In no particular order:
1. I was working in beverage sales, w/o benefits, and needed a change.
2. I much prefer working outdoors to working indoors, particularly in an office setting.
3. Since I had moved out at 22 y/o, I needed a stable job w/ benefits, a pension, and job security, not something that could disappear at any time.
4. I was already working as a bartender and also a bouncer a few nights a week. As such, I was already used to dealing with drunks, creatures of the night and other colorful characters. Also, I was already used to working nights while also working FT during the day M-F. I didn't get into EMS for the honeys, I was already working in niteclubs, and had all I could handle.
5. I have two cousins that were FDNY medics who then left for hosp. based EMS. They told me everything about the job, and it sounded like something that I would really enjoy doing.
6. I'm naturally outgoing and social, and enjoy helping people. In fact, when dealing with miserable/disgruntled coworkers/superiors, I rather enjoy annoying them with an overabundance of energy, bugging out, cracking jokes, and talking incessantly about how great the job is, etc.
7. I was always intrigued by faces of death, watching video of surgeries, seeing my coworker's and patron's (bouncing) injuries such as shots, stabs, etc. I don't wish that on anyone, but I want to be there right after something goes down.
8. I always had an interest in medicine, not mainly trauma but real medicine, but I had no desire to spend 8-12 years or so in medical school, sacrificing my early adult social life, then pay back my loans, and not make any money until I'm like 35 or so.
9. I wanted a quick way to make good money without having to go to college.
10. I like the flexibility in scheduling as it is with the NYC hospitals; you can work days, nights, whatever fits your needs.