Considering Career Change
 

I once believed that I would stay in EMS until I retired.I have had many different jobs but EMS is the only career that I ever felt fulfilled me and made me feel as though I had found my niche.Ive been doing alot of self examination however and I may be making some forays into other fields of employment. Im not in danger of being fired....Im good at my job and I work hard to be the best that I can be and it fills this need I have to help others and give of myself.It can be very rewarding....but Im tired of sleeping in the station half the month.I work a total of 14 24 hour shifts a month in 48 and 72 hour increments. I wish I was home every night.I mean yeah Im being the provider with the job I have been blessed with...we arent rich but we have food on the table and we pay the rent and we are thankful for that.Sometimes I feel that I am out saving everyone else when the person I love most and needs me most is being neglected.She says she understands and shes a trooper but in my heart of hearts I feel as though Im doing her a disservice. When im off I spend all my time with her to try to make up for being away and its so hard to leave to go back to work.Im finding more and more that when Im off its hard for me to "turn off" and relax and get out of that fast paced high stress mindset.At the station I am woke at all hours of the night...I have a phone right beside my bed...it could be anything from a older person just needing some help off the floor after tripping or a bad wreck or shootings or stabbings...assaults ect.I just dont know if I can or even want to for much longer.I see people that dont even work that have better healthcare than I do with my insurance through my job.I dont even have my wife on my insurance because it would have been over 500 a month.Luckily there are some free clinics we have taken advantage of.I have a acquaintance that has offered to get me into pipeline surveying.Id make about 4 times what I make now and Id be home every night.Its outdoors and physically harder work which is one of the reasons Im losing weight now so ill be better prepared if I try this.Anyways...just a rant I guess.

Re: Considering Career Change
 

Will pray for you.

Re: Considering Career Change
 

I appreciate that more than you know.Its been a rough year...the highs have been high but the lows have been low and we aint outta the woods yet.The battles we thought we would never survive later became mere warmups for what we faced later.

Re: Considering Career Change
 

I can certainly understand how difficult this job must be on both you and your wife. I don't know much about the EMT field, but are there other jobs out there that don't require you to be away from home so much that are in the same field? And I certainly will be praying that the Lord will give you peace and direction for your job situation including the one that is being offered to you!

Re: Considering Career Change
 

Jobs and careers come and go in a person's life. but a marriage once broken is hard, if not impossible, to fix. I would do whatever to make my marriage better. jmho

Re: Considering Career Change
 

As someone that has experienced the heartbreak of divorce I know all too well of which you speak.

Re: Considering Career Change
 

Praying for your situation.

Re: Considering Career Change
 

JediKnightWili,

Sounds like you have a lot to decide. I am assuming you would not give notice at your job until you knew for sure you had the pipeline surveying job? Clearly the pay and hours make it a no brainer decision IF there are not other factors you haven't mentioned. How stable is the surverying job? Is it permanent? Is it contract labor based on their needs and maybe seasonal?

A long time ago I had to make a similar decision. I enjoyed my field of work but had to work pretty much every Saturday and did not get home on weeknights until around 8 pm. I had small children and my boys were just about old enough to start playing Pop Warner football, etc.

I took a pay cut when I left for a different career and it was a struggle for awhile until I was promoted but I have never regretted it. I did not want to look back on my life and wished I had spent time with my family. If you don't do it that is not something you can ever have a do over on.

My son is a newlywed ( a little less than a year) and he works offshore 3 weeks on and 3 weeks off. He and his wife own a small horse ranch so he is so busy the three weeks he is home it flies by and he absolutely hates it when he has to leave his new bride and his horses, dogs, and ranch work for those three weeks away. However he makes over $100,000 a year with no college degree so I don't think he will be changing careers anytime soon!

Re: Considering Career Change
 

God answers quick.My wife was just offered her old job.Her old boss has been fired and the new boss had been filled in about why she quit.She called today just to get information about her start and end dates and found out there was another manager now who was very nice and let her know that he knew what happened and wanted her back.My wife enjoyed this job and was good at it and the money and insurance coverage didnt hurt either.Her old boss started yelling and slamming his hands down on her desk and throwing things in the office and it triggered bad panic attacks...she started crying at work and was highly upset and she quit....well....hes gone and it looks like shes getting her job back.Really big answer to prayer yall thanks so much for praying.

Re: Considering Career Change
 

Great news!