Fresh EMT-B in NW Ohio/Toledo searchin' for a job.

[Eydawn]

Do whatever you can to make face-to-face contact. The human element is removed when you only communicate via phone and email, and it makes it very hard to make a case for yourself if your resume doesn't necessarily reflect your ability.

Have you tried looking up the addresses for their offices? Go in and introduce yourself! Dress professionally! Be honest about where you are and what you're interested in, and be willing to accept that you might not be what they're looking for.

Also, if you're stuck in this interim period and there's only a few places you're interested in working for, how about taking some classes to help build your resume? If you can get an Associate's in something, or take pertinent classes like PHTLS, IV (if Ohio allows that), EKG interpretation, medical terminology, healthcare philosophy/ethics... all of those will make you a stronger candidate.

Hell... while waiting, how about starting the pre-req's for paramedic? It'll make you a better basic... and start you on the road to paramedic if that's where you decide to go...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[aryan51]

If anything, going to meet the crews will give you the chance to ask how they got their jobs. Or better yet clue you into where this elusive "Operations Center" is.

They have to have SOMETHING...SOMEWHERE that houses their admin. and such. I'm sure with a little nosing around you could find out where.

[8-bit]

These are all really great ideas and I'm currently pursuing all of them, [especially the ride along.] While calling and asking about it, I learned that the state of Ohio screwed up my EMT-B cert card and I had to do about 2 hours of phone tag to get it straightened out seeing as my instructor moved out of state and they were supposed to take care of the forms. They got the forms and lost them. But it's settled. Finally. The person I dealt with, Jan Greenlee was excellent at taking care of everything. Props to her.

I have another question to venture to Ohioans and people of the other states here. If you had to undergo a background check how long did it take to get anything back? Mine has been up for 3 months and I still haven't heard anything back. It's though BCI. Any one have any info? I e-mailed/called the offices but they said they couldn't tell me anything about a pending or possible check they may be running.

[aryan51]

That sounds like B/S to me. If you don't have anything to be worrying about (Meaning you know you haven't been arrested or anything major like that), then thats quite a long time for a background. In California we have to go get fingerprinted along with a background called a Live Scan. I've only certed in California so I don't know if that's what everyone calls them .

Anyways, they take at the most two weeks to go through, but even that is waiting kind of long. And if you're wondering what's going on with it, you can call the Department of Justice (DOJ) to find out the status of your Live Scan.

I'd say somethin sounds fishy.

[8-bit]

That's what I thought, I'm a 20 year old who has never been in any kind of trouble. [surprisingly enough it just came back. Pissing and Moaning about it must have worked.]

[Dustdevil]

Also, if you're stuck in this interim period and there's only a few places you're interested in working for, how about taking some classes to help build your resume? If you can get an Associate's in something, or take pertinent classes like PHTLS, IV (if Ohio allows that), EKG interpretation, medical terminology, healthcare philosophy/ethics... all of those will make you a stronger candidate.

Hell... while waiting, how about starting the pre-req's for paramedic? It'll make you a better basic... and start you on the road to paramedic if that's where you decide to go...

^ Golden.

I'm curious, didn't you do a job market analysis before going to EMT school to see what your employment prospects were going to be? I'm thinking if the options had been as slim as you say yours are there, that I would have gone to truck driving school instead.

[8-bit]

Trust me I did, and from what I heard from people in school and out of school that LifeStar and Medcorp were always hiring. Fa fa fa fa fa foolish.

[Dustdevil]

Trust me I did, and from what I heard from people in school and out of school that LifeStar and Medcorp were always hiring. Fa fa fa fa fa foolish.

LOL! I suppose that makes sense. People who have jobs always think they are abundant.

Too bad there's not an easy way to ask all those people who can't find jobs what the job prospects are. I'd like to hear the school staff respond when asked what percentage of their EMT graduates actually find a PAID, professional position with an actual 911 EMS provider within 90 days of graduation. In most places, that number is pretty darn low, and always will be. There just aren't that many real EMS jobs out there.

Keep on trying, but hedge your bets and immediately start getting your college classes done. Even if you decide you don't want to be a career medic, that education will help you in any field you choose, and life in general. Good luck!

[aryan51]

There's always AMR

[8-bit]

I'm a newbie and I already know they're the enemy.

[The college is a must. The fire dept will pay for it once I get on though.]