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

Anyone transitioned out of MT into secretary work? - anon

Posted: Apr 06, 2015

Hello all. Has anyone went into secretary work after MT? I know this has been asked before but wanted some updated info. I have had a multitude of interviews for secretary work but the interview is where it ends. Just wondering if anyone has been successful in this? Thanks so much!

Transition - Dotts

[ In Reply To ..]
Funny, some 25 years ago, just the opposite, I transitioned out of administrative secretarial work to medical transcription! Probably a bad idea ... for secretarial work, you need excellent letter writing skills for one thing, know how to be a "people person" and doing ten things at once!

Worked in both fields, suggestions - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If I were applying for an office/secretarial job, I would request a current job description and gear my qualifications/resume/interview to directly address the job responsibilities.

As an MT, you work independently, you are self-disciplined to work a schedule and meet time lines, quality, and organization of accounts. You have to deal on a long-distance basis with multiple levels of administration through telephone, internet conferences, instant messaging and e-mails where you must have good writing skills. You deal with your own equipment, software--you basically have to know some basic IT. You have to locate correct demographic information through a data base.

Then, any areas that your work experience does not address, use other personal experience through being a "mom", church, other.

Whatever you cannot reasonably cover, say you can learn because you have shown that you are able to.

Secretarial jobs are so varied. You may have one that you are essentially the "boss" or you may have very limited responsibilities. You have to get a job description and find out as much as you can beforehand.

More . . . - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Obviously you have great skills learning anatomy and being able to concentrate for long periods of time, as well as being productive.

I would throw a few "speech wreck" funnies into the interview and then some serious examples of medication and lab error knowledge. Show them how detailed and conscientious you are.

Secretary/transition - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I am hoping to make this transition as well as there are a lot of jobs for medical secretaries where I live. However, after 21 years of only doing MT, I am planning to take some courses at my local college, accounting, Microsoft Excel, Quickbooks. I am hoping by updating my office skills I can work my way out of MT and never look back! Good luck!

Suggestions - Good for you

[ In Reply To ..]
Leave the speech wreck, church and the kids out of your resume/interview, you don't want to make yourself too familiar too fast. It's illegal for them to ask questions related to your marital status and religion is a taboo subject in the workplace, so I would suggest not going there. I would recommend a more professional approach, focusing more on your skills, and you can be sociable and friendly without delving into your personal life. You are probably only going to get 30 minutes or so to interview, don't waste it on transcription humor. The fact that you learned anatomy means nothing unless you are applying for a job in a medical office. Definitely take the classes and update your skills. Everyone knows how to participate in telephone conference calls and how to communicate via e-mail, look for things that would make you unique for the position. Looking stuff up in a data base is not that impressive, sorry. If you can create one, that would be another matter. I'm not trying to downplay the suggestions, but I've seen the competition. You might actually want to meet with a skills counselor; some places have you go through practice interviews and they can definitely help you polish your resume. Good luck.

When I interviewed people - I looked for

[ In Reply To ..]
I looked for people who did demonstrate that they knew what a database was, I might be impressed if they threw in a little knowledge of the shin bone being connected to the knee bone, that they had experience in communicating via e-mail and teleconferencing.

When I say church, I mean helping in the church office, or organizing bible school including teachers, activities, and snack for 100 kids.

I liked people who could share a little joke and show me a little of the uniqueness of their personality.

I have seen the applicants, and you might just fade into the background if you do not play up every asset you have.

My main advice, do not wear hair rollers to your interview. Yes, I had someone who did this. Also, one told me she had won a wet T-Shirt contest. Neither got hired.

Church - Good for you

[ In Reply To ..]
Great, go ahead and talk about church, but what if the interviewer is an atheist or doesn't attend church? Religion in any form is not the subject for an interview. If you are applying for an administrative assistant position, you have no business being there if you can't communicate via e-mail or know what a database is. E-mail is such a basic skill that it's probably a given and might be perceived as filler to compensate for lack of other skills. You have a right to your opinion, but knowing that the sin bone is connected to the knee bone means nothing if the job you want is for a construction firm or real estate office. No one outside of medical transcription cares.

doing research and directing experience to job description - more

[ In Reply To ..]
If you live in an area where religion is extremely touchy, say you organize "events" on a voluntary basis (such as the Ladies Aide donation/rummage sale, whatever, etc.) I would be thinking, hey, here is someone who could organize the annual meeting or the company summer picnic! Woo, Woo!

If I was called for an interview, I would ask the caller, "will I be interviewing with you?" You most likely will get an answer whether this is an HR screening interview, or a more formal panel type interview. Take your cues from there. You might be able to find out the names. You could look them up on the internet. You can never have too much info on an interview.

Yes, anyone can use e-mail, but you do need to have concise letter writing skills.

If I were interviewing for a construction job, I would use my personal experience in purchasing and remodeling three homes, supplies, bids, contractors, electrical, HVAC, permits, etc. I would have to do more research about real estate, but I have been a home buyer/seller three times and I have seen good and bad. The complexity of the human body can translate that I am capable of understanding other complex systems.

I would hire a positive, well-rounded person, not a rigid robot.

My friend who is an "event" coordinator - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
was hired on the basis of her volunteer activities. Use your assets.

Agree - To OP

[ In Reply To ..]
Unless the Church job was secretarial work, I see no reason to bring it up. If you had a secretarial job at a Church, simply add it to the resume as you would your other jobs. I don't see any reason to be making speech wreck jokes unless the interviewer asks about that! Being a mom is great, but a job interview is no time to talk about your personal life. If the interviewer asks you to tell something about yourself, sure, you can throw that in.

I wouldn't direct the interview with a script. The interviewer is just that, and any little funny quips you have planned out will sound a little quirky. You really do need to go with the flow of the interviewer's style, for a couple of reasons. (1) They have their interview questions/points lined up and ready to go, as they generally are on a time-frame. (2) Your funny quips, mom-hood, church life will end up looking as though you are directing the interview.

You CAN let your personality shine through without "hogging" the conversation. Your facial expression, body language, voice inflection as the interviewer is talking, etc., all tell a story about you.

Good luck to you!

I would absolutely not share speech wreck funnies or - medication errors.

[ In Reply To ..]
There is no way to do that without coming off as complaining, dissatisfied, malcontent, whining, obnoxious, or horribly inappropriate. Potential employers will think that you are mocking your previous employers and disrespectful of their clients. It is also very close to a violation of confidentiality. If you are bold enough to talk about that, what else will you spill about THEM???

ESPECIALLY, making JOKES about it is virtually guaranteed to lose the job. Not only will you seem disgruntled, but you will appear to be a smarty-pants. Nobody likes a jokester, and it can be a clue to a potential bully.

To express why you are leaving MT, it is only necessary to cite that your job was outsourced to a contractor or replaced by technology.

I would not air any grievances about offshoring, either. It is too close to politics. You have no idea what the interviewer thinks about that.

Wow! - see message

[ In Reply To ..]
A short 15 second explanation of a voice wreck done in a humorous way shows that you are a fun person to be around and have a sense of humor. A short phrase showing a misunderstanding in no way violates confidentiality. There is a forum here where such things are written all the time! Television advertising is even using this technique now.

You obviously have to "read" the interview and answer honestly. A short explanation of work being outsourced and EMR does give credibility to your "reason for seeking other employment." Anyone who goes into an interview and talks grievances and whatever should know better.

In my experience, jokes and honesty are good. I have gotten office jobs where over 100 people have applied and I have gotten the job. Yes, using jokes and honesty.

Speech wreck jokes - Good luck

[ In Reply To ..]
Unless the interviewer has done transcription those speech wreck jokes are going to fall flat. I agree that it walks a fine line regarding confidentiality; you can't keep what you transcribed a secret. The interviewer is going to have questions, you just have to see where that takes you, it's not a scripted thing. Sometimes in the early stages there are group interviews. If you go in there cracking speech wreck jokes I guarantee you won't be invited back.

I Agree - see msg pls

[ In Reply To ..]
Unless these people are in the VR business, they won't have a clue as to what a speech wreck joke even is. I don't think cracking jokes in an interview is a good idea UNLESS the interviewer clearly wants to start a joke cracking situation.

You CAN show that you have a sense of humor without cracking jokes, just by giggling at something the interviewer said was funny (if he or she says something funny). And always let your facial expression match appropriately with the content. Show concern if she speaks of someone whose job you're replacing because the person is ill; things like that.

Thanks for the suggestions! - OP

[ In Reply To ..]
I will definitely keep those in mind!

Pathology Secretary - Linda

[ In Reply To ..]
Before I got into MT I was hired by a hospital as a pathology secretary which is about 80% transcription and other duties, phones, receiving, specimens, logging in, occasional duties in the morgue, pulling slides, handing consult sent outs, etc. I liked it and did this for two different hospitals a total of 6 years. Pathology is a department depending on their secretaries to help keep things running and they rarely outsource, so it's a good thing to get into if you have a local hospital.

I've been trying, but so far no luck. Many - now require a B.A. degree, sm

[ In Reply To ..]
and if not that, most I've seen want bilingual in Spanish/English. Another one I went and tested for had a completely diabolical 2-hour-long written test that I and about 30 others had to take. (For a stupid $12/hour secretarial job?) I failed... didn't have the PhD-level math skills.

Employer requirements go up when the - job market is tight.

[ In Reply To ..]
Requirements go up when employers have a lot of applicants to choose from.

I doubt if those were PhD math skills. If you need a math review, review math. Try www.khanacademy.com. It is free and very good.

No one can sit on their skills. Do what you need to stay current. Lifetime learning is a good thing. If you are an MT, you have enough brain to succeed.

I Transitioned - see msg

[ In Reply To ..]
I left MT 2 years ago. I had a few "fails" at office jobs. Most of the problems were because of lack of quality training. Just sort of got thrown to the wolves.

I have a really, really good secretarial job now. They didn't offer particularly good training, but they didn't expect me to learn everything overnight like the other places did. I love what I'm doing which includes answering phones, greeting customers who come in, and placing advertisements for their product.

I would definitely see if your job requires all that "modern" office software. You may have to use Excel, Quickbooks, and others. I did take a class in Excel, but by the time I found a job, I had lost all the knowledge because I never worked with it.

The one poster was spot-on regarding secretary duties and how they vary so much.

I think your biggest challenge will be receiving proper training on their office procedure. None of it is brain surgery, but you still need proper training. In an interview, I would ask if they offer training and for how long. In most cases, 2-3 days just doesn't cut it unless you are only answering phones and transferring the calls. After that, who knows.

Best of luck to you. I had some bumps and bruises after I got out of MT, but it has paid off for sure.

The most annoying part of job hunting is the resume--mine screams medical transcription, so I re-vamped it and focused on "experience in multiple software programs...typing 80 WPM with high degree of accuracy...experienced in working independently..." Things like that.

Best of luck to you. It's NOT easy transitioning, but if you find your niche, you will be soooo happy, as I am now.

It's not the same as it used to be - secretarial work

[ In Reply To ..]
They are now called administrative assistants, and you'll need to be proficient in Excel, Powerpoint, etc. It's not just typing and answering the phone anymore. I wouldn't even attempt it without taking a few office skills courses.

Similar Messages:

May 22, 2010

I am thinking about applying for a unit secretary position at a local hospital. Hours are 7-3:30, full time, Monday through Friday. Not sure about the pay scale yet. Has anyone here worked in that capacity? I think my medical terminology knowledge would be useful. I am concerned about future employment in the MT field, especially the declining wage structure. ...

Mar 18, 2014

I know some folks have gotten out of MT and gone into different positions in hospitals. I see a few local jobs online for unit secretaries and scheduling clerks that require no other specialized training other than terminology, and i am wondering if anyone has gone that route, is it a big learning curve? did you feel in over your head? It would be so far out of my range of comfort (haven't worked outside for almost 10 years) and not to mention having to get a wardrobe (although scrub ...

Jul 19, 2012

Okay, AFAIK, a unit secretary is someone who works in a particular unit at a hospital, usually, and handles all sorts of duties. That much I know. But lately, some of the ads for this job seem to be adding on other duties that I didn't think a unit sec. had to know: CNA; monitor technician. So now you have to be trained as a CNA or take courses in telemetry to work as a unit secretary? ...

Dec 14, 2011

I have a passion for law but fell into the quick cash that comes with being an MT. Then I got an AAS in health information technology and am eligible to sit for my RHIT but it was so long ago, I'm afraid I probably wouldn't pass. So, I'm thinking it's back to the drawing board and was wondering how much additional education I'd need to get a legal secretary/admin asst job. With the degree I have, I've already had to become proficient in Office, filing, research, pro ...

Mar 09, 2012

I was curious whether or not anyone has yet been fully transitioned to DQS 6.1? Like the age/gender discrepancy feature or the banned content feature? I keep asking my CCM and really getting nothing in answer. I just wondered if this has completely fallen by the wayside or if its something that my CCM just hasn't activated yet. I feel so ridiculous having taken the training, waiting with baited breath hoping for an easy way to make sure that drs got the gender and age right and just ...

Mar 18, 2012

I am interested in the QC area MTs who went over in the first round of the transition. What are your thoughts regarding working for Nuance thus far? I've got to admit I'm not feeling as excited as I was at the beginning of this venture. Please give me some encouraging words. ...

Jul 30, 2012

for a hospital that has sold out to Nuance to working for Nuance and watched with disbelief what they do? Has anyone watched them try to manage the account without asking anyone who works/worked at the hospital for suggestions, for instance, how to staff and cover busy days, evenings, etc.? Or QA, when they don't know the doctors but then send out emails with QA tips that are just wrong - yet they STILL don't ask anyone who works at the hospital or just plain igno ...

Feb 23, 2013

Our high-volume hospital dept just went onto Powerscribe after many fits and starts. Everyone involved expected the MTs to get reports to edit but it looks like the doctors (who fought tooth and nail against this) are very happy with editing themselves. This has left the MTs with little or no work. It's only been a week. Has anyone found that the novelty wears off and the doctors stop doing most of the editing? They have the option of editing themselves, having ...

May 17, 2014

Just curious if the changes are limited or wide-spread. This was another attempt to fool MTs that Nasty Nuance was looking out for us by annoucing they were excited that Capacity Optimization (WHO THINKS UP THESE NAMES?) would ensure we would not run out of work (by placing MTs on ugly accounts they could not keep staffed). ...

Aug 28, 2014

Hi: I will be layed off at the end of the year and needed to find a new career field. Has anyone transitioned to a paralegal job or know of someone who does this for a living? Looking for some tips on the job and an accredited school. Thanks in advance for your help. ...

Oct 25, 2013

I know it's going be a big paycut from straight to VR, but how do you like the program? Have you been able to increase your lph at all with VR? Curious too about our new TSM. Thanks for any info. ...

Jun 01, 2011

x ...

Mar 25, 2014

Does anyone know if the big main account is being transitioned to VR, and if so, has anyone on this account been invited to move to VR? ...