A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

No coding or even billing job yet - Frustrated MT

Posted: Oct 30, 2014

It has been almost 8 months since I passed my CPC on first try. I have been in MT field for more than 14 years, and yet nobody is ready to give me a job based on that. Everyone says u dont have a coing xperience. Is anybody else suffering like me out there? I am slowly losing hope that I will ever be able to leave this field.

Yep me too, sister! - Not for lack of trying

[ In Reply To ..]
But in a bit you will get a response saying you aren't trying hard enough or you "just need to take any type of job in medical records." I have applied and the pay to take those jobs around here is a lot LESS than I am making now as a transcriptionist. I am the only one working or I would take one of those jobs. Even tried to go for a billing job and only was offered 10 dollars an hour and I just can't make it on that. There ARE people who get jobs after passing these tests IN coding, but it really IS hard to break into this field and the schools don't let you know that.

and that you are sabotaging yourself - somehow

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They are picking up "vibes," they are picking up on something, they don't like the color of your nail polish, you don't have a high enough credit score...

high enough credit score. Are you serious? - what the hades

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seriously?

Oh yes - hear it regularly here

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Someone will come on pretty regularly and list all the requirements that employers look for in coders. Credit history is definitely on the list. Seems you have to be next to godliness to be a coder.

Please post a link to it. - Think you are mistaken

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Please post a link to the credit score and nail polish posts.

I am fairly certain that no one ever said anything about credit scores *on the coding board*. When I searched for it, I saw lots of credit-score discussion elsewhere (gab board, etc.), but not here, so perhaps you are getting the boards confused.

You may also be confusing what you read elsewhere online -- many employers in all fields are doing credit checks. Coding employers typically do background checks, same as most healthcare jobs and jobs that involve money.

I am certain that I never saw any mention of nail polish colors. There has been a mention of acrylic nails and wraps that violate hospital infection control standards.

Â

I think the nail polish reference was tongue- - in-cheek.

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.

credit worthiness comments - lynxy

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I've been following this board for years and yes; there have been experienced coders on here commenting that one has to have good credit to pursue this career. But, never fear, there is growing dismay in legislature about companies using credit worthiness as a detractor from keeping otherwise good candidates from positions. There are just too many circumstances that affect it that are beyond the control of a lot of people.

You are confusing "background check" with - credit score

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You seem to be misunderstanding what was said on this board.

The experienced coders have not been saying that *credit scores* will affect you any more than they might in any other job. Sure, they are a factor to consider, and the advice given here was to take measures to explain any difficulties that you might have.

What we *did* say was that coders usually undergo a *background check.* Credit scores may be a part of that, but arrests, criminal background, outstanding warrants, lost licenses in other professions, DUI, verification of education and employment, bankrupty, and even the background of family members may be investigated.

It is because the job involves money and because there is a very high potential for fraud. Much of the work you do involves billing the federal government and is intensely scrutinized. The potential for crime is enormous and the temptation very enticing. If someone desperately needs money to cover drug or gambling debts ...

Colleges will not even accept you into training programs in healthcare (HIT, HIM, coding included) if you don't have a clean background, so don't think this is restricted to coding. It is *any* healthcare field. They cannot train someone who is ineligible to work.

That's unfortunately true with lots of employers, - as well as being currently employed.

[ In Reply To ..]
None of that makes any sense to me at all. An unemployed person applying for a job is likely going to work far harder than someone just job-hopping. And I guess none of those hiring are smart enough to realize that working for less than minimum wage can play merry he[[ with a person's credit rating.

Why they think that - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
They think that way because unemployed people ended up unemployed for a reason. It is usually not a good reason, and the employer does not know what it is. People are not fired for no reason. People are not selected for lay-off because they are top performers. People who quit before finding other employment often have personal problems, poor judgement, or quit to avoid being fired -- they don't do it for no reason.

Given that, employers do not look at an unemployed person and think "this person will be so grateful they will work really hard!" They think "uh oh ... wonder what's wrong with this one."

There are a lot of online articles about how to overcome this. Employment experts say that you have to make a huge effort to overcome this by showing the employer that you might be unemployed, but you are taking steps to learn new skills and that you are doing something meaningful. Successful job hunters have taken online courses, gotten additional certifications, developed a portfolio to demonstrate their new skills, and done volunteer work that gives them experience and a current reference.

Anyone who has been unable to get a job after 8 months needs to find a job counselor.

If you are a new coder, you have to overcome the fact that you have no experience. Find your local AAPC and AHIMA groups, attend meetings, ask for mentoring, ask for opportunities to intern, network, work up a skills portfolio, learn Microsoft Office Excel, Outlook, and Powerpoint, learn medical office management, learn some health information management, and if you do not have the CCS, GET IT if you possibly can. Lose weight, get exercise, get a decent professional outfit, get a makeover and get your hair done.

Stop trying to pass your MT experience off as a qualification for coding. You are only shooting yourself in the foot, because employers know that it is NOT coding experience and the fact that you do not know that makes you look completely clueless.

One of the biggest problems MTs have stems from the fact that MTSOs hire so easily. MTs end up thinking that getting hired should be a sure thing. They fail to develop job hunting skills and have the wrong expectations.

Getting a job in a new field is WORK and you will start over at the bottom. That does not mean you have to stay there. You are in no position to demand a minimum pay rate -- if you have no experience, be grateful for what you can get.

I beg to differ on a few things. - Looking

[ In Reply To ..]
First off, I am credentialed and have been unable to find a job and have gone to the meetings, joined the chapter, etc. I think sometimes it depends on your location. Another thing, I have been unemployed (not now since I am working in transcription again) but I was laid off because the company went belly up. There were many of us over a 2-year period, around the same time each year who lost their jobs and finally the last of them were let go at the beginning of the year. It went in the order of seniority. Those who were there the longest, were kept until the very end. It had nothing to do with their work performance.

Secondly, I have NEVER used my MT experience as a qualification for coding. The only thing I can say for being an MT being in any type of correlation with coding at all is the fact of knowing terminology and anatomy, pathophysiology,and coding requires more of an understanding of pathophysiology and anatomy.

Another thing, I didn't expect to get hired the first day after becoming certified; however, I would like to have had a chance to at least show someone I CAN do the job and at least have a chance to test. Yes, my credit score isn't the best because my husband is disabled and unable to work and I was thrust into trying to take care of everything with my piddly pay check of 2 jobs to make ends meet until his disability kicked in and even 800 a month from his disability didn't help that much.

So, it's sad employers don't take certain things into account.

Believe me I know how tough is finding a job - Frustrated MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Even the current job I am doing was not easy to get. But I know I am good at it, and in fact all of my managers and team leads are happy with me. I got promoted within a few years in this company. Trying to pass off a completely different experience into something else requires skill and that is a skill not all people have and yes, being an MT does give you an edge over others because you know the very basic language of the trade and I think that is very imp. I did also get hold of a job counselor who was quite impressed but unfortunately the employers are not. Even though following every advice in the book, I am just not getting through. I have agreed to work at lower wages, but it is easier said than done. All I am saying is, it is difficult to make a transition for people like us who have worked in MT field for so long and earn a decent living to go into another HIM branch because people just dont want to give us a chance.

Even in the years before I became an MT, I - still got EVERY job I ever applied for.

[ In Reply To ..]
Regardless of the field, back then as long as you were were TRAINABLE, and willing to WORK HARD, you got a job. They also tended to hire the first person qualified to do the job that walked in the door. They didn't sift through 2,000 resumÃ©s before even interviewing. They interviewed every applicant, and the first one they liked usually got the job. Not so anymore.

And any employer nowadays who thinks all unemployed people are "unemployed for a reason" must live under a rock and be isolated from the outside world, because we all know that's not the case, no matter what the applicant's age, skills, education, or length of unemployment. It's just a crappy time to be an employee, and even crappier to be unemployed.

I bet to differ with non-top-performers being "selected" for layoffs. Where I worked, every single MT was laid off. Our supervisor and her administrative assistant were laid off. And I have several MT friends that worked inhouse at a hospital on the other side of town whose entire department was also laid off. This included ALL MTs, regardless of age, performance, or longevity with the company.

So please. Enough with that old "if someone is unemployed/has bad credit/missed a car payment/is over 50, yada-yada" saw about the unemployed, because obviously you've never been there yourself. If you're an MT, however, it's only a matter of time, now, and it'll have little to do one way or the other with your perceived "performance". It's all about greed.

Seeing it from the employer's perspective. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Not sure where the righteous indignation is coming from.

The post you are disagreeing with is repeating advice from job market researchers and placement firms. It is just describing the way things *are*, not the way things should be.

That is what MTs are facing when they look for jobs outside MT. Whether you like it or not.

Most employers do not know about the situation in MT. They do not know that entire departments were closed out. They do not know about off-shoring or ASR. They don't know what MT is or the skills involved in it. Even employers in HIM and coding are likely not to know or worse, have a low opinion of MTs.

Instead of attacking the messenger, how about reading their posting accurately, refraining from jumping to angry conclusions, and making an effort to see the situation from the other perspective.

As for being unemployed and getting out of MT, I have been unemployed and I did get out of MT.

I can only say from my experience - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
In order to get a coding job, they did do a credit and background criminal checks on me (CORI). I have also come to realize that one's appearance really does matter in whatever job you're applying for, not just coding.

Add federal background check to that - in my case

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Fingerprints and all.

Oh, yes, and if you are obese, they look at that, too. - appearance does matter

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When I find the post, I will post the link to the above about the credit scores, appearance and attitude while looking for a coding job.

It was also stated that if you are overweight or obese, you will most likely be passed up. This is not just with coding though, either. It's with a lot of other jobs.

I read every post on here and do not recall - EVER seeing that

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I do not recall any post that said "you will most likely be passed up" if you are overweight or obese, nor one about nail polish.

I do recall posts like yours, though. You sound like the person who twists everything into absolutes and leaps to conclusions. Add that to the list of things that repel employers.

Maybe because it was posted last year around July. I remember because I did ask a question about bei - I did read it

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It seems some advice on here about being hired was not to seem too "cheery" if going in for an interview. It seems you can only go back so far on finding things from the coding board unfortunately. Believe me, it was in July 2013. If you can find the posts from there, you might just find that post.

I wrote that post. - sm

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I wrote that post and remember that someone twisted it around and jumped to an exaggerated conclusion, claiming it said things it did not. Was that you?

It advised professional appearance and demeanor ... no surprise there.

It also advised being pleasant and positive, but avoiding joking around. Medical offices and HIM are not circuses, after all. There should have been no surprise there, either, but someone immediately twisted that into "not being cheery." That someone proclaimed that they would not want to work in coding if everyone was expected to act miserable all the time.

So, you are either the person who twisted it around or you are remembering seeing the post that twisted it. It didn't say what you think it said.

You have a high opinion of yourself. - just saying - NM

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xx

Nothing wrong with that. - NM

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NM

I know a few ladies who have gone through coding school, gotten certified - only to not be able to find a job

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I would never pursue this on my own if not being trained by MModal. It is nearly impossible to be hired without experience or an apprenticeship somewhere. Best of luck to you.

That's also true in lots of other fields. I didn't - go back to school for that reason.

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In addition to the fact that no matter what field I chose, the employers are probably not real interested in a 65-year-old newbie... someone they PERCEIVE will be retiring within a year or two. I'm just going ahead with taking a forced retirement, and letting the chips fall where they may.

No, not "nearly impossible" - I managed it

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It is not true that it is nearly impossible to get a coding job without experience or apprenticeship. People do it every day.

More CPC coders get jobs than do not get jobs by a factor of 3 to 1. At the time of the last salary survey, AAPC found that 25% of new CPC-A's went unhired. On the other hand, 75% got jobs.

The better your credentials, the better your chances. Students who can get both the CPC and CCS seem to have better luck. Understandably so, since it demonstrates better preparation.

What is true is that people who can't get jobs seem to spend a lot of time online publicizing it, making it appear that the problem is worse than it is.

They would find any cause - Frustrated MT

[ In Reply To ..]
Nail polish or credit score..m not so sure, but they would give any excuse or sometimes no excuse at all. I am ready to go as low as 13 an hour but even that I am not getting. They reduce all my exp into a puff of smoke and say I am not experienced at all. Nobody is ready to just give us a chance..

I was immediately hired, but know I was lucky - another MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm so sorry people have bashed you. I know there are some areas also that don't have as many coding jobs, and many have no idea of the knowledge required to be an MT, and they dismiss it. Try to stay positive; networking also helps (local AAPC meetings, linkedin, FB AAPC group, etc) You may have already tried those, but that is how I got my foot in the door. Good luck!!

CPC - BTDT

[ In Reply To ..]
Without experience you are considered a CPC-A (apprentice) and will need to work as a coder to obtain a full credential. I have gone through this and for me having been an MT forever didn't mean much when it came to coding, that is like comparing apples and oranges. I did settle for a job in medical records but am paid pretty well. I am not sure if coding would have been for me anyway, I pursued it when my MT job went away. I am also close to retirement so I'm okay where I am. People advise taking HIT jobs because it is a foot in the door and gives new coders a chance to learn. If you are already an employee you have an advantage over outsiders should you be able to try for a coding job. You may start at a low salary but remember that there are opportunities to advance. If you are offered a clerk job I would suggest taking it if you can possibly afford to do it. I am one of the people who were told on this board that it was my fault that I couldn't get a coding job and I think the nail polish and credit score comments were sarcastic; those were actually some of the reasons that have been cited. Inexperienced coders have trouble getting hired because revenue is on the line. Coders and facilities are audited and no one wants to pay fines. Sorry to so long winded but it is not your fault. Keep try and hopefully something will eventually open up for you.

coding - kt16

[ In Reply To ..]
Can you take a lower-paying job to get your foot in the door? Perhaps at a hospital... I got grandfathered in and did a lot of data entry at first but eventually was given more coding responsibilities.

Agree, that is what - I did

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That is a great suggestion. That is what I did. Mine was a trainee position where I did light coding and administrative support tasks while I got my feet wet. It was a good experience. I am really glad of it.

I kept my MT job and worked it in the evenings.

My coder friend started out as a lowly MR clerk - in our local hospital and

[ In Reply To ..]
is now a FT well-paid coder for a large hospital system. She was first given OP ERs to do, then went on with that experience to better and better jobs. It takes a while. Just like with any job, you don't start out at the top.

PS, she was an RHIT doing clerical work for - about a year before moving up.

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

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