What other jobs do you all work?

[Nick647]

Just curious as to what other jobs do you work? Are they similar to the EMS field or completely different. As to EMS, I would love to pick up a trade or some kind of blue collar work or something but I have been told that I would be busy enough just doing EMS cause of the hours provided, etc. Any word of advice or opinions or something would be great. But yeah what other jobs do you work?

 

[46Young]

When I first became an EMT I was doing sales for Snapple Beverages until I was hired FT at a hospital. I've also worked as both a bartender and bouncer up until I finished medic school. I had a lot of fun doing those jobs :beerchug:

 

[spinnakr]

I also work in a machine shop, and am studying for a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a B.A. in German.

 

[CollegeBoy]

I'm a full time student but I manage to work on a volly

 

[WolfmanHarris]

In my province Paramedics are very well compensated so I don't really have a second job. I do however continue to run a small business teaching first aid and first responder for a few weekends here and there. I started the business during university with a friend and we pretty much just teach our previous clients.

 

[WarDance]

I'm also a full time student and I babysit for a local family while the parents work. During the summer I have raft guided and I have worked for a wilderness therapy outfitter as field staff. I'm applying to work for Outward Bound on their Utah river courses next season.

 

[bunkie]

I'm a stay at home mom. That's enough work for me most days. :lol: Though depending on the pay I have when I'm hired to a private, I may moonlight at a ED so I'd pretty much stay in the same realm.

 

[akflightmedic]

Great question and it is great that you are realizing all the amazing opportunities this job can provide you.

I have been fortunate in the fact that I have only needed one job for the past several years but early on in my career, I used the EMS schedule to my advantage. I only worked overtime when I felt the need to do so, otherwise I stay employed in other jobs completely outside EMS for many reasons.

Since most of my jobs involved me working a 24 on 48 off schedule, I took complete advantage of exploring many other careers simply because I was curious about them, I wanted the experience or it just looked fun.

Some of the jobs I had, the bosses knew I was only temporary and others had no clue I would be quitting that soon. Selfish on my part yes, but I was a different person then as well.

When I first started EMS, I continued to bartend in a nightclub. Being a young, single male behind a bar has obvious advantages.

I like people, so during this time frame, I also was a waiter at Johnny Rockets which was a blast! Singing and dancing while interacting just did not seem like work. I did a stint as a lifeguard at the water park. I was a host at a hotel restaurant for the mornings cause I am an early bird. I then was a chauffeur for a few months.

All of these exciting jobs that usually paid more than EMS were just so much fun, but it was important to not get distracted by them completely.

As I began to start a family, I realized I needed other skills. Home ownership is a scary thing when you know nothing of how to care for your most valuable investment. I then set about learning various trades. I was very honest with the owners, told them they would get a very dedicated, sober worker but I was not a lifer. At best, it would be 6 months or so before I moved on AND I would only be part time. I had to solicit a few different companies before I found ones willing to take me on under those conditions but I did not give up.

During the next couple years, I worked for a roofer, a plumber, a painter, a vinyl siding company, a carpenter and a lawn maintenance company. I now have in my possession many alternative skills which have come in handy over the years. Not only can I maybe fix my own stuff with useful books, I can determine or ask the right questions if I hire someone to do the job.

After my trades side career, I started working in different medical roles to explore various paths. I worked at hospitals in their ER or PCU, I worked for a neurologist and did wound care and hyperbaric medicine. I taught EMS programs at the colleges, I did event standbys, I was an instructor on the cruise ships, I even had my own CPR Instruction company for a while (poor business partner choice).

There are so many things you can do or learn because you are in EMS and they do not have to be medical related and you do not have to be an OT junkie.

You may do what I did and decide you should know other skills and go explore those. There is nothing wrong with that.

***The key to all of this was I ALWAYS had a steady EMS job while I was out "job hopping" on the side. You do not want to be that guy who bounces from job to job or can't keep one for other reasons.

My resume/work history is solid cause I kept that continuous medical job path alive and well, all the other stuff does not get added as it is irrelevant and unimportant to most medical positions.

Good luck in your explorations and again I applaud you for thinking outside the box. There is more to life than EMS or how many hours you can pack in a week while performing EMS.

 

[Seaglass]

Another college kid here. I can also be found in various kinds of research and analysis, or working as a receptionist/general office flunky. I agree that you should always have a fallback option... I do both of those pretty well, and so I don't worry about making ends meet. Especially not with data crunchers being in such demand right now.

I've been very fortunate to find employers who were willing to work with my crazy schedule, and who knew I'd be moving on after graduation. In return, I gave them as much as I could accomplish in my limited time. As a part-timer, I usually need to prove myself a little more than my full-time coworker in the next cube. Never been fired from a job or walked away without several letters of recommendation.

Like akflightmedic said, make sure that you always keep one stable gig, even if it's just a few hours a week. Otherwise you just look crazy.

 

[kd7emt]

I work in IT and writing. Did archaeology and forensic anthropology for a few years but decided I'd rather help people stay alive than chronicle their deaths. Hoping 2010 is a year full of new experiences.

 

[ah2388]

Im currently a full time medic student, my class required a human bio class before the class started. I'm taking A&P I and Pathophysiology right now as well as my medic class. Im 90% sure I just got a job working as a monitoring tech at a medical research center. I also intend to start giving CPR/First responder classes as soon as I receive my instructors cert.

 

[flhtci01]

Operated nuclear reactors when I first started. Now I do ski patrol and am a nursing student.

 

[mycrofft]

Good thread!

My first EMT job was part time because I was active duty USAF as a crash-rescueman (fire dept) every other 24 plus K day off. My second one, I was a full-time "pre-nursing" student and a brand new dad plus "traditional Guardsman" in Air Nat Guard during the Cold War. Now I'm making sure I have outside interests for sanity (C.E.R.T., local animal shelter) and will retire to a part time deal teaching emergency resilience and CPR (so then my "other job" will be retirement pay).

 

[Nick647]

My first EMT job was part time because I was active duty USAF as a crash-rescueman (fire dept) every other 24 plus K day off. My second one, I was a full-time "pre-nursing" student and a brand new dad plus "traditional Guardsman" in Air Nat Guard during the Cold War. Now I'm making sure I have outside interests for sanity (C.E.R.T., local animal shelter) and will retire to a part time deal teaching emergency resilience and CPR (so then my "other job" will be retirement pay).

Is the USAF Crash-Rescueman like the Parajumpers or have similar qualities as well as hard training? Just curious.

 

[mcdonl]

I am an Oncology Program Manager for a hospital and I run a lawn restoration company with my father in law in the summer's

 

[Saytuck99]

I am just entering the field hopefully as a volly..Currently an attorney. Great pay crappy desk job...if I enjoy it as much as I think want to go to medic school at night and maybe switch professions....who knows

 

[EMSLaw]

I am just entering the field hopefully as a volly..Currently an attorney. Great pay crappy desk job...if I enjoy it as much as I think want to go to medic school at night and maybe switch professions....who knows

I feel you, man. EMS is what I do to relax - what does that say about the practice of law?

If I switched careers, though, I think it'd have to be medical school. I don't know if I could settle for less. And Attorney to Paramedic is just trading good or mediocre pay and crappy work for crappy pay and often crappy work.

 

[Saytuck99]

I feel you, man. EMS is what I do to relax - what does that say about the practice of law?

If I switched careers, though, I think it'd have to be medical school. I don't know if I could settle for less. And Attorney to Paramedic is just trading good or mediocre pay and crappy work for crappy pay and often crappy work.

Yeah I hear you loud and clear. I may just do it for me, I am certainly interested in the medic program because I love to learn, but after nearly a decade in the law it would be extremely difficult if not impossible to make ends meet if I switched. Every job has its advantages and disadvantages....you just make the best use you can of the free time you have...for me...maybe another year and a half in school for medic...who knows?

 

[Seaglass]

I feel you, man. EMS is what I do to relax - what does that say about the practice of law?

I've been seriously considering law school. Would you both really do something different if you could go back and do it over?

(Not trying to hijack the thread; feel free to respond by PM if you'd rather.)

 

[Shishkabob]

Dbl post.