Open Circuit

I know how excited you are to be heading out into your new occupation armed with all the knowledge you have acquired from your program but please remember one thing, don’t become complacent. Every year thousands of new techs are heading out into the job market. At one time, in the area where I live, a tech could expect a nice sign on bonus when starting a new job. Those days are gone. Now new techs scurry to find a full time position. I graduated my program in 2005. I did regular x-ray for lower pay at a facility that I knew had high turn-over because I knew I would get a chance to learn a new modality. After eight months I was being cross-trained in MRI. In the 3 years since I graduated, and made a change in my work place, my pay has gone up $10 per hour. There is nothing wrong with x-ray. I know many fine techs that love it and have done it for years, but in my opinion, the only way you can stay competitive in today’s job market is to learn all you can as soon as you can. If your facility decides it needs to lay people off (which is happening in my area now), who will go? The person that knows MRI, CT, and x-ray or the person that knows just x-ray? Be proactive in your new career.