Offshore paramedic jobs can be lucrative for the trained paramedic, and lead to an exciting change in career. They can be a challenge to track down and land, but this article will show you how.
Paramedics are, by nature, highly trained professionals. With people’s lives in their hands every day, conscientious paramedics keep their knowledge up to date and constantly look for professional development. If this describes you well, then there’s an excellent chance you’ll succeed in finding an offshore paramedic job.
Offshore paramedic jobs are often far better paid than the same positions locally, especially if you can get a paramedic job in a medically advanced nation with socialised healthcare. Because these countries tend to have liberal social policies, particularly in relation to worker’s rights, the penalty rates for long shift work and overtime can stack up to be very lucrative.
In addition, in many socially liberal countries there is a significant shortage of paramedics. Most graduates in medicine either go into nursing or become doctors and surgeons. Paramedic work has lost much of the glamour it’s held over the last few decades and is viewed as a challenging work environment. Paramedics themselves wil know that the work is hard but rewarding, but dont’ tend to advertise this aspect so much.
Of course, the normal drawbacks that apply to local paramedic work will equally apply overseas. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the job can vary from stultifyingly boring to heart-poundingly stressful in a matter of moments.
In addition, being an offshore paramedic means that you’ll be contending with a different culture, a different work environment, and you won’t have any shared networks of friends or fellow students and colleagues to draw on. For the first period of your offshore paramedic employment, you’re basically going to be on your own. Some people will handle this better than others.
Think: are you the sort of person who makes new friends easily? Would you feel comfortable going out into a strange city and chatting to strangers at a bar? How will you make friends and acquaintances in your new deployment?
Many health providers that employ paramedics operate under the umbrella of a state or national health system, and will usually have a centralised system for recruiting paramedics. Luckily, paramedics are usually excluded from the rules that require government employees to be citizens of the countries they are deployed in.
Paramedic training does vary from country to country, but there is a high level of cross-acceptance of paramedic qualifications. Recognition of Current Competencies (RCC) is prevalent in the international healthcare community, and there shouldn’t be any problem organising any remedial training to get you up to speed on the slight differences internationally in paramedic practices.
Far more likely to throw you off-kilter will be the cultural, rather than technical, changes. Especially in the high stress environments that paramedics need to deal with, subtle cultural differences can create a tension or frustration that’s hard to identify.
One obvious example is the different approaches to eye contact and face-to-face conversations that apply between people of different levels of authority and ‘power’. In some cultures, a steady gaze shows clear intentions, and in others, a lowered voice and deferent dropping of the eyes is expected. Being unintentionally ‘rude’ in this manner is not normally a problem, but is something to be aware of. Any small amount of research into the culture you’ll be moving into, as well as some situational awareness, should see you through.
Paramedics are, by nature, highly trained professionals. With people’s lives in their hands every day, conscientious paramedics keep their knowledge up to date and constantly look for professional development. If this describes you well, then there’s an excellent chance you’ll succeed in finding an offshore paramedic job.
The Benefits Of Offshore Paramedic Jobs
Offshore paramedic jobs have many advantages over local ones. Firstly, and this may seem obvious, is that they’re overseas. Being in another country is a reward in itself. Travel is invigorating and enjoyable. The chance to meet new people and explore a new culture, cuisine, climate and career shouldn’t be undervalued. With modern communication technology, moving country doesn’t mean abandoning your friends and family. Mobile phones, Skype and social media mean it’s easy to stay in touch.Offshore paramedic jobs are often far better paid than the same positions locally, especially if you can get a paramedic job in a medically advanced nation with socialised healthcare. Because these countries tend to have liberal social policies, particularly in relation to worker’s rights, the penalty rates for long shift work and overtime can stack up to be very lucrative.
In addition, in many socially liberal countries there is a significant shortage of paramedics. Most graduates in medicine either go into nursing or become doctors and surgeons. Paramedic work has lost much of the glamour it’s held over the last few decades and is viewed as a challenging work environment. Paramedics themselves wil know that the work is hard but rewarding, but dont’ tend to advertise this aspect so much.
Of course, the normal drawbacks that apply to local paramedic work will equally apply overseas. The work is hard, the hours are long, and the job can vary from stultifyingly boring to heart-poundingly stressful in a matter of moments.
In addition, being an offshore paramedic means that you’ll be contending with a different culture, a different work environment, and you won’t have any shared networks of friends or fellow students and colleagues to draw on. For the first period of your offshore paramedic employment, you’re basically going to be on your own. Some people will handle this better than others.
Think: are you the sort of person who makes new friends easily? Would you feel comfortable going out into a strange city and chatting to strangers at a bar? How will you make friends and acquaintances in your new deployment?
Sourcing Offshore Paramedic Jobs
Sourcing offshore paramedic jobs can be a real challenge. We suggest you read our article with practical advice and hints on getting the best overseas paramedic jobs. To summarise, the important thing is to take a multi-pronged approach to finding the jobs.Many health providers that employ paramedics operate under the umbrella of a state or national health system, and will usually have a centralised system for recruiting paramedics. Luckily, paramedics are usually excluded from the rules that require government employees to be citizens of the countries they are deployed in.
Paramedic training does vary from country to country, but there is a high level of cross-acceptance of paramedic qualifications. Recognition of Current Competencies (RCC) is prevalent in the international healthcare community, and there shouldn’t be any problem organising any remedial training to get you up to speed on the slight differences internationally in paramedic practices.
Far more likely to throw you off-kilter will be the cultural, rather than technical, changes. Especially in the high stress environments that paramedics need to deal with, subtle cultural differences can create a tension or frustration that’s hard to identify.
One obvious example is the different approaches to eye contact and face-to-face conversations that apply between people of different levels of authority and ‘power’. In some cultures, a steady gaze shows clear intentions, and in others, a lowered voice and deferent dropping of the eyes is expected. Being unintentionally ‘rude’ in this manner is not normally a problem, but is something to be aware of. Any small amount of research into the culture you’ll be moving into, as well as some situational awareness, should see you through.