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

Persistence Pays - Old new coder

Posted: Aug 15, 2011

To all you are wondering if it can happen. Yes, it can and it did for me. I was just hired for my first coding job!!! I am only half way through my AHIMA coding course but I have 20 years of acute care transcription experience. I applied for every job that came up even if I did not meet the requirements. Only a few responded, but that is okay. It only takes one. I was really surprised that I even was offered the chance to test. My first test was a piece of cake with only about 15 brief coding questions. I was then interviewed and brought back for the "real" test which was "real" tuff. I did not think that I would ever get hired but I sent a thank you note and followed up by phone a week later. At first I was not hired, but then the person who was offered the job did not take it for some reason, and I was next in line. I received a call asking if I was still interested about a month later. I am now preparing to to start work next week. The pay is very good and after training, I will work at home 3 days a week and 2 days in the office. This is the perfect situation. I will get out of the house a couple of days of week,but get to work in my jammies most of the time.

The bottom line is to be persistent. Even if you are not really ready, if you see an opportunity, reach out and take a chance. Maybe you are not their ideal candidate, but you may have something that the perfect candidate does not have, like belief in yourself. There is nothing to lose by asking. DO NOT let rejection deter you. I have seen many job ads asking for credentials that some may already have, but I know that these people do not have my experience in the real world, and I will make a much better employee. The stuff they teach in school, we can alll learn, but our life experience is something that can only be attained by actuall experience. If you are persistent and believe that the right circumstance is just waiting, you will be successful.

By the way, I probably only applied for maybe 4 or 5 coding jobs before I got a chance to test. If you are convinced that you can do coding, you can convince them that you can do the job. Go for it.

Thank you for giving me hope - sm - Coder-to-be

[ In Reply To ..]
I am getting a bit discouraged even though in my area there are NO coding jobs available. It's tough right now but thanks for giving me hope and I haven't been giving up and have been persistent. I will continue to do so. Congratulations to you!

Yes, there is hope!! - Old new coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Even though the job market is pretty dim right now, these jobs are out there and need to be filled. In my area there were no jobs forever, and then in one month there were 5 openings. With ICD-10 on its way, the predictions are for a good job outlook in this arena. I do not know what you do for a living now or what your circumstances are, but if you have put the effort into learning coding, there is going to be a place out there for you. Tell yourself that you are valuable, because you are. If you believe it, then they will see it too. Don't let rejection stop you. I called and called and called until they finally thanked me for "reaching out to them" and gave me an interview. What is there to lose?

I am chasing down every lead - sm - Coder-to-be

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been an MT for more than 25 years, that is my background. I have an associate's degree and my CMT and decided to get my CPC. In other words, I am a go-getter! I just wish someone would give me a chance. With my background of knowing the medical side of things, I wish they could see that instead of the no experience in coding. I'm still trying but the jobs are few and far between. I'm trying to find anyone willing to let me get my foot in the door.

They don't care about the associates degree and - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
Employers seem to care a lot more about whether you have a CCS or not than anything else. They don't seem to care about the degree and not all of them care about the CPC, but a CCS works really well if you can get one.

I meant I was a go-getter - sm - Coder-to-be

[ In Reply To ..]
when I mentioned the degree. That degree has nothing to do with coding, just that I put effort forth to get a college degree.

The best job to be had in my area is with a CPC. I can't easily get the CCS which is why I am not actively pursuing it right now.

The employer's perspective - Coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Do you HAVE the CPC yet? Or are you still planning on it?

You're trying to send a message that shows you are a go-getter. That's good, but you might be trying to show it from YOUR perspective rather than the employer's perspective. That's what you have to consider here. You might or might not be doing the right things, but if the way you present yourself isn't what an employer wants, you aren't going to get a job.

You appear to be emphasizing that you deserve "a chance" because you were an MT for more than 25 years and have an associate's degree and a CMT. And that you DECIDED to get a CPC. And that you feel you are go-getter.

Are you a go-getter in CODING? Will an employer SEE that?

Employers might not even know what an MT is, or they might not have any clue how it may be related. Most people think it's just typing. Even if they do know what MT is, they are unlikely to know what a CMT is or what it represents.

As a coder who was an MT and has a CMT, I can tell you that neither of those things make you a coder. Yes, there is some background that is related, but you can't code with either of them.

If you emphasize this background, you tell employers that you aren't aware that medical terminology is only a small part of what is required for coding. That's not the message you want to send.

You have an associate's degree. That's good, but the employer has applications from people with 4-year degrees, RHIAs, RHITs, CPCs, CCSs, and other coding credentials. And don't forget that the employer probably is an RHIA, has coding credentials, and maybe an MBA.

If you are going to emphasize that you deserve a chance because of that AA, you are leaving yourself open to comparison with all those people. Maybe that's not such a good thing to emphasize, either.

It isn't that those are bad things, but just that they don't make you a coder and they don't show any good reason why you should be given "a chance."

Asking for a chance based on your past life is a lot different from holding out a CPC and a CCS and saying "I want this job so badly that THIS is what I did, on my own, to EARN it."

Employers will find you appealing when you have at least one coding credential. They will find you VERY appealing with two. You have to show them that you went above and beyond what was expected.

If you feel you aren't ready for the CCS or that it isn't feasible for you right now, well, then I would have to wonder why a go-getter would feel that way. Where there is a will, there is a way. There is a lot of knowledge to be demonstrated with that exam, and it's all worthwhile, so I'd recommend going for it.

I wouldn't go for a job unless I had the credential - sm - Coder-to-be

[ In Reply To ..]
Of course I meant I HAVE the CPC credential. I am not resting on my laurels of the past. I don't even mention them besides my resume; they speak for themselves. Do I think I DESERVE a job based on my MTing? Of course not.

As I said in my previous post, the CCS is not easily obtained in my area. I prefer a classroom setting. There is not a shortage of jobs for the CPC - the only shortage is for those who lack EXPERIENCE which is hard to get when no one lets you get your foot in the door. The only CCS jobs in my area are in a hospital where I would prefer not to work. That's not to say I won't obtain it at some time, just not at this moment.

Thanks for your thoughts.

Of course - do what

[ In Reply To ..]
Do what you feel is good and right for you at this moment! I see what you were saying. I think that your CMT does show you are a go-getter and that in the MT field, you went the extra mile and got the CMT. Now when you go into coding, you are saying you will also be a go-getter. Good! In the case that they don't know what the CMT is, you could put a teeny little blurb about it in you resume. Having the medical terminology is a huge help in going into coding. Start where you feel is right for you with your CPC and you go girl!

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