Well, it's time for a new job. Decisions to be made!

[Jeremy]

Unfortunately, my present working situation has degraded to the point where I can no longer bear employment. Old boss left (who gave administration what they deserved) and new guy came (who has almost no backbone and bows to admin's every whim). Couple that with only having 2 full time techs when we should have 4, and I'm working my ass off with no side benefits. Well, except the appreciation of one sweetheart of a doctor, but I can only stand coming home exhausted so long. I work for the state, so my pay starts off sub-average, I can't get increases based on performance, and no bonuses. My frustration / anger level is rising weekly, so I need to get out before I go postal and ya'll wind up reading about me in the news.

There really aren't any local jobs that are close enough to entice me since I refuse to commute more than 30 minutes each way. I'd like to take a job as a traveling tech. It's something I've wanted to do since graduation, but I wasn't quite as marketable then. 2 years in a department that does practically everything has taught me lots. Here's my problem: traveling means no 5er! Assignments are generally 8-13 weeks, then pack up and move on. I'd need a vehicle that I could pack all my stuff into and haul to my next locale. The company covers all living materials, so I'd be bringing stuff like clothing and computer. Think moving into college, but without the mini-TV and microfridge. The goal would be something I'd enjoy driving but would be able to handle moving day. Perhaps some kind of hatchback or small wagon with a hitch, I dunno. I'd love to pick up a Mini Cooper, but I don't think it's quite large enough for my needs, and I've never seen one with a hitch.

Another problem is I still want to do driver's schools. Traveling sans 5er would certainly preclude that, but I likely wouldn't be in a spot long enough to sign up and then make the event even if I had the car with me. I could sell the 5er for now I suppose, but it'd be a ridiculous loss for what I've put into it thus far. Just $$ alone it'd be ridiculous, forget time investments.

Now I'm kinda starting to ramble so I'll shutup. Gar, being a big kid sucks. Thanks for reading.

Jeremy

[RetiredDoc]

How about posting some specifics about your current job responsibilities and your training?

Then I'll bet someone on this board would be in a position to offer constructive advice

[Jeremy]

[QUOTE="RetiredDoc"]How about posting some specifics about your current job responsibilities and your training?

Then I'll bet someone on this board would be in a position to offer constructive advice [/QUOTE]

Well, if anyone besides Rich has heard of it, it might. I'm just looking for general advice, but that's a good place to start I guess.

I'm a Nuclear Medicine Technologist. NMTCB certified (not ARRT). 2 years experience at a university hospital. I have experience with just about every aspect of the field including plasma volumes, red cell mass, Glofil renals, Schillings tests, and just about any other "old school" nuclear medicine procedure you can think of. This is in addition to all the standard stuff like cardiacs, renals, and lung scans, plus a healthy dose of new stuff like Zevalin, SIR spheres, and Neutrospec.

I have experience training nuclear medicine students as well as nuclear medicine residents. I've been largely responsible for keeping some of our older equipment operational and within spec, I also order supplies and do billing.

Drop me in just about any department, I'll be at full speed in a week or two, no more.

Jeremy

[Newman]

I "kinda" feel ya... I'm still in highschool and work sux! Our managment at the store has totally been replaced, by one store manager, we are so strapped for employees at my location its not even funney. We have 3 full timers and that includes the store manager, then 2 part timers, me and my friend. I'm practivally working a full-time schedule(I do have half days of school for working, but still) I rarely have time for anything. I'm sick of being always being there for them, but if I walked out they'd be so screwed, if they could get a good employee they would have by now. All the applications we get are jokes, felons, dim-wits, etc...

Not too mention the company is getting cheap, replacing our nice red rags w/ super(sh*tty) absorbent towels that we toss where as the rags were washable, and the good floor cleaner has been replaced w/ some tide crap that leaves a film... I slip alot now. It was great when I started but the environment sucks now. I work at an oil-change place, Valvoline

I'm getting quite fed-up, overworked, almost underpaid, plenty of other crap is building up as well. Oh well, I'm going to uti soon enough(ya %) )so I guess I have a future to look forward to.

thanks for the chance to gripe
josh

[Jeremy]

I'm getting quite fed-up, overworked, almost underpaid, plenty of other crap is building up as well. Oh well, I'm going to uti soon enough(ya %) )so I guess I have a future to look forward to.

Futures are good. As for being "almost" underpaid, imagine this one. Get the experience and expertise needed to teach someone else to do your job. Teach them well. Then watch them get hired at $6 more an hour than what you make now at another facility. Yea, that's an extra $12k/yr more than me before overtime and call. Makes me feel realllly appreciated. %)

thanks for the chance to gripe
josh

No problem.

[Rich in WI]

It seems like you are in a great position to find new employment. I did a quick search at the UW Hospital and Clinic website and it looks like there might be 3 to 5 job openings that could fit the description of your work experience. That's a pretty good indicator that there's opportunity elsewhere, too. Here's the link:
http://www.uwhealth.org/servlet/Satelli ... ers%2FHome

Life is too short to stay in a crappy job. Get out and do what you want.

HTH,
Rich

[Jeremy]

[QUOTE="Rich in WI"]Life is too short to stay in a crappy job. Get out and do what you want.

HTH,
Rich[/QUOTE]

Well, yea. I'm trying to figure out how to accomplisj that, lol. Whatever it is I wind up doing, it's going to wind up involving some fairly major changes.

Jeremy

[Guest]

Jeremy,

Good luck in your job search. I have one bit of advice about traveling, only work for well established companies if the work involves travel. I've worked for lrage and small firms in positions that required extensive travel. You want the financial resources of a decent sized firm behind you using THEIR corporate credit cards, etc. Be careful about being sucked into being classified as an individual contractor. There were alot of abuses in the medical fields in the past, mainly involving these contract employee type arrangements.

Now about your actual job prospects, Have you thought about working for one of the Medical Equipment manufacturers as an Application Specialist. This would most likely mean traveling in a limited geographical area vs picking up and moving. A lot of the guys in Sales for the big medical OEs started this way, getting their foot in the door to sales. The Applications Support Groups usually fall under the Sales/Marketing Departments of the OEs, which also is a benefit.

Obviously you can just pick any large metropolitan area you'd like to live and find a new position in Nuc Med.

Good Luck,

Rich

[rexmo]

A place I used to work does nuclear pharmacy stuff --- Mallinckrodt, now part of Tyco. Don't know how it is today, but they used to always have postings for nuclear-related positions.

[Jeremy]

[QUOTE="rexmo"]A place I used to work does nuclear pharmacy stuff --- Mallinckrodt, now part of Tyco. Don't know how it is today, but they used to always have postings for nuclear-related positions. [/QUOTE]

Ahhhh, good old "mallincrotch". Not too bad of a company I guess, we do get a lot of stuff from them (lowest price wins when it's a state contract). Customer service does leave a little to be desired, to put it mildly. Dunno what you did for them, but the delivery guys we have are cool. Good sense of humor on em for the most part. That's the only aspect of the company I deal with directly, all orders go through our radiophamicist, which then goes through radiation safety.

Anyway, anybody have a good recomendation for a reasonably fun vehicle that can be pressed into moving duties a few times a year? I guess I could use the Wrangler, but it starts to wear on me after a while, and isn't really fun on longer trips. The 5er would work as well, I just don't have the 100% confidence in it that I'd need. It's an 18 year old, high mileage BMW with a lot done to it, so it has its quirks for sure.

Maybe I'll ask the Roachfly posse if anyone's had luck with a trailor hitch on their Mini.

Jeremy

[Rich in Tupelo]

Not sure if we have any opening in Nuc Med currently but the bosses over that area are pretty fair here. Your welcome to look and put me down as a reference. The web site is www.memorialhealth.com

We have made the Forture Top 100 best companies to work for two years running and JD Power as well (Only Hospital to do that both years).

Rich

[Velocewest]

Have you been inside a Mini? Great cars, but tiny and plasticky. Just hang a hitch on your e28. You have a relatively big car, you might be able to get by with a roof rack and a box for extra space. Think about how much stuff you can cram in the trunk and back seat, add another few cubic feet in a roof box and you are golden.

And think about Rich's advice -- most sales jobs provide a good reward/effort ratio (i.e. the the rewards really are related to how hard you work). I know many people who have taken a technical background and leveraged it into a sales position. One of my friends will soon be named the president of his company. About 15 years ago he made the jump from the shop floor to sales.

[RetiredDoc]

I'll put on my flame suit and post this advice for you. I hired and fired in the health care arena for 31 years.

Lose your negative, bitching attitude.

You come across in your posts as a petty whiner.

The only reason I'd have ever considered hiring you would be our common interest in e28's.

I'll share something about hiring with you. Once we know ( actually past tense for me, since I'm out of the business) your name, and if you also give us your e-mail address (making it easier) many of your posts to boards like this one are fair game. Just run a google search now, and imagine how far deeper it might go.

[Jeremy]

[QUOTE="RetiredDoc"]I'll put on my flame suit and post this advice for you. I hired and fired in the health care arena for 31 years.

Lose your negative, bitching attitude.

You come across in your posts as a petty whiner.

The only reason I'd have ever considered hiring you would be our common interest in e28's.

I'll share something about hiring with you. Once we know ( actually past tense for me, since I'm out of the business) your name, and if you also give us your e-mail address (making it easier) many of your posts to boards like this one are fair game. Just run a google search now, and imagine how far deeper it might go.[/QUOTE]

Well, for one, I don't list my e-mail address on my applications. So snooping will do you no good.

Two, this forum doesn't have the capability to search by e-mail address, it's not anywhere in the post. So you're thwarted even if you do get it.

Three, I don't bitch at work. I'm not a "petty whiner". Radiology is filled with them and they piss me off. If I was, I wouldn't have lasted where I am for close to four years (1.5 as a student, 2 as a full time tech). I'm being forced to compromise patient safety to keep the "numbers up" while we're short staffed. That means two techs are running 3 cameras plus a stress lab.

Four, when your boss comes in late, then leaves before you because he has "things to do", thus forcing you into an 11 hour day when he worked 8, and comes in late but leaves on time on an almost daily basis, you'd be a little miffed too. Yes, I get paid for the overtime, but fuck that. That's no way to lead a department.

Five, I don't care if you did hire and fire for 31 years. I have a solid repuation in my field as an extremely efficient, hard working tech who knows his shit. Much as I may privately dislike the way they handle things, I am well respected by the administration where I work as well as by the doctors I work under, my co-workers, and students.

I don't why I'm justifying myself to you to begin with, it seems you've struck a nerve. I feel as if I should just delete this whole damn thread and start over.

All I really wanted was advice on a vehicle I could travel with. Hope I didn't singe your flame suit. If you'd like to continue this privately, feel free to e-mail me.

Jeremy

[doug]

All I really wanted was advice on a vehicle I could travel with. Hope I didn't singe your flame suit. If you'd like to continue this privately, feel free to e-mail me.

How about a nice boring 97 Accord wagon. That was the last year they made them, for some wierd reason. I think they're cool. Plus, it's a Honda. I loved mine, but sold it when I bought my 528e (for about 1/5th as much $). Though now that I think about it, dealer parts were ridiculously expensive.

[djazz]

I've been an MT for 20 years now. The work climate you describe is now the rule, not the exception. It's similar to a car company being run by a bean counter. The passion leaves. The bottom line is all that counts. This is arguably necessary in today's market. Change or die. It still sucks from my 20 year perspective and I only see it getting worse.

Also the places that require temps are in that position for one of two maybe three reasons. 1) the field is so extremely understaffed that NO ONE is fully staffed, this would mean you should be making way more than you indicate, 2) they are in a horrible location and cannot attract permanent staff, or the most likely, 3) they are such a nightmare to work for that they cannot keep perm. staff. True you will trade headaches every few months, and you will possibly work at some really great places, but don't count on it.

That said, I've dreamed of going with Rapid Techs for years, and I know a few people who have gone down that road and enjoyed it. Raising two kids have precuded me doing that though. I think it would be a great way to make a decent living and see the country and even the world. Have you ever looked into working in Saudi? You could make a small fortune there if you are willing to live a very clean life for a while.

As far as a car, why not a 3 or 5 series touring? With the right stuff under the hood and the right suspension set-up it would be a blast to drive and have the room you need.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[John]

I agree with Tony, keep the 5. It probably holds more than most small wagons, way more than a Mini. You would also be surprised just how much one of those Yakama boxes can hold and when you take it off you have a real car. I lived out of an old Bavaria with two kids and all our camping stuff and my photo bags for 3 months and 13,000 miles. You could put a hitch on it and get a tiny trailer too, I drug motorcycles and car parts behind 4 cyl Bimmers for years.

Mind if I point out a life lesson? I don't think you bitch without cause nor to excess. I do quesstion being a little to far out on the know a lot for only two years time. To get many jobs takes up to 5 years working under someone else, after you get through school. Confidence is important, selling yourself is good, but I find those who say they know the most know the least, the most humble are generaly the best. Don't get pissed, just something to ponder, I've been there and I know it has not always helped me. I pounded nails for 20 years, amoung many other things such as teaching and photography, but I always find I don't know as much as I think I do. Sam Able is one of the best photographers a Nat. Geo. yet he is very humble and interested in what anyone thinks. You are probably quite competant, but in two years to be that expert in all areas would make one think it is a simple field, which I'm sure is not the case.

Anyway keep the BMW, or perhaps an nice Bimmer wagon, I've them with all the M parts. Good Luck

[John]

Saudi? Yuuuk. I know people who have traveled and worked around the world and I have yet to hear a good word about that place, and the last thing you need is your wife getting stoned.

Back to subject. I have bigger cars and I would rather drive the 5 stuffed full.

[Threeshifter]

What the hell do you need that you cannot fit into an e28 sedan? Take your auto tools, 2 knives, 2 forks, 2 spoons, a couple of cooking pans, small cooler, 3 outfits, 7 scrubs (if you wear scrubs), a guitar, a laptop, and you still have room for a hitchhiker to keep you company. If you have shit you want to reclaim when you settle, you can rent a storage unit for 30$/month.

You probably also know how to work on the e28 you drive. That will be priceless when you are a nomad without a known honest and good mechanic. There are few mechanical repairs that I cannot do to my 535i with the tools I regularly carry in my trunk.

I would recommend keeping the car as a gypsy med-worker.

I worked in the Caribbean on an expat basis before some ass-suck in HR screwed me over on my contract. House and car was provided. I took clothes, CDs, and some other little stuff and could have lived with less. It is really nice to cleanse yourself of material BS; fungsway or something. I went thru a job change, moved back to mainland US.

So now I am in a new job (approaching 1 year anniversary) and I have new BS to deal with. No problems major as in the previous job and nothing I cannot fix or deal with. Any workplace comes with politics and BS. Just keep breathing.

Healthcare industry is growing rapidly and understaffed (as you have testified to). You should look around a little and your spirits might be raised when you find job options. If you can move frequently you seem open minded. You could probably find a place to move for a long term or do your traveling gig.