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I've been an MT for 33 years. I lately have been working with a vocational person through the rehabilitation services who is trying to find me a different job doing billing/coding which I have no experience doing although I have taken classes and I would eventually like to get into coding. I broke my wrist last January and now find it difficult to do more than 800-900 lines per day. I have an MT job now making 10 cpl as an IC. I'm doing okay, but no benefits. I also don't have a mortagage or rent as my dad owes the place where I live. I am single. I am 54 years old.
I have been applying for full time jobs at hospitals and doctor's offices since July with no success. I had one interview in August for a part time (4 days a week) front office person at a medical office for $8 an hour. I live in a very rural area and some of these jobs I'm applying for involve traveling up to 1-1/2 hours one way. The vocational person is really pushing me. She thinks I should take ANY full time job with benefits even if the pay is low, like $8 maybe $10 an hour which she thinks is a fantastic wage with benefits. She even suggested I take a job in a hospital 1-1/2 hours away as a housekeeper just to get my foot in the door. She also suggested taking a temporary job and just "not do my other job for awhile." 
In these economic times I think it would be foolish of me to give up a job I have for a low-paying full time job just because it has benefits. I think any new hire is subject to being laid off first. Plus the expense of gas, clothes, food, etc. of working outside the home would further reduce my take-home pay. Plus you usually pay at least part of health insurance coverage anyway (I have no health insurance now though). I have emphatically told them I'm not giving up my MT position. I told them I would be willing to accept a part time position just to get some experience in billing and coding. They just think I don't have confidence in my knowledge and I suspect they think I don't want to work. Let me tell you I have worked up to 3 jobs at a time as an MT and I'm not afraid to work.
I just don't think now is the right time to make a job move and actually right now there are pretty slim pickings. I also really don't want to outside the home and work. Am I wrong? Any suggestions! Thanks for your feedback.  |
