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

Home for too long? - mtmom

Posted: Jan 27, 2014

Hi, I have no job as mine ended the last of December. I'm searching for everything in the MT field, but I'm not having any luck where I live. I sit here worried about transitioning back into the "real world." Getting up early, driving to the job, dressing up, and putting on makeup doesn't bother me. What does worry me is fitting in at a new job. I'm a quiet introverted person who doesn't like to socialize as I hate the office lunches, dinners, gossip, and what have you that goes on in an office environment. I found a job posting for a legal assistant. This is the description of what is asks for:

Legal Assistant needed for local law firm. Experience or training with Word Perfect and/or Microsoft Word is required. Legal office and transcription experience is preferred. Competitive pay and good benefits. Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following: * Prepare affidavits or other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organize and maintain documents in paper or electronic filing system.* Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.* Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, appeals, wills, contracts, and real estate closing statements.* File pleadings with court clerk.* Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.* Call upon witnesses to testify at hearing.

Okay, what do you think? I'm scared about the thought of stepping into a courtroom. I am thinking of applying since it relates to transcription. If I don't make a decision soon I will end up still sitting here still looking because I freeze up when it comes to working outside the home. I tell myself I can do this job until I finish my coding class in 3-4months and sit for the CCS exam. I'm hoping to transition over to coding.

Can anyone give me some advice on getting over my biggest obstacle, (myself) and dealing with the outside world working. I've been home for too long it seems.

I just got an outside job at a grocery store. - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
The only advice I can give you is this--just jump in. Don't even think about it, just do it. If it's not your thing, you can try something else. But sitting there worrying, driving yourself crazy? That's what happens when we work at home for so long. "Out there" becomes unknown and scary. But once you get out there, you'll start to get desensitized and eventually it will be no big deal.

BUT, you'll never get there if you don't just take that leap and not care if you fall down (which you probably won't!).

I want to get a job at a grocery store - wheres_my_job

[ In Reply To ..]
part time...and I'll probably wait till a bit more of the winter has gone by, before applying....congratulations on getting that grocery job!

Yes: Just go and get A JOB OUT THERE...you may find you really enjoy it!

MT at home - mt

[ In Reply To ..]
Are you saying that there are no at home MT jobs available?

Great post below that's applicable - Swappie

[ In Reply To ..]
See MT transitioning out and nervous! You can DO IT and will be glad you did! Good luck!

If you've never done legal work before, you will - likely be in over your head. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
I've done exactly this position; rather, been pushed into it by the paralegals pawning their work off on me, the receptionist/secretary.

They want a paralegal and are calling it "legal assistant." That might be the correct term, I don't know. But this is definitely a paralegal position.

If you've never typed or composed legal documents you're going to be in way over your head. I was told "you dont have to go to school, we can teach you." But the attorneys will win or lose a case based on your work, even though they will have to review and sign it. Most of them trust you and sign it without reading. Then it's your A on the chopping block when you lose a case because of an error in a document.

File pleadings with court clerk means you have to run the stuff up to the courthouse and file it. I never did that, and had to be told by the clerks up there a few times what I'm doing wrong and go back to the office and re-do it.

Cases will seriously be won or lost on one picky little detail. I've heard that said many times. I had my A chewed several times over small details I forgot, like remembering to include every single party to the case with copies of discovery stuff.

Preparing affadavits and other documents means you have to know how to do those. That's what the attorney hires you for, to save him that work.

Organize exhibits for trial - doesnt sound bad, but wait til you get all the pictures to create a poster board, and how many other things they may think of for an exhibit.

Gather and analyze data - are you at all familiar with statutes, criminal codes, case decisions?

If you've never done this type of work, this is not the position for you.

We prepared a huge case for trial one time. One of the attys was out of the office, the ofc manager asked me where was she, I said I think she's wherever. Manager came apart at the seams, almost screeched "we cant think, we have to know!"

Defintely agree with poster who broke down the various duties involved. sm - Former legal secretary/assistant/paralegal

[ In Reply To ..]
The job you talk about does not sound like one you would fit into without experience. I started out as a legal secretary, studied and got certified as a legal assistant and then a civil litigation paralegal over the course of several years. It is not something you can walk into and hit the ground running. If it was just a secretarial position, I would say go for it. Believe it or not, I left my paralegal position to work at home doing medical transcription back in the day when we made very good money as MTs. Legal is cutthroat and you need a very thick skin to work in a law office.

I've never seen an ad for clerical work in a law - office that didnt want prior experience.

[ In Reply To ..]
In fact, I'm having a hard time finding anything at all in other fields that don't want a couple years' prior experience in THAT particular job. It's not easy to break into anything new, these days! Usually the outside professions also want you to be experienced on THEIR particular brand of software and, more often than not, bilingual. Sometimes even trilingual.

Thanks - mtmom

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for all the help. You have given me many things to think about in making my decision.

A couple more things... - Anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I have a good friend who was an excellent MT who initially left the MT field to be a legal secretary. She told me the job required great attention to detail. Since you're going into coding, you know that field also requires one to be very detail oriented, so that shouldn't be an issue for you. The other thing my friend said about working for a law firm was that there was SO much mandatory overtime. That may factor into how this works out for you. (The OT issue is one of the reasons I've never applied at law firms.)

As far as getting out of the house, you will be just fine, as others have said. I am the same as you, extremely introverted and, quite frankly, really don't like people in general. Surprisingly, I made the transition to working from home and back to an office more easily that I anticipated. I am lucky, however, that I like my co-workers, and we all get along, for the most part anyway. As others have said, just try not to worry about working outside the home. In no time, you will get used to it and find it's not so bad. Have faith in yourself, and you'll do great.

Advice - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
If you are just a few months away from completing a coding course, you should be looking for a job in coding or something related to it. Devote your efforts to something that will help with your new career, not distract you from it and cause anxiety.

Your chances of getting a coding job are better if you have some experience. Even a little is better than none.

You should also plan to take the CPC exam, not just the CCS, to maximize your job opportunities. If you are that close to graduating, you should be able to pass it now.

I think you should stop focusing on thoughts that introversion makes you unsuited for a job outside the home. If you don't enjoy lunches, dinners, and gossip, so much the better. There is nothing that says you have to participate in hen parties, but much that says you should NOT, particularly the gossip. Gossip isn't something ANYONE should participate in. Employers don't appreciate it.

To my view, you are allowing a belief in what workplaces are like to limit you. It is a mistaken belief, too. It is not reality. It is something you THINK is true, but is not. It is so off-target that I can't even figure out where you got it. Movies?

I haven't had one job in my entire life where there were dinners, or where gossip was condoned. As for lunches, bring your own and stop thinking that people are going to care what you eat or how you eat it. They really don't.

I can definitely say gossip may not be condoned - but also that nothing will be done about it. SM

[ In Reply To ..]
I worked at a place where one woman was such a nasty, vicious gossip and managers knew it and did nothing about it, likely because she was apparently one of the top producers.

Her razor tongue knew no boundaries, no one or nothing was safe.

I was the victim of such gossip by her, twice, and not a dam thing was done about it. I was asked if I had done what I was accused of, denied it (which I had not) and manager refused to tell me anything more about the issue of who had complained or who had accused. I was told it wasn't important. But boy, it was important enough she had to call me and ask me if I had done what I was accused of. Talk about two-faced standards.

A second place where the manager wanted everyone's personal email address, supposedly to send birthday cards and such crap. I refused. This same place was pushing MTs to participate in social activities outside the workplace.

Don't sit there and tell someone they don't have to participate in hen parties. Sometimes they have no choice if you want to keep the job, managers push you into it and write that s**t on your review that they would like to see you "participate more..."

Every thing and every one is fair game for gossip by the rest of the department from lunch foods, personal habits and manners, clothing, and so on. If you've worked in an office, you'd know that. People can be nice to your face "this is such a nice place to work, everyone is so pleasant" but then out come the knives.

Every word of this is true, and I'd bet some of the people working at those places are on this board.

More advice - Just me

[ In Reply To ..]
Be yourself. Don't gossip, it is not a requirement to keep your job and it will only cause problems for you. Any manager who participates or allows it to continue in the workplace is not a very good manager. Anyone who criticizes how you dress is a very shallow person and probably insecure about themselves. Anyone who has time to discuss what people eat for lunch needs to get a life. No one will make you participate in office parties; attend the things you want to attend and avoid the rest. Don't try to be everyone's friend. I've worked in offices all my life and not everyone is a backstabber or a gossip. Don't worry about it and focus on doing a good job and you will be fine.

Office Life - I Wanna Work From Home

[ In Reply To ..]
So true. I dislike people, for the most part, as well, and especially even more so in an office setting.

I worked at home as an MT for 6 years, then once I moved to a different state, got thrown back into office culture. I HATE THE HELL OUT OF IT. I, too, am a quiet introvert, and I'd say it took my coworkers about 7 months to finally sort of accept me...and I've been there for 8 months. O_O One saving grace is I live a few minutes from the job, and also, I'm lucky to have a great supervisor. I know my coworkers gossip and talk about each other behind their backs, so I do my best to keep much of my personal life to myself. I keep getting told we'll be eventually working from home, but no dice just yet.

I still look to see if there are any decent work from home MT jobs out there, but none so far, so for now, I will stay where I am.

Good luck, MTMOM.

mtmom - Nick

[ In Reply To ..]
My advice is to have your fear and do it anyway. I was afraid of law school, but it turned out to be not as daunting as I thought (though it is hard). IMHO, you should apply and try. You have nothing to lose! I wish you good luck.

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