in a few years, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a paid EMS job.

Dont know why anyone would give you a minus for that but anyways +1 from me.

EXACTLY!!!

If you think volly will suck then please dont do it. You will only be doing a disservice to your patients. If your heart isnt there then your attitude will be subpar as well and make the whole experience bad. Now if you want to gain experience while going through medic school and have the heart for volly work then I say go for it. The connections, experience, comrodery(sp) will be well worth the lack of a paycheck. Being only 19 it will be hard getting on as a driver, I know most providers in my area ask for 21+ drivers, heck my squad is 25. Plus clean driving records the whole time beforehand plus EVOC training. I would do what others have said, if you really want to be in the EMS field, and go to medic school. The job oppertunities will be greater for youy as a medic vs a basic. Hope your search goes well and you find the right course or action.

[+medic]

Allot of people your age in your place join the National Guard or Reserve and become a Military Medic now keep in mind a Medics in the military are just EMT-B who can also do IV's . That is a great option to gain the needed experience and your military training school will be shorter since your all ready an EMT-B.

Other than that your options for your age and experience are this from the way I see it

1. Military Medic

2. IFT-BLS transfer EMT

3. Volly as an EMT-B riding third jump

4. Fire Service EMT

But in all honestly if your attitude is not fully 110% positive in EMS you won’t last long, EMS is 90% boredom and 10% excitement.