3viltoast3r
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I release there is already a sparky thread, but I am interested in different career pathways and is there a particular job specific reason why you are changing from a sparky?
Anyone a Paramedic or an Ambo....or work for QAS
- Thread starter Doggy
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lawno
Likes Bikes
I beleive to become a career emergency service worker an Australian citizenship is required.... i was reading over the aplication form for the carreer CFA and it states that only australian or new zealand citizenship is taken.
toodles
Wheel size expert
I've seen his electrical work. I never thought he could kill more people by finding another career, but I suppose being an ambo will give him the opportunity.
Doggy
Inconceivable!
No real reason....I like doing electrickity work and the money is tops (usually the result of long hours mind you) but I just feel like a change after 10 years. Im not too sure as to whether or not I'd go firies or ambos but since its not really a viable option financially at the moment I guess I can figure that out at a later date
The things you say bring tears to my eyes. Now I know why my mummy told me to stay away from you and that we'd never work. She was right. But yes you are correct, it does give me new and wonderful ways to try and kill people
Yes I'm doing the QUT degree.
The main differences between QUT and doing it as a Student Paramedic are you don't get paid. In fact, you pay a crap load to learn. Unlike Student Paramedics who learn and get paid, the degree requires us to pay heaps. Having said this, however, it does offer us a much larger wealth of knowledge than doing it as an Echo, then Delta, etc on road. This knowledge obtained at uni enables graduates to more easily progress through QAS. That is, it is a lot easier to become an Intensive Care Paramedic with this huge background of wealth. (Also the QUT degree allows people fresh out of Year 12 to jump straight into the field, as opposed to obtaining "life experience", which is a requirement of becoming a student paramedic).
The downfall with QUT graduates however is just general experience. After the 3 year course you leave as a qualified paramedic, however you don't really have a large amount of people skills and experience being a paramedic and unless you do casual QAS work during your studies, you'll find it hard to manage and integrate once you graduate.
The problem at the moment and it's getting a lot of media is QAS paramedics and work related fatigue. In fact, the union and its members have being rallying for increased pay and greater breaks between shifts. As it stands, pay rate increases is less than annual inflation!! Which is appauling, and cosndering the stress and hours we do, it's simply unfair.
As it stands ACPs (Bravos) get approx. $830 and then ~$950 (pay point2)/wk (base rate - this is not taking into consideration of over time and penalties - which aren't to come by).
This can raise to as high as $1070/week. (P4 - pay point 2)
Hope this helps. QUT is great. I love the course. But at the moment I'm considering using it as a stepping stone into Medicine and Surgery. But i'll see how paramedic goes first.....
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Another hopeful student paramedic
Hi Zoe, Dave, Craig are any of you still around? I'm another forum scanner applying to the Qas. I have my aptitude test next week and was wondering how you are going. Dave have you done your test yet? And Zoe and Craig I'd love to hear how your training is, and how long from the completion of your tests until you had an offer, how much notice they gave you to start, that sort of thing.
Love to hear from any of you,
Cheers, Tam.
Hi Zoe, Dave, Craig are any of you still around? I'm another forum scanner applying to the Qas. I have my aptitude test next week and was wondering how you are going. Dave have you done your test yet? And Zoe and Craig I'd love to hear how your training is, and how long from the completion of your tests until you had an offer, how much notice they gave you to start, that sort of thing.
Love to hear from any of you,
Cheers, Tam.
Hi Tam, I've just finished my first week on the road and I am loving it but I'm totally exhausted. Craig is on the other side of town and he is also loving the new job. I can't tell you how long it'll be after the test before you get an offer, as you've probably noticed by now the QAS just loves to make you wait and sweat it out. I think we got an offer within about 2 weeks because they left the interviews until the last minute before the training started. I had about 4 weeks notice before I started but I know a few people who had a lot less notice.
How'd you go with the aptitude test?
Zoe
How'd you go with the aptitude test?
Zoe
Hey Zoe,
It must feel great to be finishing training and finally on the job- I can't wait to be in your position and exhausted after a big week's work.
I should be getting my aptitude test results this week as it has been nearly a month, but I called and asked for the details of the next stage already. So I have done my medical and am doing the physical tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about the physical because I haven't done much preperation or training but they tell me it is really simple to pass. I will have wasted a little money if I didn't pass the aptitude but I feel confident about it, so hopefully I have just saved a bit of time but jumping ahead.
I'm hoping if I pass everything I will have an interview in time for the October training school, otherwise the next one is in January. How was your training school? Did you stay in accommodation?
Thanks for your info Zoe, I know everyone checking out this thread is grateful!
Cheers, Tam.
It must feel great to be finishing training and finally on the job- I can't wait to be in your position and exhausted after a big week's work.
I should be getting my aptitude test results this week as it has been nearly a month, but I called and asked for the details of the next stage already. So I have done my medical and am doing the physical tomorrow. I'm a little nervous about the physical because I haven't done much preperation or training but they tell me it is really simple to pass. I will have wasted a little money if I didn't pass the aptitude but I feel confident about it, so hopefully I have just saved a bit of time but jumping ahead.
I'm hoping if I pass everything I will have an interview in time for the October training school, otherwise the next one is in January. How was your training school? Did you stay in accommodation?
Thanks for your info Zoe, I know everyone checking out this thread is grateful!
Cheers, Tam.
Hi Tam, the fitness test is dead-easy, you only need 25% fitness to pass it. The guy who took me for mine said that you'd have to be half dead not to pass it. You'll be fine, don't sweat it.
It does feel good to be finished with the initial block of training and be out working with people at last. Unfortunately our next study phase has started so it's full on trying to work at a busy station and get the study done, people at the smaller stations get plenty of time to study at their stations (lucky buggers!).
Yeah, you get the results for the aptitude test within a month usually. This is the part of the application that usually slows people down, I've spoken to a few people who have done the aptitude test more than once. I felt confident about how I did also and I blitzed it so you probably did too.
The training school was pretty good, loved our training coordinator , he was a hoot! Some of the subjects like legal were boring but most of it was interesting. I didn't stay in accommodation because I lived within the area but I was offered it for driver training. I decided to just drive home every day, makes for a long week if you don't get to go home. 46 out of the 56 in our class stayed in the accommodation provided. BTW, I heard the next class is also a large one, they said they are taking 44 students in.
Good luck with scoring an interview for the October intake.
Cheers Zoe
It does feel good to be finished with the initial block of training and be out working with people at last. Unfortunately our next study phase has started so it's full on trying to work at a busy station and get the study done, people at the smaller stations get plenty of time to study at their stations (lucky buggers!).
Yeah, you get the results for the aptitude test within a month usually. This is the part of the application that usually slows people down, I've spoken to a few people who have done the aptitude test more than once. I felt confident about how I did also and I blitzed it so you probably did too.
The training school was pretty good, loved our training coordinator , he was a hoot! Some of the subjects like legal were boring but most of it was interesting. I didn't stay in accommodation because I lived within the area but I was offered it for driver training. I decided to just drive home every day, makes for a long week if you don't get to go home. 46 out of the 56 in our class stayed in the accommodation provided. BTW, I heard the next class is also a large one, they said they are taking 44 students in.
Good luck with scoring an interview for the October intake.
Cheers Zoe
Hey Zoe,
Thanks for all your info, I did pass the physical and nailed the aptitude, yay, so now I'm just waiting for an interview.
You said in one of your previous posts you were applying to re-sit the interview. I wonder if, when you have some time, you could let us know what to expect in the interview, and what sort of things you thought you could do better if you had another go. Apparently that is where we gain the bulk of our marks.
Hope you're still loving it and look forward to your advice!
Thanks, Tam.
Thanks for all your info, I did pass the physical and nailed the aptitude, yay, so now I'm just waiting for an interview.
You said in one of your previous posts you were applying to re-sit the interview. I wonder if, when you have some time, you could let us know what to expect in the interview, and what sort of things you thought you could do better if you had another go. Apparently that is where we gain the bulk of our marks.
Hope you're still loving it and look forward to your advice!
Thanks, Tam.
Forumscanner
Cannon Fodder
Hi, I also am a forum scanner!
I have recently put my application in, after doing well on the apitutde, fine on the medical and OK on the fitness testing.
I received an email on the 19th of August saying my application is completed and now I have to wait to see if I get an interview. If i am succesful I am hoping to start ASAP (apprently there is an intake in october and january according to prior posts here).
Any tips for the interview would be greatly appreciated as well. My first reference is my supervisor at work, so if/once they contact him I should know ill have an interview coming up.
Cheers.
HI Forumscanner,
I found out the october intake has been moved forward to september and is full already so at this stage we won't be getting in until january. We should be contacted for interviews within two months, so at least if we are made an offer we should have plenty of notice.
Also, your references aren't contacted until after you have your interview. Then they will contact you to see who they can call.
Bit disappointing having to wait til January, but you never know, they might pull that one forward too.
Good luck,
Tam.
I found out the october intake has been moved forward to september and is full already so at this stage we won't be getting in until january. We should be contacted for interviews within two months, so at least if we are made an offer we should have plenty of notice.
Also, your references aren't contacted until after you have your interview. Then they will contact you to see who they can call.
Bit disappointing having to wait til January, but you never know, they might pull that one forward too.
Good luck,
Tam.
Forumscanner
Cannon Fodder
Hey thanks very much for the info, its greatly appreciated.
In regards to references, this is what the email said to me:
"Please be aware that your referees will be contacted prior to your interview. Should you wish to change or update the referees you nominated on your application form, please contact QAS Operational Recruitment on details below."
Thanks again for the info, and good luck.
Forumscanner
Cannon Fodder
Yes indeed. I was quite suprised when searching for "QAS Sudent paramedic" that a mountain bike site came up. I guess there are lots of people out their looking for more info, as the QAS doesnt give you a whole lot. For example, just by reading this thread I have found out about intakes and a bit about the training etc.I'm assuming the forum scanners are from people using Google?
Welcome anyhow
Hi Tam,
well if you feel confident about the aptitude test then you most likely passed it, as for the fitness test, it's dead-easy, you'd have to be in a really bad way to fail it.
It does feel good being on the road but I went straight back into a study phase after my first week. The study is a lot of work but I'm beginning to find my feet and work out a routine.
It's an interesting job though, my station is really busy and I've done a lot of interesting cases. Almost had our ambulance taken out by a cab driver last week, he rolled his cab right next to us, it was awesome to watch.
The training school was pretty good, our training coordinator was a hoot. I didn't stay in the accommodation but most of my classmates did. I was offered it during the week of driver training but I chose to do the extra miles and drive home each day.
Hope you get your interview soon.
cheers Zoe.
well if you feel confident about the aptitude test then you most likely passed it, as for the fitness test, it's dead-easy, you'd have to be in a really bad way to fail it.
It does feel good being on the road but I went straight back into a study phase after my first week. The study is a lot of work but I'm beginning to find my feet and work out a routine.
It's an interesting job though, my station is really busy and I've done a lot of interesting cases. Almost had our ambulance taken out by a cab driver last week, he rolled his cab right next to us, it was awesome to watch.
The training school was pretty good, our training coordinator was a hoot. I didn't stay in the accommodation but most of my classmates did. I was offered it during the week of driver training but I chose to do the extra miles and drive home each day.
Hope you get your interview soon.
cheers Zoe.
Doh!, I just realised that I missed reading a whole page of replies so now my reply is out of what. Congrats Tam and Forumscanner, no doubt I'll be seeing you on the road sometime soon.
As for the interview, it was based mainly on your experiences so think about different situations you've been in and how you've handled them, also think about how you would do it better if you had the chance. They focus a lot on the work and study load so have a really good think about how you would manage your time and organise yourself. They are looking for people who are likely to handle all the work and study (lots and lots of study) and they'll also be looking for people who have a stable work history because it costs them about $250 000 to train each of us and they don't want flighty people.
Good luck guys!!
Zoe
BTW, thanks Maxwolfie for letting us borrow your space to discuss this stuff.
As for the interview, it was based mainly on your experiences so think about different situations you've been in and how you've handled them, also think about how you would do it better if you had the chance. They focus a lot on the work and study load so have a really good think about how you would manage your time and organise yourself. They are looking for people who are likely to handle all the work and study (lots and lots of study) and they'll also be looking for people who have a stable work history because it costs them about $250 000 to train each of us and they don't want flighty people.
Good luck guys!!
Zoe
BTW, thanks Maxwolfie for letting us borrow your space to discuss this stuff.