One of the big name pest control companies in my area is apparently looking to expand into WDC work and has sent out an email about the position. I'm currently employed as a ship's medic/health safety and environmental advisor, so I have a good job for now as long as oil prices dont fall too much more. In all honestly though, due to falling prices our company is not picking up new contracts like they were a couple years ago and there have already been some layoffs.

I am wondering if any of you folks work for one of the big name companies, and if so, what are some perks and drawbacks of the job?

Sure...why not?

Get an offer...then decide.

Worked for orkin when i moved back to iowa....to me their wildlife department not well run...really though depends on the manager

It doesn't look like the demand for oil is going to quit anytime soon. ( One refinery in Indiana goes down and gas prices are

skyrocketing here ) And wildlife isn't going away either. Sounds like you can't lose either way.

I dont know about the can't lose. Right now I know it ain't lookin' real good for us in the oil patch. I think I'd be well served to get some better info on the prospective job. Appreciate the advice folks.

I would get a lot more info on ADC work in NC. In my county only one guy is licensed. Her in CT we have 8 guys that are licensed. NC folks take care of their own problems, so I'm not sure how much work they can throw you. I know I'll just retire there next year, not work ADC.

TRapper, so true, most of those Orkin wildlife folks don't have any idea. had s school that I worked for, had a family of grey fox that had a couple den sites around, would not let me do the work for them, said it would be a conflict of interest. so they hired Orkin, guy came out, looked, said he had to get cage traps. comes back latter that day with a couple traps from tractor supply, the two for one deals & a couple cans of cat food, needless to say, those fox were safe & the kids could not use the school yard the rest of the year with the fox out . Orkin packed up after a couple weeks & handed them a real good sized bill for nothing. hopefully you can get a manger that has a idea & knows how to use a good wildlife person, but appears to me, bigger companies are more interested in customer relations than work.

I'm not sure what a ship's medic does, but if you're anything like a pharmacist, you can make more at Walmart than most of us do.

one of the problems I seen was that they would bid wildlife work dirt cheap to get in the door to try and get the pest control contract...they did that to me bidding $6,000 on a bird netting job at a casino. the commercial salesman did the bid having never done a bird job in his life let along netting and I will let you know, they did not get the pest control contract..i made sure of that...I did the job right, had to reorder all of the materials cause he measured wrong...never got on a ladder. if he would have brought me in to help with the bid we would of gotten that bid at over $20,000 and still got the pest control contract...I happened to know the general manager of the casino personally before that job. I had to do the work...and I had to split my commission out of the $6,000 which was 15 percent. I ended up with $450 in my account after 120 hours of work...needless to say that was my last job I did for them.

TRapper, on target with the pest control contracts, thats where their money is made. funny you say, he never got on a ladder, most of those ladders could never come off the trucks, latches are rusted closed from lack of use.

Paul, a ship's medic takes care of anyone who gets sick or injured while at sea. On the other side of my job I make sure everyone wears their fall arrest devices, uses the right ladders, follows our safety management system and I do vessel wide inspections weekly and departmental inspections daily...and of course whenever anything DOES go wrong Im the one that does the reporting on it.

There are Pharmacists at Wal-mart that make more money than I do. But, Im a Nationally Registered Paramedic, so my only real options on land would be to go back to working a 911 service. Brother, before that happens I will be the guy standing at the door saying 'Welcome to Wal-Mart,' or I'll be standing behind a drive through window with one of those nifty headsets on asking if you wanna large fries and drink.

I know two paramedics and they both seem to love their job, but I'm with you. You should probably get all the info on the WDC job.

What cures sea sickness?

I work for one of the bigger companies and it's not too bad. I was givin a truck to drive and gas card and all supplies the company pays for under a hundred and anything over that comes out of my check. Every job I go to I price it how I see fit and do the job the way I see it needs to be done. Which is nice. I am the type that may take thirty minutes to do a job that some of the other techs may only take five minutes to do. But when I am done it is done right and I don't have to go back. I just wish the pay system was better. We only get 25 %. The screwed up part is if you don't sell over a surtin Amount every month then they charge you back. When calls are coming in times are good but when it is slow well it sucks. Been thinking about going out on my own for a while now but it may take a little longer then I hoped. Just seems kinda scary to be out on my own but then again I would be makin me money instead of someone else

DaveK...the only cure for seasickness is time at sea to give the body a chance to adjust. The only thing I'll give anyone is Meclizine...it doesnt make them quite as dopey as other meds.

Paul, I did love my job the first year, but I worked 24 hours shifts at a very urban service. I spent 5 years running calls in the projects...that was quite enough for me. I never minded the hurt or sick, it was the 2am 'ingrown toenail been hurting for a week, caddy with spinner rims in the driveway, but I need ambulance transport right now and you gotta takes me cause I gots da medicaid'...between 17-23 calls per day for 5 years, I had enough of that. I know there are truck medics out there who love it, but I had enough, one more 18 yr old kid calling me racist because I asked them if they had used drugs prior to calling me for chest pain/shortness of breath, or one more drunk spitting on me, or one more abused child, and I would end up incarcerated.

Im gonna see what they say if I can get in touch with the folks. Im due to head home next week and will be off for a month, so we'll see I reckon. BTW Ive been picking up a few beaver and groundhog jobs here and there during my off time, but I honestly have no idea how to increase my customer base to the point I could actually make any money on my own.

focusing and telling yourself that you don't want to get sick.....

ship, your answer didn't exactly surprise me. Both of my paramedic friends work outside the city. Some of the accidents are upsetting

but at least the victims aren't.

Yep. I live in the woods for a reason Paul. I couldnt be a city boy if I wanted, I know folks who've made a full career of working county EMS...but working in the city ruined my desire for flashing lights and sirens. Kudos to those who can do it, but it aint in my nature to take that kind of abuse.

On the plus side, a little beaver job we did earlier has got us another 300 acres of predator trapping after deer season closes. I believe I'll make another round to the local real estate offices with our business cards while Im home this time. Thanks to all for the advice.