Thank you, thank you. And now for my second OT topic of the day.
The giant evil empire has placed it’s death grip on our community, hacking away employees left and right in an effort to insure the quality of it’s executive paychecks. I won’t name names until my severance package is in my bank account. I am one of the severed.
However this is not all bad. For several years I have contemplated a career change. Specifically, Paramedic school.
For many moons now I’ve realized that, with the exception of learning the whistle, I have stagnated. I used to be exceptionally creative. I was an artist, loved to write games on the computer and write game scenarios, short stories and poetry and Flash movies. I had a quick wit. I had a spark, an edge that seems to have disappeared.
Ever since I got “comfortable” in my current position, raking in good $$$, it seems that I’ve turned into a slug. No creative juices, no spark, no edge.
So I asked myself, is it the result of too much beer over the years? Or has life lost it’s challange due to the feeling that “I’ve arrived so sit back and relax forever.”
After much discussion between with my wife and after much prayer we have “almost” made the decision. I say almost because I still need to take care of a couple minor issues.
At 17 I started working on an ambulance as a volunteer. Was a Hospital Corpsman in the Navy for six years. The question of going back into emergency medicine came to mind about two years ago when I witnessed a bad auto accident. Actually a van accident. Being within a few feet I jumped into the fray and everything in the world ceased to exist except what I was doing right there. I helped comfort the scared little kid who hung upside down in her seatbelt. I helped extract the occupants. When I got home I felt like I’d just injected amphetamines. I hadn’t felt that good in years.
So now, with job loss looming in less then a month I’m making the BIG step.
We realize several things:
The pay is low.
The hours are long.
The school is very intense.
The occupational health risks are much higher.
I’m very excited. I won’t start class until January '04 because this semester is full. Until then I’m getting the books and starting some pre-class study.
Geek4- Let me the first, (unless someone posts before me, in which case let me be the second, or third, or, well, you get my drift), to wish you all the best on your new path.
It’s often very easy to find ways to talk yourself out of this sort of thing. Clearly, only you and your family know your situation well enough to know what you are in a position to do. Having made your decision, I wish you all the best of success. It’s great to be able to do something that you love for a living.
Good for you, G4M! You tossed your hat over the wall, as the saying goes. Thing is, if you hadn’t, you’d always have that little question gnawing away at you: “What if…?”
Geek,
I think that with your corpsman experience you will have a good head start on those paramedic classes. I know all about job stagnation and if it were not for health limitations I’d be doing something similar. I figure that if you can cover your bills, maybe downsize a bit, it doesn’t matter that you’ll be earning less at first. Enjoy life while you have it.
Mike
I can relate to your statement above more than you know…and as someone who has struggled for years with the issue you are talking about, let me say “Congratulations!” You are one of the few people I have ever met who actually has the chutzpah to do something about it. That alone will make the adventure worthwhile and in the end I have no doubt you will be much happier for the change.
Good luck; it sounds exciting. However…you only know for sure you like something after you start doing it for awhile. There are other closely related careers that allow more lateral movement in case a specific job loses its appeal. Nursing comes to mind. You can work in an ermergency room/trauma center if you like the adrenalin aspect, but, people do burn out in big numbers doing that kind of work. Look around and ask questions. Definitely talk with some paramedics who’ve been doing it awhile. Best wishes,
Tony
I agree with THOROUGH research. I got “burned” by believing the counsleor (recruiter) from a trade school at his word. Got roped into years of school loan payments for an education in something I did not really like and only worked in for a few short months. Talk to actual workers in whatever field, long term workers who are past the “honeymoon” stage and are sort of running on fumes as it were. They will give you the less glamorous aspects. Just balance that against their own stagnations though.
At my last job a new company moved in down the complex. They were looking for techs, but it was in a different field. I was electronics, they were medical. A couple of years later I applied to an ad in the paper. Turned out it was for the same company and I was offerred and accepted a Senior Technician position. I missed out on a LOT of money and benefits because I delayed pulling the trigger.
Best of luck! Do what you LOVE, and all else will come.
My stepson started as an EMTabout a year ago, and loves the work. He just signed up for the paramedic course and will start in a few weeks.
I know exactly what you mean - the intensity of emergency work. Of course the patients I worked with were of the lower animal variety, but I did love to work on emergencies at the vet hospital where I spent many years. Bring in a HBC(hit by car)or HBD(hit by dog) and I was right there in the thick of it.
A nurse friend of mine hated to be shifted to ER when the labor and delivery where she worked was quiet.
So I guess that if you are cut out for that, go for it. Since you’ve some experience you have a pretty good idea of what you are in for.
Good luck and I envy you the challenge of a new phase.
Sorry to hear about the severence, Geek, but good luck in your new field. What a good choice.
Although I have no intention of changing careers, I’ve often thought of acquiring proper paramedic qualifications just because not nearly enough people know what to do in an emergency. If the people who realise this don’t act, who will? I recently had to deal with a medical emergency and did all the right things but acquiring the qualifications would be better …
Yesterday I signed up to ride as a sort of fifth wheel with one of the ambulance units next week.
We have two private ambulance services here. This one only requires a signed release form. The other requires you have the first 2 hepatitis B shots. I’ll be getting that done starting next week as well.
I figure I’ll ride a day with both of them and try to get a feel for it. Maybe more if possible. I picked Wednesday during the day next week because I figure it’s more likely to be “routine” then a Saturday night. Most jobs, no matter how exciting they can be, are primarily routine, non-exciting, things. That’s the part to look at.
I´m in a similar situation. Have run a small company for 7 years or so, very good $ but it is not “my thing” really. So, it has begun to wear me out a little, both physically and mentally.
A couple of days ago I singed up for the first step of a health education, as a personal trainer. Been an “athlete” for as long as I can remember and for more than ten years I´ve had this dream to work with other people in the name of training/diet/health.
It´s a little scary but I´m on my way into a new business and it feels GREAAAT!
Something very good is that I don´t have to quit the old business and switch to the new one “cold turkey” but I can transition slowly so the $ issue is secured and safe.
Well the career change idea is hopping along splendidly. I am all signed up for the first class in January. I bought the books so I can start studying now and have a head start.
I spent a day riding with one of our ambulance services. The paramedics were great inspiration. They answered all the questions I had and gave me a lot of information. The day was excellent. I rode for 10 hours and hardly noticed the passing of time. We had several interesting, highly charged cases throughout the day. My mom says she hasn’t seen me this excited about something since I was a little kid.
Geek, a friend of mine went through the course and is doing volunteer work now, and loving nearly every minute of it. I think your ‘doing time’ riding with an ambulance is great!
Me, I’m starting to look at all the house projects and yard work, and maybe some volunteer time with the elderly to keep me out and about. . .and NOTHING TECHNICAL for at least 4 months!
You are one of the few people I have ever met who actually has the chutzpah to do something about it. That alone will make the adventure worthwhile and in the end I have no doubt you will be much happier for the change.