Temporary Employment for College Students

[AMF]

Hey,
I'm a college student who is in the middle of a year-long EMT-B cert class. I plan to be ME, TX, NY, and NR EMT-B by the end of the school year, and we have been told to start looking for jobs now. Unfortunately, I have found very little opportunities. I love medicine but, like all college students, I need some form form of reimbursement, even minimum wage, yet most of these jobs require experience. So, two questions:
1) Is it common to have to work volunteer IFT before being payed?
2) Will ambulance companies hire someone to work for a short period of time (i.e. just the summer or just the school year?)

btw I live in Dallas and NYC and go to school in Lewiston.

 

[Silver_Star]

A year long EMT-B class? Why so long? Many private transport companies hire newbies right out of class. I don't know about temporary employment, you should try asking the companies.

 

[JPINFV]

Just the summer? Err, no. 2 months is way to short at any reputable, and most disruptable, services. At my first company, there was 3 days of orientation (18 hours) and 3 days of field training (42 hours paid including built in time and a half), which at $10/hr, that means that the company was making a $600 investment before seeing a single run being made. That means there's a month an a half, at most, for a return on investment.

The 9-10 months during the school year is possible, however you might not get a leave of absence for summer, and if you quit you might be burning some bridges.

 

[Aerin-Sol]

Just the summer? Err, no. 2 months is way to short at any reputable, and most disruptable, services. At my first company, there was 3 days of orientation (18 hours) and 3 days of field training (42 hours paid including built in time and a half), which at $10/hr, that means that the company was making a $600 investment before seeing a single run being made. That means there's a month an a half, at most, for a return on investment.

The 9-10 months during the school year is possible, however you might not get a leave of absence for summer, and if you quit you might be burning some bridges.

I disagree. It may vary state-to-state, but my large IFT company hired several college students over the summer. They hired me knowing I would work part-time 1 month then be out of the country for 2 months. And I think your math is wrong - the company makes a $600 investment back after a handful of runs, especially if the EMT is partnering with a paramedic.

The OP will have to look into companies in the area s/he wants to work in to get any definite answer.

And no, it is not common to have to work volunteer IFT, at least here.

 

[Veneficus]

Why not just get a CPR instructor card and make money off of that?

 

[AMF]

Why a year-long?
I attend an Ivy full time... I don't exactly have a lot of free time.

I became (am becoming) an EMT to get medical experience, not to teach.

IFT is more or less an office job, from what I've heard.

I'm glad there's a chance to do 911, though. Again, from what I've heard, the big apple has been in a bit of hiring freeze since the influx of civil servants following 9/11/01.

 

[katgrl2003]

Why not just get a CPR instructor card and make money off of that?

Hahaha! You're joking, right? If I really pushed it, I could make 10K a year teaching CPR. There's just way too many instructors around to use it as a primary source of income.

 

[Veneficus]

Hahaha! You're joking, right? If I really pushed it, I could make 10K a year teaching CPR. There's just way too many instructors around to use it as a primary source of income.

must be yor location, they pay $25/hour where I am from and you could do classes a day 6 days a week if you were so motivated. Far more than IFT pays

 

[EMT11KDL]

while I was still in college I got hired on a volly 911 squad. When I went back to school they put me on a loa. And when I came home from breaks, I would pull call.

 

[katgrl2003]

must be yor location, they pay $25/hour where I am from and you could do classes a day 6 days a week if you were so motivated. Far more than IFT pays

Wow. There are so many instructors attached to training centers around here, it's easier to own your equipment and teach classes by yourself. I don't push for lots of classes because it is my third job, but I have a few hospice and dialysis centers that call me. It's just not enough to live on.