Minimum salary?

[Blane]

Hi,
Can anyone out there list some companies that will pay a minimum salary?
I can't afford to go straight commission having no previous experience.
I have a wife and 4 kids to provide for, so I need to be able to bring home some $$. I am currently a Respiratory Therapist, and have been in practice for 14 years, so I make a good living, but I don't want to be
sucking snot outa' someone when I'm 55. I like what I do, and the fact that I'm helping others in their time of need is a great feeling for me, but I feel that it is time for a career change.
I'll still be helping others, but in a different way, pre-hospital visit if you will.
Thanks in advance, you guys are great on this forum!
Barry

 

[James]

Hi,
Can anyone out there list some companies that will pay a minimum salary?
I can't afford to go straight commission having no previous experience.
I have a wife and 4 kids to provide for, so I need to be able to bring home some $$. I am currently a Respiratory Therapist, and have been in practice for 14 years, so I make a good living, but I don't want to be
sucking snot outa' someone when I'm 55. I like what I do, and the fact that I'm helping others in their time of need is a great feeling for me, but I feel that it is time for a career change.
I'll still be helping others, but in a different way, pre-hospital visit if you will.
Thanks in advance, you guys are great on this forum!
Barry

What kind of Insurance do you want to be involved with when you start? Outside of that, I doubt you'll find a company that pays all that much in the way of a salary.

Ps, nothing personal but RT's always seem to have such a bad reputation associated with them, more so than other Tech's. I never understood why till I sold and manage a DME company district that specialized in RT services. WOW, I was shocked, as I say nothing personal you might be the friendliest person on God's Earth, but others in your field!

 

[Blane]

Damn man,
That's hurtful. You could have stopped after your first sentence.
The same holds true for some insurance agents I have encountered.
Not all have a good rep, some are just freakin' greedy and could give a crap about me as a person. I am just residual income to them.
I feel your comment towards RT's is unwarranted.

You must be in an area where what we do day in and day out does not get recognized. We are very respected where I am at.
The Pulmonoligists, Residents, Interns, RN's totally rely on us and our recommendations.

I do not do homecare, any pud can do that.
How hard is it to set up a CPAP machine? Or sell one for that matter.
I work with babies in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that came into this world weighing less than 1 pound, and what I do for them from hour to hour is crucial for their survival. It's stressful, but I love the challenge.
Same thing for adults in the Trauma Unit, what I do makes a difference.
God forbid if you or one of your loved ones should need us when the crap is hitting the fan. But if you do, an RT can be an intergral part of one's survival. Gotta' breathe to live.

Maybe as a manager of a DME company you ran into some burned out RT's who have given themselves a bad reputation, but to say that RT's as a whole have a bad rep couldn't be as far from the truth.
Out of couriosity, have you ever worked in, or spent time in a hospital and actually seen what RT's do, and what is expected of us?

I can and do intubate babies, pediactric kids, and adults.
I do arterial line insertions, I've helped Anesthesologists in the OR who could not ventilate their patients on their own equipment.

I am not tooting my own horn, but I am trying to make you aware that our services are needed 24/7 and we do get respect. At least everywhere I have ever been we do.
I can't speak for anyone on the homecare side of things, but I like to be challenged with the sickest patients they can throw at me. I thrive on that. That's why the Physician's I work with trust me so much in what I am capable of doing for their patients.
Setting up a CPAP machine on an obese person with sleep apnea is not my cup of tea, any "tech" could do that. Hell, any manager of a DME company could set one up.

 

[James]

Yes I have and Yes I do. In fact my son had a lot of problems when younger, and yes the hospital staff as a whole seems to treat the RT people more rudely than they do other Tech's such as Physical or Radiology. I didn't mean anything against you as a person (as we all know reputations of a field doesn't usually mean against anyone person) but more so as a field. I know many people that work in our Children's Hospital here, and yes the RT's seem, for some reason have a bad reputation! I really don't know why or how this has developed but I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, as I stated it wasn't meant to be personal or anything of the sort. Yet if you wear your feelings on your sleeves the Insurance biz may not be for you! Than again what kind of License do you have, not all Tech's are created equal.

 

[Blane]

Trust me, my feelings weren't hurt a bit, I am not that soft.
I just take what I do very, very seriously.
I just don't want to be grouped together with those RT's who don't take pride in their work. I take great pride in what I do not only for my patients, but for their families as well.
I'm that guy that will skip my breaks, lunch etc.. to spend extra time with a patient or family member to explain things if they have questions.
I have earned the respect I deserve through hard work and superior patient care. If it were me that was taking care of your child, you wouldn't have said what you did. I would have proved those notions wrong.
I don't wear my feelings on my sleeves, if I did I wouldn't have lasted 14 years in this profession. I have had my ass ripped plenty of times by Physicians, and nurses alike, but it has made me a way better RT in the process.
I have absolutely no doubt that I will be very successfull in the insurance business. Compared to what I do and have seen happen to the human body this will be a piece of cake. (In my opinion of course) No offense to anyone. I know you can't learn this biz overnight, and there will be a steep learning curve, but as mentioned before I thrive on challenges.
I will represent the insurance industry to the very best of my ability.
I play to win, and go all out, always. I love learning, that's why I still take classes. I carried a full load last semester, and still worked full time from 7pm till 7am.
As far as my credentials go, I am an RRT, Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist with my Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Michigan.
I am a few credits away from my Master's. I am taking this semester off though, I needed a break, and I want to see my wife and kids some more.
Go figure.
No harm, no foul.
Regards,
Barry

 

[Winter_123]

Trust me, my feelings weren't hurt a bit, I am not that soft.
I just take what I do very, very seriously.
I just don't want to be grouped together with those RT's who don't take pride in their work. I take great pride in what I do not only for my patients, but for their families as well.
I'm that guy that will skip my breaks, lunch etc.. to spend extra time with a patient or family member to explain things if they have questions.
I have earned the respect I deserve through hard work and superior patient care. If it were me that was taking care of your child, you wouldn't have said what you did. I would have proved those notions wrong.
I don't wear my feelings on my sleeves, if I did I wouldn't have lasted 14 years in this profession. I have had my ass ripped plenty of times by Physicians, and nurses alike, but it has made me a way better RT in the process.
I have absolutely no doubt that I will be very successfull in the insurance business. Compared to what I do and have seen happen to the human body this will be a piece of cake. (In my opinion of course) No offense to anyone. I know you can't learn this biz overnight, and there will be a steep learning curve, but as mentioned before I thrive on challenges.
I will represent the insurance industry to the very best of my ability.
I play to win, and go all out, always. I love learning, that's why I still take classes. I carried a full load last semester, and still worked full time from 7pm till 7am.
As far as my credentials go, I am an RRT, Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist with my Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Michigan.
I am a few credits away from my Master's. I am taking this semester off though, I needed a break, and I want to see my wife and kids some more.
Go figure.
No harm, no foul.
Regards,
Barry

Have you considered pharmaceutical sales given the fact that you need a salary and have a medical background?

Winter

 

[James]

Trust me, my feelings weren't hurt a bit, I am not that soft.
I just take what I do very, very seriously.
I just don't want to be grouped together with those RT's who don't take pride in their work. I take great pride in what I do not only for my patients, but for their families as well.
I'm that guy that will skip my breaks, lunch etc.. to spend extra time with a patient or family member to explain things if they have questions.
I have earned the respect I deserve through hard work and superior patient care. If it were me that was taking care of your child, you wouldn't have said what you did. I would have proved those notions wrong.
I don't wear my feelings on my sleeves, if I did I wouldn't have lasted 14 years in this profession. I have had my ass ripped plenty of times by Physicians, and nurses alike, but it has made me a way better RT in the process.
I have absolutely no doubt that I will be very successfull in the insurance business. Compared to what I do and have seen happen to the human body this will be a piece of cake. (In my opinion of course) No offense to anyone. I know you can't learn this biz overnight, and there will be a steep learning curve, but as mentioned before I thrive on challenges.
I will represent the insurance industry to the very best of my ability.
I play to win, and go all out, always. I love learning, that's why I still take classes. I carried a full load last semester, and still worked full time from 7pm till 7am.
As far as my credentials go, I am an RRT, Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist with my Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Michigan.
I am a few credits away from my Master's. I am taking this semester off though, I needed a break, and I want to see my wife and kids some more.
Go figure.
No harm, no foul.
Regards,
Barry

I hear ya! Everything is cool I hope, but I warn you people love to make fun of insurance agents, esp other insurance agents! So once again, exactly what kind of insurance are you thinking about getting involved in?

 

[policy doctor]

Well Blane, we had a former RT as our regional mgr at one of the agencies I used to be with.

He was very successful...pulling around 200k selling EIUL. But he admitted the first couple years were hard, and he worked part-time while running those appts. So perhaps you could do the same till you built up a book of business.

 

[James]

Yea, you can always run some Home Visits!

 

[TheSalesWolf]

James,

What are you talking about.? We're insurance agents, right up there with used car salesman as far as sleazy goes in people's mind and you're trying to stereotype Respiratory Therapists. GEEZ.

Anyway....

Blane,

I have friends that are Respiratory Therapists (they are nice by the way)
they have extremely flexible hours. THey normally work 12 hour shifts and have a lot of downtime. IF this is your case you should start the insurance thing while you are still workign as a Respiratory Therapist. There maybe a lot of people that work with you that are need of health and life insurance. You can start with them and your friends and go fromt here before jumping out on your own.