What Would A Paid Employeer Like To See On EMT Resume?

[DwayneEMTP]

Finally, a little thing that I have noticed in different interviews over the years (both in and out of EMS).

Instead of approaching the interview with the state of mind that I really need or want this job, and I must impress them, approach with the attitude of being interested in becoming a colleague. It changes the entire atmosphere of the encounter. You are both interested in each other then, and the discussion tends to flow easily, spontaneously. And then, the outcome of the interview becomes secondary to the encounter itself - each of you getting a "feel" for the other. Quite Zen, eh?

Man...that's first rate advice, I'll be taking that with me to my next interview...

Dwayne

[chaser]

I ask questions so i can get an in sight on what people think, and from people whom have obtained more experience than me...

So Pro_EMT,

After all this, what insight have you obtained? I don't mean this in a sarcastic or derogatory way, I am just curious.

[Eydawn]

Kudos to hanging in here, Pro... it takes a while to get fluent at "forumspeak". A lot of what you're trying to say can get lost in the context.

I am also curious... how's the job hunt going?

Wendy

CO EMT-B

MI EMT-B

[PRPGfirerescuetech]

Get a 8.5x11 piece of white paper.

Type at the top "resume"

Type this verbatim.

"Im willing and able to learn"

Attach EMT and cpr card.

Hand out to potential employers.

You'd be suprised. :wink:

[FireGuard69]

It has everything to do with a few factors, namely

1.) Most transfer services are Medicare fraud mills.

2.) You will be asked to do unethical or illegal things in the name of profit.

3.) The management of these companies do not want EMTs, they want wheelchair van drivers who use oxygen and and take a blood pressure.

4.) Most transfer service protocols are very conservative, in the "please don't sue us" kind of way.

5.) You are basically dumped on by everyone, 911 crews hate you, nursing homes hate you and other medical professionals hate you.

I work transfer, and try damned hard to treat my patients and be a true EMS professional;But, at the end of the day, you go home and no one respects you for anything you did that day, it definitely affects your morale toward the job and willingness to continue.

As far as your resume, if you did something wonderfully amazing, say so. Otherwise, a brief synopsis of your position and a rough idea of the responsibilities you had in your position, will suffice.

x1 to what he said.

I left a MUCH higher paying transport job to go do prehospital EMS. I have learned SO much since I did, and, although my wallet has taken a big hit, my moral has only gone up.

This isn't something to pay the bills, this is a CAREER, and something I want to EXCEL at, and you just can't do that in transport

[FireGuard69]

I ask questions so i can get an in sight on what people think, and from people whom have obtained more experience than me. Im current awaiting scheduling- and its muncipal EMS 911 if that answers your questions.

OK, Bulls*ht, I call Bulls*ht!!

In the State of NJ, you need to be at least 18 to be a "solo" EMT, or work in the back of the ambulance without another older then 18 EMT present.

12 CPR "saves"

so how many times has God won?

[FormerEMSLT297]

I like everone else said would keep the resume to 1 page. listing you certs, and experience.

Sometimes getting a job is just a question of timing, and or persistence.

Go into the job knowing what the agency does. About how many calls they run, what hospitals they go to, etc.

This shows a prospective employer that you took interest in the job.

Then after the interview, follow up, call in a few days, or drop by the office and ask what the status is of you application, when they anticipate hiring, etc. You may walk in or call to follow up just as a vacancy comes about.

Ex: A buddy of mine is a brand new Medic, I have lots of experience, we both applied to the same part time job, I took the wait and see attitude, and just sent in a resume, he did the same, but he followed up with a phone call and then a visit to the HQ. When he went to drop by HQ, they told him to come back for an interview.

He went to the interview wearing a suit and tie. After the interview, they panel told them that his suit and tie, and responses to questions "look i'm a new medic but give me a shot, i've been and EMT for 4 years" got him hired.

He is now working for one of the best EMS systems in this area P/T while finishing up college.

I agree with what others have siad, you're not going to be seen as having lots of experience, but, you might stick out as a FRESH face, someone who is willing to learn and grow with the company.. Someone who will be loyal, hard working, etc.

Good luck,

Former

[ambman142]

Yes, I am too good to do transfers, just like I am too good to clean toilets or dig ditches. You have a problem with that?

So anyhow, back to the original question, this presents a dilemma. As an employer, I and many others, do NOT want to see volunteer experience on your resume. Like it or not, being a volunteer says many unflattering things about your professionalism. But, on the other hand, having been certified two years without any experience doesn't look so hot on a resume either. Therin lies the dilemma. Of course, I realise that NJ is in it's own little world and tends to see things differently than the rest of the profession too. :?

What I would most like to see on a newbie's resume is education. Your willingness and ability to complete education (not training) indicates to me your willingness and ability to pay attention and learn new things. I want you to learn to work for ME, the way I want you to work. I do not want you to simply come to my agency and do the same thing you did for somebody else for free. Therefore, if you have any relevant education besides EMT school, you should certainly hilight this on your resume. Did you take Chemistry, Biology, Physiology, Psychology, Sociology, or advanced mathematics in high school? List them! Don't just list "high school" in general. Do you speak a foreign language fluently? List it! Did you serve as an athletic trainer in high school? List it! All these are things that I would look favourably upon as a potential employer.

Also realise that if you are applying for a non-EMS transport position, many of them also are not interested in volunteer EMS people because they usually don't stay long and do a half-arse job because they would rather be doing real EMS. And EMS experience isn't that relevant to the transfer business anyhow, so again, consider if your volunteer experience is really a relevant positive to your employer before you emphasise it on your resume.

Actually, you should consider that probably any EMS provider (as opposed to horizontal taxi service) who hires you before age 21 probably sucks and is probably not worth working for. Think about it, if they are that indiscriminate about who they hire, how much faith do you have in any of their other professional policies? Keep that in mind.

Where do I start? As an EMS veteran of 26 years of both paid & professional services, I have to state it is not a matter of whether or not you are paid or not that makes you a professional. It is in fact, how you present yourself to your patients and their families, the general public, your employer (paid or volunteer), and you co-workers. As for not wanting to & being to good do transports, that's nonsense. As the quote says, you think that you're too good to dig ditches. Well. that is not the profession that you chose. A master plumber doesn't dig ditches anymore either, but he had to start somewhere. Transport is the the way most ambulance companies pay their bills, like it or not. You have to look at it as a professional, a neccessary part of the job. Use it as a learning experience. Learn how each piece of equipment operates, how the senior EMTs interact with other health care professionals, how they interact with their patients. Transports can teach you a lot, if you have the right teacher. It will also teach you one more important thing, humility. Although, the glory of street EMS may be great, the act of holding a hand & truly caring for someone, who may not have anyone else or in a hopeless situation, is really what it is all about. If it isn't, then you might want to reconsider why you chose EMS as a career in the first place. It's not about the glory, it's about helping someone, when they are in the middle of a crisis, and making the situation better. Remember that EMS isn't all about being Johnny & Roy. As for the resume, list education & experience, both paid & volunteer. Be concise and do not overelaborate as to what duties you perform. Any employer will already know what duties are required. Better is to show a willingness to do what is required to get the job done and to further your education. Too many EMT are satisfied with just having the basic credentials to satisfy the state's requirements for the position instead of attempting to be the best healthcare professional that they can be. This in effect makes EMTs nothing more than horizontal taxi driver, that take blood pressures. Feel free to express your opinions, I have a thick skin.

[Dustdevil]

Where do I start? As an EMS veteran of 26 years of both paid & professional services, I have to state it is not a matter of whether or not you are paid or not that makes you a professional.

As an EMS veteran with 8 years on your 26, I call BS.

It is in fact, how you present yourself to your patients and their families, the general public, your employer (paid or volunteer), and you co-workers.

So... you're saying that it's all about appearances? Nice. I'll stick with reality for making my professional judgments.

As for not wanting to & being to good do transports, that's nonsense. As the quote says, you think that you're too good to dig ditches. Well. that is not the profession that you chose.

If you had stopped here, you would have been been better off. You were correct at the end there. It is NOT the profession that I or our neophyte friend chose. It is not a "necessary part of the job" for an EMS paramedic. It is only a necessary part of the job for transfer jockeys. They are not the same job. In fact, the stretcher is the only common factor between the two jobs. Firemonkeys don't start their careers by working at the water treatment plant. It is not part of their job. Likewise, if somebody enters EMERGENCY Medical Services with a desire to care for EMERGENCY patients, they are absolutely justified in not wanting to be a horizontal taxi driver. And any belief by vets like you that newbies should pay their dues by doing so is simple selfish elitism without any rational foundation in reality.

Hey, if you want to run transfers for a living -- and many people do -- that is admirable and respectable. Go for it. But most paramedics I have worked with in my career -- including most of the best -- never worked a single day as a transfer jockey, yet they managed to excel as professionals in the field they chose. Your contention that transfers are something they need to embrace in their careers is a misleading lie. And your attempt to forever link EMS with horizontal taxi services is a major contributing factor to our profession never being seen as anything more than "ambulance drivers" by the general public.

Thank you so much for your efforts to hold our profession and our people back in the 1970s.

[medic001918]

As an EMS veteran with 8 years on your 26, I call BS.

So... you're saying that it's all about appearances? Nice. I'll stick with reality for making my professional judgments.

If you had stopped here, you would have been been better off. You were correct at the end there. It is NOT the profession that I or our neophyte friend chose. It is not a "necessary part of the job" for an EMS paramedic. It is only a necessary part of the job for transfer jockeys. They are not the same job. In fact, the stretcher is the only common factor between the two jobs. Firemonkeys don't start their careers by working at the water treatment plant. It is not part of their job. Likewise, if somebody enters EMERGENCY Medical Services with a desire to care for EMERGENCY patients, they are absolutely justified in not wanting to be a horizontal taxi driver. And any belief by vets like you that newbies should pay their dues by doing so is simple selfish elitism without any rational foundation in reality.

Hey, if you want to run transfers for a living -- and many people do -- that is admirable and respectable. Go for it. But most paramedics I have worked with in my career -- including most of the best -- never worked a single day as a transfer jockey, yet they managed to excel as professionals in the field they chose. Your contention that transfers are something they need to embrace in their careers is a misleading lie. And your attempt to forever link EMS with horizontal taxi services is a major contributing factor to our profession never being seen as anything more than "ambulance drivers" by the general public.

Thank you so much for your efforts to hold our profession and our people back in the 1970s.

+1. Another great and well thought out post with explanations of all the points raised. I'm curious to hear the rebuttal from ambman142.

Shane

NREMT-P