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

To VERY Experienced MTs - MT

Posted: Feb 21, 2012

I have about 25 years in MT, owning a MTS and filling other roles in the field as well.

Frequently on this board I read the frustrated posts from those with 20 to 30 years of experience who have submitted resumes/applications but do not hear back from the hiring company. A couple of times I have suggested that OVERQUALIFICATION may explain the lack of call back. Both times I was personally verbally attacked on this board, with the notion called "ridiculous" and "absurd."

WELL, LISTEN UP: Today I attended a workshop conducted by my state's DES for those over 50 who are changing careers or re-entering the workforce. The instructor spent over 30 minutes discussing OVERQUALIFICATION, i.e. when highly experienced, accomplished applicants INTIMIDATE the interviewer, leading the interviewer to fear that the person will be after their job, will want too much money, etc. We had a lively discussiion, with several former-manager classmates chiming in about their personal experience with this phenomenon. We were also furnished several-page handouts from articles and employment industry literature on this.

Obviously, I need to contact the professionals who wrote the literature as well as my state DES and inform them that they have no idea what they are talking about, that the phenomenon DOES NOT exist because some "genius" anonymous MTs on this forum insisted that it doesn't.

The primary reason I wanted to share this, though, was to encourage those seasoned MTs like myself. When you don't hear anything back, you should remind yourself that you may be OVERqualified for the position rather than lacking in some area. Continue stressing those positives, and remember that with all that experience you have MUCH to offer any prospective employer! :)

to be clear - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
You are saying that years of experience alone coupled with age qualifies MTs as being overqualified?

I'm honestly not trying to pick a fight. I would like to know more about what you are saying. It could be that I am one of those out there. How does one with greater than a decade of experience in TXing coupled with being over 50 present a resume that conveys a willingness to be pliable rather than intimadating, after someone's job, etc. I understand the part about wanting too much money, but unless the applicant puts that out there on the table, how does a potential hiring manager KNOW the EXPERIENCED person is desirous of being overpaid?

I'd like to say I consider myself young, but my birth certificate says I'm over 50. I'd like to say I am experienced, but not overqualified. How is that conveyed without a presumption of the potential employer being predisposed to that supposition - largely based on portfolios supplied by the professionals and a state's DES presenting workshops that forewarned said employers to be alert for this phenomenon?

This is the written word and you can't see my body language paying careful attention to this discussion or that I really am being sincere in asking what I ask. Heck, I put my resume together today the same way I did before I was an experienced MT and before I qualified for AARP, but now I have professionals and state DES holding workshops warning people of applicants like me? NOW what do I do?

I really am puzzled about how I should proceed. Do potential employers really need to be trained on how to deal with me? or with their presumption that I am "one of those" and never review my resume.

As an example, do you put all of your skills on a resume? "I have about 25 years in MT, owning a MTS and filling other roles in the field as well." I hear you saying this with sincerity, not snobbery, but is this what potential employers are being warned of?

So tell us? What was said? Was it said to give the old broads a chance or to toss that resume without a second look?

I think part of the problem is they know we old broads - wont work for their paltry 3 cpl.

[ In Reply To ..]
I also believe that those employers who offer employee health insurance are very highly pressured by their insurance companies NOT to hire older workers, whom they perceive to be more expensive.

I'm willing to bet there are pages and pages of memos, IMs and e-mails on this subject that go back and forth between the ins. companies and the employers every day. Would give just anything to get my hands (or computer) on just a few of them.

old broads not insurable - cr

[ In Reply To ..]
I agree that employers are probably pressured by their insurance companies to not hire employees of a certain age. With my last in-house, full-time job, at age 58 (which, like my previous two jobs before that, was outsourced a year later), I had to almost literally jump through hoops to prove I was acceptable for insurance. They had me rapidly walk the equivalent of 5 flights of stairs and do deep knee bends, among other things. I passed then, but I know I couldn't do those things now, 7 years later. I doubt I'd be hired for a full-time, insured position now even though I'm very experienced, not diabetic and have good blood pressure and good cholesterol. The truth is, at my age, anything can happen at any time, and I'd be too high a risk for them to insure. Thank goodness for Medicare.

I once worked in HR briefly, doing the first cut on - applicants, and it was an

[ In Reply To ..]
eye opener.

Many with years of experience are as good as you'd expect them to be and deserve the high salaries they were looking for. But also characteristic of some others were arrogance and unwillingness (inability in some it seemed) to change years of ingrained habits and preferences. Correctly or incorrectly, problems with both willingness and ability to change and learn were considered more likely with older employees.

A real biggie I noted was that some actually spent decades repeating maybe 2 years of experience 10 times and had no idea how limited their experience was compared to that of others. I saw some very nice people in this group. No doubt they wondered why they weren't hired. I'm afraid no one told them, at least directly.

BTW, I'm sure health insurance premiums also have a GREAT deal to do with it. Our company's told us a few times that our premiums are going up because our claims rate is higher than average. Industry data tell us the average MT is aging and nearing retirement age, pretty much an older broad field. Put those together and you have companies with an undesirably high number of older employees more prone to health problems and sick days than most fields who are pushing insurance costs higher every year. This year our company pays $45-48K (!) per family policy and passes about 1/3 of that on to the employee. My individual policy costs "only" about $36K, with a $5K deductible, of which about $8K is passed on to me to pay.

the insurance issue is why I avoid employee positions - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
I understand about discrimintion regarding high-risk insurability, but I fail to understand age discrimination. If there is a presumption on the part of the potential hiring manager that my years of experience add up to my personal expectation of top wages, then that becomes their problem and should not be dropped on my shoulders.

I keep up with the industry and know what the norm for pay is out there. I do not even discuss an expectation of pay in my resume. The same way this thread started out with old broads accentuating the positive on our resumes, well, doesn't the potential recruits bear a similar responsibility towards us old broads?

I haven't had insurance in years, but my young child does. I'm one of those people that you can look at my resume and assume I am in my 30s or 40s, even though I'm at least a decade older than that. But I DO have a LOT of varied experience. I've managed a diagnostic facility, ran my own business for a decade, been a certified coder AND have been transcribing close to 20 years (including being QA manager). Do people look at my resume and think I'm too pricey? I look at all that experience and think it all adds up to a valuable skill set. And if I'm smart enough to enjoy all this experience, I am certainly smart enough to be informed of the industry standards regarding pay scale. And maybe I've sewn enough oats that I feel you really could not pay me enough to do YOUR job (meaning an MT manager, recruiter, etc). Those are not heachaches I chose to include in my life, which is why I do transcribing. And all this experience in and of itself does not mean I'm a pay snob and demand a high salary.

I'm still curious of the OP about opening up and sharing more of her/his workshop.

hiring older employees - Alice

[ In Reply To ..]
All this is very interesting. I've been considered "overqualified" and downright rejected for positions that I REALLY wanted as a care provider because I was ONCE an RN. So, to the potential employer, I was not acceptable to be in a position of non-licensed homecare provider/caregiver, even though that's what I really wanted to do at that time in my life.

If they're so worried about insurance benefits to older workers, why don't more of them offer part-time positions where insurance would not be an issue?

Personally, I have no interest in taking anyone's job and I certainly do not want to be a QA or a manager/supervisor. Should I include that info on my resume?

Can I pleeeeaaase just get 6 more years out of this business. - Gettin There.

[ In Reply To ..]
I just need 6 more years out of this business, that's all!! I do not wish to return to school. I cannot afford to start a new career at this point.

When I retire, I would like to continue to do MTing part-time, maybe. At that point, I may try something different if I find something interesting.

Just 6 more years..............so sad, wishing my life away.

I'm in your position too, including wishing to work - past Social Security/Medicare

[ In Reply To ..]
age, but I also ask for just 5-1/2 more years at the least.

Let's not consider it wishing our lives away, though, any more than someone with 30 years of work ahead of her. You work, you eat. We all work, there's something TO eat. Work's GOOD. Or something like that. :)

How can you POSSIBLY tell - MT

[ In Reply To ..]
I have been in MT for a long time and have interviewed nad hired MTs.

How can you tell if an applicant is "stubborn" and/or "set in her ways" and refuses to make changes and/or embrace new things during the FIRST cut of the process? I don't buy it. That is something that is discovered ON THE JOB. Unless, of course, STEREOTYPICAL ASSUMPTIONS are being made about older employees -- which, of course, happens ALL THE TIME.

overqualified - olderish MT

[ In Reply To ..]
That may ring true for other professions, but IMO, it just does not for MT. An MTSO or account manager is NOT fearful that we will take their job. Heck, in some instances, they likely WISH we'd take their job.

I have an impressive resume and it supports me getting a response 90% of the time. I've filled every job related to MT at some point in time and I was a service owner for about 15 years. I don't at all seeing people shy away from me or my resume.

In other fields, I think you're likely spot on. But given that MT is a heavy telecommuting job and like I said, no one is really fearful we're going to take their jobs, I just don't see overqualification being an issue in getting hired as an MT.

The other thing is, it's not like you get paid MORE because you're overqualified. Most MT companies say- Here's the rate, and it doesn't matter if you have 5 or 25 years experience.

thank you olderish MT - hmmm

[ In Reply To ..]
What you describe is closer to my own experience and thoughts regarding older experienced workers. My other thought is that because I have been an IC for 15 years, it would seem a potential employer sees that as a perk, that I can live as a single person (and now older mother of a child) and have been able to support myself successfully during those years, therefore a dedication to work ethic has been demonstrated. I have not had problems getting my resume seen and hearing back from anyone.

And like you, most services I have encountered do say "here's the rate, take it or leave it."

My thought with the OP was now, suddenly, I have something more to worry about. It would be helpful if the OP would further comment in greater detail how the older, more experienced, i.e., overqualified workers could write an eye-catching resume.

Over 50 and looking... - JustMe

[ In Reply To ..]
I now understand what you are all saying...have been a MT for 30 years..recently my company lost almost all of their accounts to India...watching the work dwindle, have been applying to anything and everything that moves...only to hear back from the companies I read to stay away from!! If and when can I collect unemployment? No communication from the company at all...this oldie needs to pay bills!

To Just Me - response

[ In Reply To ..]
UE benefit regulations vary state by state, so check into your's immediately. In the State of Virginia, there is a 1-week waiting period to collect benefits, so you should basically apply the very next day after you have been laid off, let go, work reduction, etc. You cannot quit your job though. If you lost your work/job through no fault of your own, have been employed for more than 1 year at your current position, then you qualify. You can even apply online.

UE - JustMe

[ In Reply To ..]
Thank you so much! Am waiting to hear back from UE now...found out there are no unemployment offices in NJ...Am keeping my fingers crossed!

If they hired us "Old Broads," what would their QA do? - No message

[ In Reply To ..]
s

QA - old broad

[ In Reply To ..]
Please don't tell me you mean by that one-liner that "old broads" don't need QA? I can tell ya when I hired MTs, age didn't always equate to better, just older.

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