How has being in EMS changed you?

DrParasite said:
I clicked submit before I finished that post (when you read it). the edit has the restabsolutely not. however, acknowledge that you accepted the position at a salary rate, and your boss expects you do to your job as expected for that salary rate. Meaning, if I'm your boss, I'm paying you $10 an hour for perfection level work; those are the conditions that you are hired on, so anything less than perfection means you aren't working to the standards that I hired you to perform? So what has changed from the time you started to today, that has shown how you generate more value for the company, so they should pay you more?You absolutely should. And you should also realize that if you say no, you aren't getting more money, than what are your options? Are you willing to quit? Are you willing to move to another area that pays more? Are you willing to further your education, get your paramedic cert, gets your AAS, your BS, or even a masters degree, and demonstrate how they additional education makes you a more valuable employee?

Or are you just going to ***** and moan that you should be paid more, despite the fact that you accepted the position knowing the pay rate, the terms and the conditions, and agreed to them, and now you feel you are entitled to more despite not having actually done anything to prove to management that you should be paid more than you originally agreed to be paid?
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EXACTLY. I tell all my friends this when they ***** and moan about not getting a raise. Companies rarely go around handing out raises (exception being yearly reviews, promises in writing etc) and if you think that working harder and taking on more responsibilities and expect them to acknowledge and give you a raise, you are in for an awakening.

I am an emt student to be but am a bit older so I’ve been in the work field for a while and I’ve learned two things. The best thing you can do is start off with an advantage by asking for say a dollar more than they are offering AFTER you’ve been offered a job, worst they can say is no, best is you start out with a leg up. Then every time you learn something, truly master it, depending on the importance of said skills maybe bundle a few then go in and ask. Don’t go in with the “I’m gonna quit” threat but rather with the goal of showing them how you mastering these skills has helped them.
 
guitarofozz said:
I see this from the opposite point of view. We assign our own worth. The minute we sign the dotted line with a salary, we say “hey i will work for this much money. No more. No less”

So do your research, find out what is reasonable for your position to make and wait until a company will pay you that.
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But, what's reasonable? I know you said do research, but... that's kind of vague? There's a lot of variables to be had.

Also, do letters of reccomendation help? Your old job giving you praise?
 
DragonClaw said:
But, what's reasonable? I know you said do research, but... that's kind of vague? There's a lot of variables to be had.

Also, do letters of reccomendation help? Your old job giving you praise?
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I would say go on a job search website, find as many postings that sound just like you and I know not all will list a salary but there should be enough to get an idea. You could also go off past jobs including ones where you felt underpaid and go from there but like I said, be reasonable. Find out the higher stretches of your position and if your confident, go for it.

When I was 24, I was maxed out 28/hr working on cars because I did a combination of starting off with a dollar higher than usual, getting certificates, and then the annual reviews and stuff. 2nd highest paid in company not including corporate and I was the youngest I think.
 
guitarofozz said:
I would say go on a job search website, find as many postings that sound just like you and I know not all will list a salary but there should be enough to get an idea. You could also go off past jobs including ones where you felt underpaid and go from there but like I said, be reasonable. Find out the higher stretches of your position and if your confident, go for it.
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I've never felt "If I earned more, I'd be stealing from the company". I also did my job to a T and preferred above and beyond what was asked by leadership because I wouldn't be okay with giving less, it's my name stamped on the work I do, afterall.

I'll call around when I've got my certification to avoid the "Then why are you calling?"
 
DragonClaw said:
I've never felt "If I earned more, I'd be stealing from the company". I also did my job to a T and preferred above and beyond what was asked by leadership because I wouldn't be okay with giving less, it's my name stamped on the work I do, afterall.

I'll call around when I've got my certification to avoid the "Then why are you calling?"
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Also, some companies will use NOT listing a wage as an advantage but flip it on them. Tell them I made such and such and my last job, I’d like to stay competitive. Be ready to back it all up though
 
guitarofozz said:
Also, some companies will use NOT listing a wage as an advantage but flip it on them. Tell them I made such and such and my last job, I’d like to stay competitive. Be ready to back it all up though
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I make 11 right now. I'd be doing more work as an EMT. I'll come with pay stubs.
 
DragonClaw said:
I make 11 right now. I'd be doing more work as an EMT. I'll come with pay stubs.
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Not sure what state you’re in but for instance, the research I did placed the wage for emt basic in my state at 15-20$/hr which was the same range for the job I managed to squeeze 28$/hr out of
 
guitarofozz said:
Not sure what state you’re in but for instance, the research I did placed the wage for emt basic in my state at 15-20$/hr which was the same range for the job I managed to squeeze 28$/hr out of
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Texas. Looking at you DFW area. I want 911 calls.
 
guitarofozz said:
I haven’t done research at all but $11 sounds awfully low for Dfw area. Check indeed.com glass ceiling.
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Oh, I'm not certified yet. I crunch numbers on excel for a call center a few hours away.
 
guitarofozz said:
I see this from the opposite point of view. We assign our own worth. The minute we sign the dotted line with a salary, we say “hey i will work for this much money. No more. No less”
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They are giving you an offer; most of the time it's take it or leave it. when you sign on the dotted line, that means you are agreeing to work for the amount your boss is offering you. no more, no less. They are still setting your value, you are just agreeing to the numbers they gave you.
guitarofozz said:
So do your research, find out what is reasonable for your position to make and wait until a company will pay you that.
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Even by doing this, you are researching what is "reasonable for your position;" this is much different than what you feel you are worth. If anything, you are finding what a job thinks what you are worth in that position before you apply, so you don't get lowballed at the end of the process.
guitarofozz said:
You could also go off past jobs including ones where you felt underpaid and go from there but like I said, be reasonable.
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again, just because you feel you are underpaid, doesn't mean you actually were overpaid for your position.
guitarofozz said:
the research I did placed the wage for emt basic in my state at 15-20$/hr which was the same range for the job I managed to squeeze 28$/hr out of
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What state is this? I don't know a single state where EMTs can start at $28 an hour, especially with no experience.

if a job pays $15 an hour to $20 an hour (which translates to $30,000 to $40,000 a year, which is a decent range), and you were able to squeeze off $28 an hour (which is roughly $56,000 a year, and a decent jump from 30k a year) with no experience, than you are in the wrong field. You should have gotten a full time job as a union negotiator, or something in sales or business, because your negotiation skills are not going to be utilized to your full potential, and you are severely limiting your earnings potential.
 
DrParasite said:
They are giving you an offer; most of the time it's take it or leave it. when you sign on the dotted line, that means you are agreeing to work for the amount your boss is offering you. no more, no less. They are still setting your value, you are just agreeing to the numbers they gave you.
Even by doing this, you are researching what is "reasonable for your position;" this is much different than what you feel you are worth. If anything, you are finding what a job thinks what you are worth in that position before you apply, so you don't get lowballed at the end of the process.
again, just because you feel you are underpaid, doesn't mean you actually were overpaid for your position. What state is this? I don't know a single state where EMTs can start at $28 an hour, especially with no experience.

if a job pays $15 an hour to $20 an hour (which translates to $30,000 to $40,000 a year, which is a decent range), and you were able to squeeze off $28 an hour (which is roughly $56,000 a year, and a decent jump from 30k a year) with no experience, than you are in the wrong field. You should have gotten a full time job as a union negotiator, or something in sales or business, because your negotiation skills are not going to be utilized to your full potential, and you are severely limiting your earnings potential.
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Math checks out. I'll sit on this.
 
DrParasite said:
They are giving you an offer; most of the time it's take it or leave it. when you sign on the dotted line, that means you are agreeing to work for the amount your boss is offering you. no more, no less. They are still setting your value, you are just agreeing to the numbers they gave you.
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Which is why I’m saying if you can get that initial number next to the dotted line any higher from the start, its an advantage, period. Be it 25 cents or a dollar.
Even by doing this, you are researching what is "reasonable for your position;" this is much different than what you feel you are worth. If anything, you are finding what a job thinks what you are worth in that position before you apply, so you don't get lowballed at the end of the process.
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What I meant by doing your research is knowing that an emt basic is not going to make as much as a starting Paramedic so asking for as much money will just be shooting yourself in the foot.
again, just because you feel you are underpaid, doesn't mean you actually were overpaid for your position. What state is this? I don't know a single state where EMTs can start at $28 an hour, especially with no experience.
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This was not doing EMT work.
if a job pays $15 an hour to $20 an hour (which translates to $30,000 to $40,000 a year, which is a decent range), and you were able to squeeze off $28 an hour (which is roughly $56,000 a year, and a decent jump from 30k a year) with no experience, than you are in the wrong field. You should have gotten a full time job as a union negotiator, or something in sales or business, because your negotiation skills are not going to be utilized to your full potential, and you are severely limiting your earnings potential.
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I was able to “squeeze” off the money because I had learned enough where I basically absorbed another job entirely which made it cheaper to pay me that amount then to hire another body. It was not a job I enjoyed and it was only a means to an end, getting my wife through school. Despite the money, I left as soon as I had the chance to go back to school.
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guitarofozz said:
I was able to “squeeze” off the money because I had learned enough where I basically absorbed another job entirely which made it cheaper to pay me that amount then to hire another body. It was not a job I enjoyed and it was only a means to an end, getting my wife through school. Despite the money, I left as soon as I had the chance to go back to school.
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What job skills was that? I've got some skills, not sure if they're marketable, though.
 
@DragonClaw, if I was in your position, and doing a career change, I would see if I could work part time in EMS and full time elsewhere, at least until the money from EMS made it worthwhile to do EMS full time. As a general rule, the more experience you have in an industry, the higher the wage you will be offered, however you also need to consider supply and demand, so if there are 50 equally qualified EMTs, it's in the company's best interest to pick the best candidates who will work for the least amount of money. Now, if you are a smog testers, and you can demonstrate additional value to your employer, you might start at a higher wage, but most entry level EMTs don't have that level of bargaining power when applying to their first job.
 
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I've removed the off topic posts. If you'd like have a conversation with another member you can do that in a private message.

I'll also add that healthcare relies on effective, professional communication to make sure the right things are done for the patient. This was a really awful example of such communication.
 
DragonClaw said:
If it's that bad? Then why not go on organized strike? Weren't AMR fellas trying to do that, out west?
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They tried, still hasn’t changed though. Average emt wage in the Southwest is around $11/hr, just $1 over the minimum wage (I know a few only making $10). But, it is a stepping stone for most, I personally took a 25% pay cut from my previous job to work as an emt, with the intention of it being an investment of my time and effort to advance, with experience, down the line. It’s a saturated market out here, emts are paid poorly because, if you don’t like it, there are 10 on the bench waiting for your job.
 
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