Haven't heard back yet after drug test & physical

[Floridastudent]

So, I had an interview last week at a local company that is hiring a couple of dozen EMTs part time, it went really well, they immediately made me an offer and set up drug testing and a physical for Monday. I am one thousand percent sure I passed the drug test. The guy at the place I tested told me the drug test results take 24 to 48 hours. I THINK I passed the physical...but I haven't heard back from the ambulance company.

I was able to do the treadmill for 12 minutes on increasingly steep incline and I wasn't even out of breath at the end of it. I lifted all of the appropriate weights, did all of the appropriate bending and flexing with no problem. My BP normally is around 117/80-something. I'm assuming I passed.

I have no arrests, no points on my driving license, etc. My credit isn't great at this point but I don't have bankruptcies, tax liens, foreclosure, anything like that.

So now I'm just sitting here waiting to hear back. Should I be concerned that I haven't heard anything yet? They said they want to get people started as soon as possible. They are supposed to call me and set up orientation IF I pass the drug test and physical.

And if I don't hear from them, should I call back on Friday? And if they decide not to hire me, would they tell me why? As in, if I need to be in better shape physically it would help me to know that.

[Chief1C]

Is there any specific reason you'd be concerned about the drug test?

[tcripp]

Monday...as in day before yesterday? No, I wouldn't worry. You never know what else came up that they had to deal with.

Wait until next week before you take any action.

[JTpaintball70]

Sometimes it can take up to a week to get a drug test back. Just give it a little more time

[snoopy911]

Chris, he said he was sure he passed the drug test. It seemed like it was more the physical that he was concerned about.

Anyway, to answer your question: I would call if you haven't heard anything by Friday, give them a call. Explain the situation and ask about your status. I had a job that put me basically in the same situation. Sometimes "As soon as possible" isn't so quickly, some companies take their good old time. But if you were hired, contingent upon drug and physical testing, they definitely should let you know what if going on. If they don't, follow up! Don't be afraid to call, they already agreed to hire you, and you have the right to know the results of your tests. Good luck and let us know!

[Floridastudent]

Thanks for the replies! I wouldn't normally freak out like this, but then again, I've never looked for a job in a job market that is this bad. I've applied for hospital ER tech and patient care tech jobs...they want experience. Other ambulance companies aren't hiring at the moment. I worry that my skills are getting rusty as time goes by. (Five months since I passed my NREMT.)

As for the drug test - no, what I was saying is that is the thing I am NOT worried about at all, but I took it Monday, the guy said it took 24 to 48 hours to process it, so it should have been back by Wednesday at the latest...so I'm just wondering if there's anything else that could be wrong. As far as I can tell they didn't even call my references (I talked to two of them) - so it's not a bad reference issue. And I have glowing references from my CNA jobs.

I know it's expensive for them to send dozens of people for physicals and drug tests - the physical took an hour! - so I'm assuming that if they approved me to take it, their intention was to hire me. It's just that during the interview, the interviewer stressed several times that they wanted to get people hired as soon as possible to work their busy times. So I thought I would have heard from them by now.

I know, I know, I just need to take a chill pill and wait a couple of more days.

Oh - I'm a "she", not a he. I should probably change my avatar.

[uglyEMT]

Ok I just want to make sure I have the time line correct.

Monday was the tests. 24 to 48hrs for drug results puts it at Wednesday, mailing takes 24 to 48hrs so that puts us today or Friday

and thats just for the drug test, physical is roughly the same.

I am the guy on my squad that recives the backgrounds and tests results and stuff, I can tell you sometimes they just take longer to get where they need to go. Then also dont forget after the results come in the hiring person still makes a last review before the phone calls go out. As you stated its a tough job market and everything does look good so hopefully it works out and its just a timeline thing.

Wait till Monday, give them that. If nothing then call for a status report. Keep it cordual and Im sure you will get the answer you are looking for.

[Just Plain Ruff]

Chris, he said he was sure he passed the drug test. It seemed like it was more the physical that he was concerned about.

Anyway, to answer your question: I would call if you haven't heard anything by Friday, give them a call. Explain the situation and ask about your status. I had a job that put me basically in the same situation. Sometimes "As soon as possible" isn't so quickly, some companies take their good old time. But if you were hired, contingent upon drug and physical testing, they definitely should let you know what if going on. If they don't, follow up! Don't be afraid to call, they already agreed to hire you, and you have the right to know the results of your tests. Good luck and let us know!

Yes, I'll echo the as soon as possible concept. I am in line for a position over in the UAE and they said they wanted to get me over there as soon as possible if all the pre-employment stuff came back. I am now told that their As soon as possible is actually "as soon as possible which will take at least 6 months" kind of thing.

So either call them Friday or wait till monday which will have given them more than a week.

I know you want the job but you are really working on their timeline not yours.

As for the drug test - no, what I was saying is that is the thing I am NOT worried about at all, but I took it Monday, the guy said it took 24 to 48 hours to process it, so it should have been back by Wednesday at the latest...so I'm just wondering if there's anything else that could be wrong. As far as I can tell they didn't even call my references (I talked to two of them) - so it's not a bad reference issue. And I have glowing references from my CNA jobs.

So you took the test on monday and you post on wednesday. The guy at the testing site said it would take 24-48 hours to get the tests processed. I can see how you really want the job but seriously, you need to slow down and relax and wait at least till friday to call.

I had a drug test that the lab collected on a tuesday. My company didn't get the results back for 5 days.

As for wanting your decision based on their ASAP statements. If you are hiring a bunch of EMT's and you send them all out for drug tests and physicals, don't you think that some of those prospective employees haven't had their physicals yet due to scheduling constraints?

And the hiring staff probably won't make any decisions until all physicals and drug tests are back.

Finally one other thing, Don't you wonder why they haven't called your references? It could be two or three things. First, they are not going to hire you so they won't call your references OR they have not gotten around to calling them yet and they will or they are going to hire you and they are hiring you based on your performance so far and don't need to contact your references. In all my many years of looking for jobs, doing some hiring and other tasks, I know that the only time we called someone's references was if they were neck and neck with someone else for a single job and we had to call references in order to make our decision based on what we were told by their references.

I'm not busting your chops but I think you are getting ahead of yourself. Have patience and give the company some time. If you do call ONLY CALL THEM ONCE. If you call more than once and make a nuisance of yourself then the company may just say "we've got a good group of poeple, we don't need this one"

Relax and have a martini and give the process some time.

[Floridastudent]

You're all right. I am stressing out too early. I won't call till Monday. And I will only call once. I don't want to be the crazy girl who keeps calling and saying "Did you decide yet? Did you decide yet?"

References - I am a CNA and the place where I work didn't check my references. They certainly should check references, but they didn't. So, there is the possibility that the ambulance company didn't call my references because somehow the physical didn't work out, and they don't plan to hire me...or there is the possibility that out of the 26 people they are hiring, with four references each, they are not calling references at all or are just calling some of them.

Yes, I'll echo the as soon as possible concept. I am in line for a position over in the UAE and they said they wanted to get me over there as soon as possible if all the pre-employment stuff came back. I am now told that their As soon as possible is actually "as soon as possible which will take at least 6 months" kind of thing.

So either call them Friday or wait till monday which will have given them more than a week.

I know you want the job but you are really working on their timeline not yours.

So you took the test on monday and you post on wednesday. The guy at the testing site said it would take 24-48 hours to get the tests processed. I can see how you really want the job but seriously, you need to slow down and relax and wait at least till friday to call.

I had a drug test that the lab collected on a tuesday. My company didn't get the results back for 5 days.

As for wanting your decision based on their ASAP statements. If you are hiring a bunch of EMT's and you send them all out for drug tests and physicals, don't you think that some of those prospective employees haven't had their physicals yet due to scheduling constraints?

And the hiring staff probably won't make any decisions until all physicals and drug tests are back.

Finally one other thing, Don't you wonder why they haven't called your references? It could be two or three things. First, they are not going to hire you so they won't call your references OR they have not gotten around to calling them yet and they will or they are going to hire you and they are hiring you based on your performance so far and don't need to contact your references. In all my many years of looking for jobs, doing some hiring and other tasks, I know that the only time we called someone's references was if they were neck and neck with someone else for a single job and we had to call references in order to make our decision based on what we were told by their references.

I'm not busting your chops but I think you are getting ahead of yourself. Have patience and give the company some time. If you do call ONLY CALL THEM ONCE. If you call more than once and make a nuisance of yourself then the company may just say "we've got a good group of poeple, we don't need this one"

Relax and have a martini and give the process some time.

[uglyEMT]

Another thing with references florida. I so far have only called references if something is questionable with the prospective hire. IE something on a background check pops up but from many years ago, two canidates for the same position one with less experience, see what i am getting at.

Alot of times references are there just for an as if on the employment questionare.

Just trying to help from a poistion inside thats all