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

starting over............ - Just an old MT

Posted: Aug 02, 2013

Has anyone found it incredibly hard to find a job outside the home after working as an IC for a long period of time. I apply everywhere and never get a call back. I recently lost my job as an IC and don't want to even bother with MT work anymore. I have been spending time online and applying everywhere. No one wants you to apply in person anymore.

Really challenging...my experience so far... - CrankyMT

[ In Reply To ..]
1. Spending many hours preparing cover letters and resumes, plus applications, for several months, only to send them off to vanish into the ether.
2. Wasting time applying to cleverly disguised scam job offers, and now creeps have my address, phone number, and e-mail address, too.
3. Finally getting a call for a fantastic-sounding job, only to find out they need someone 3 DAYS PER MONTH, or one company needing someone only two days per week, neither are nearly enough.
4. Discovering that all the good programs at the community college have as much as a year of prerequisites plus wait lists, and I'm in my mid 50s. By the time I'd make it through the prereqs and wait list and then the program, I'd be close to retirement age but with a nice big student loan, too. Oh, and discovering on their entrance exam that I no longer can do 6th grade math and have to take the bonehead math class too!
5. Finding job descriptions that are several paragraphs long in requirements and skills (including proficiency with Microsoft Office, QuickBook, webmanager, professional dress, positive and friendly attitude, multiline phones, ability to handle disgruntled customers, etc.), but then offering a whopping $9.50/hr. That's about the cost of a small block of cheese and a gallon of gas. That'll go far!
6. Discovering most clerical jobs are either executive secretarial types and require a four-year degree or are the opposite end of the spectrum and are part-time with no benefits and lousy pay. Talk about a wage gap!
7. Interviewing for someone rather snarky (or at least over the top in the confidence department), who is about the age of my own children, and having her glance at me with the look in her eyes of, "Wow, I didn't realize she was so old on the phone!" (I'd carefully hidden anything on my resume that would pinpoint my actual age.)
8. Finally accepting a part-time job only to discover the job description didn't match the job much at all, and it was horrible on several different levels. Spending the first day of my first outside job in 13 years or so plotting how to escape and/or how to tactfully quit with a big lump in my throat. Ending my shift by giving notice and racing for home!
9. Discovering that nobody seems to value medical transcription and highlighting the skills involved doesn't seem to make a whole lot of difference, despite what some of the MTs post here (at least for me). Truthfully, nobody gives a rat's about this career, not even medical clinics and especially not the local hospital. I've only received silence and/or rejection letters that they've hired a "more qualified candidate" for their lousy "entry-level" position!!! Tweaking the resume with "keywords" and amplifying past clerical skills, etc., just hasn't made much difference.
10. Accidentally sending a resume to a temp agency, and now being inundated with e-mails and phone calls by each one of their "recruiting" team members (who all have big fancy titles and about as much actual job experience as I have in my little pinky).
11. Out of desperation, contacting Merry Maids, and they actually wanted me to come by for a meeting!. Whoa! I was just feeling really cranky at the time I applied. However, it could be worse. They pay $10-$12 an hour, provide the uniform, pay for gas to the location, and even have vacation pay. Thank you off-shoring, greedy, soul-less, unpatriotic, back-stabbing, profit-before-patient corporations!

I really don't know what I'm doing any more and feel pretty defeated. I only need to make it about 6 years, but I'm not sure which way to go or what action to take.

I feel like a fish out of water and like I'm trying to reinvent myself and compete with a bunch of 20- to 30-year-old professionals (with huge egos!), but I have faint wrinkles on my face and a big gap on my resume that says "medical transcriptionist." That's what it looks like to the youngster interviewing me--an old lady with a big gap of nothingness. :-(

Wondering if Merry Maids would be better than Walmart? Can't believe this is how things are ending up!

Also wondering if there is any way to ride this thing out until retirement?

Wow, you just described me. I lasted a little longer in-house. - mtwith6yearstogo

[ In Reply To ..]
Good luck to you. I've been going through major depression and trying to hide it, don't want everyone around me to feel down. I know it's this job.

Me too! Difficult to keep your chin up when it feels like you're on a sinking ship! - CrankyMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I'm trying my absolute hardest and finding it extremely challenging to find something where I fit now.

I used to work for Merry Maids - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
and I loved it!! This company was so good to me. I worked for them about 15 years ago, and looking back it was one of the best jobs I have ever had. They had good benefits and I love cleaning so it was a great fit for me then. I worked there for about 3 years, but decided to go back to college and I ended up being an MT. Now I wish I had that job! Good luck to you

Merry Maids is still around - so what is stopping you?

[ In Reply To ..]
If that is what you loved doing, why not do it again? Personally I wish I could afford to have them clean for me, but they charge a lot for their services. However, if you are their employee, you probably do quite well financially then.

I moved and there isn't a Merry Maids anywhere near me now - nm

[ In Reply To ..]
nm

So start your own! - Seriously

[ In Reply To ..]
You know how.

An acquaintance does that. - Really, think about it.

[ In Reply To ..]
There are 3 homes she cleans weekly. Two are senior citizens who physically are unable to do a good job anymore. The third boycotted cleaning--did enough as a "housewife, darn it!" LOL.

Cranky, I could've written your post! Except - that you did it so much BETTER! -sm-

[ In Reply To ..]
The only difference is that I haven't tried Merry Maids (yet), and I haven't gotten into a "wrong fit" job yet, because as of yet no one has hired me. (I'm currently working full-time for an MTSO, but want to get out ASAP.)

I would make a lousy maid - vacuuming makes my back hurt, and I don't even keep my own place clean. In fact, I wish I could afford to hire them from time to time!

Oh - and how about all the jobs that REQUIRE you to be bilingual! They want a B.A. degree for a part-time receptionist at a car dealership? Or a bookkeeper at a small dental clinic? Pfft!

I agree with you about the job descriptions in the ads. Either they say little else than "fast-paced office", or "bilingual", or "proficient in both MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and Access", AND Word Perfect, or both Mac and PC. If they do put more than that, it's all the corporate keywords and phrases: "Team player, ability to multi-task, customer service, 3-5 years' experience in a corporate setting (or doctor's office, or retail, or veterinary office, or dentist's office, or whatever.)

The list is endless; however, once you've gotten to the end of the job description, they still haven't told you one thing about what you will actually be DOING.

"Ability to multitask": Does this mean working on more than one task at once, or does this mean that you will be continually interrupted, to the point where you don't even remember which task was which? Or does it mean that, in addition to producing a whiz-bang, glossy flyer for their next trade show, you will also be making coffee and cleaning the restrooms?

"Bilingual": HOW bilingual? I can say "Si" and "Adios", and "Donde esta el bano?" "El bano esta aqui!" Or does it mean I can take dictation in perfect Spanish? Or Russian? Or Chinese? Or all of the above?

"Clerical Duties": That one kills me. There are so many to choose from! Is it answering phones, filing, and sending faxes? Or is it making complex travel plans, or taking dictation in shorthand (yes, there are still a few of those!), or being a full-time bookkeeper in addition to full-on graphic arts capabilities?

"Set up Conferences": Another tricky one. Do they mean dusting off the table in the board room and setting out water pitchers and snacks? Or do they mean setting up projectors, or 100 computer terminals, or booking catering and live entertainment? Details. I want details.

"Entry-Level" or "Trainee": Umm - if the job is an entry-level and/or trainee position, then why do they stipulate that you must have "1-3 years' experience" doing that very same job? Would that not make the job, at the very least, "some experience?" I love "Manager Trainee". I could train to be a low-level manager, let's say at Petco or Walmart, or in a vet's office, and would love to do so. But if they say I have to have had 1+ years' experience doing just that, especially if it's in the exact-same field, then wouldn't that make me already a "Manager"?

Little wonder so many of the ads I see seem to run for weeks or months. Very few people are going to fit such a small niche, and I think the "qualified candidates", at least in their terms, are going to be few and far between, especially at $8-9/hour!

It's so beyond ridiculous, that hardly anything they do or say surprises me any more. These fools want "silk purse" employees for "sow's ear" pay.

My "Plan-B" has been to keep plodding along with MT, for however long that lasts, and finding a part-time job to supplement it, and get me that outside experience. So far, however, it's been the same old story: Poor job descriptions, even WORSE pay than full-time (even without benefits!?), and no replies when I send an application.

Plan-C: I was planning on not taking Social Security until I turned whatever age it is these days (67? 65?), but at 60+, I'm running out of options, and may have to just take it early at 63 or 64. I would hate to do it, but it's better than living in a cardboard lean-to under a freeway offramp.

Plan-D: I'm also exploring the option of using my artistic side to make some extra money (cash, only!) on the side creating and selling unique items here and there - just enough to bring in some food money, but not enough to catch Uncle Sam's attention. I've thought about selling things on eBay, but it seems like the competition there is crushing, to say the least.

I surely did relate to your post - we've both had eerily similar, almost identical in most cases, experiences with Looking For Work After MT.

Your posts are GREAT! I hope you keep posting.

-MTBankAccount

Oh, Cranky. Wish I could take you out on the porch - and put a glass in your hand.

[ In Reply To ..]
Thanks for the view from the application trenches. Go to school. Just do it. I'm 61 in your position plus, and you so don't want to be me.

I SO don't want to try to subsist on SS and the meager income from my retirement savings. Even assuming we always have a comfortable home, watching TV and gardening for 30 years starting 8 months from now--because it's all we can afford--instead of working and keeping my hand in as I'd always expected to is nothing to choose. And I like gardening a lot...

my advice... - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't ignore the small stuff, like fingernails, hair, teeth, makeup, clothes. Being in MT for so long, I had let my wardrobe slip. I got interviews because employers were impressed with my cover letter, but when they saw me -- overweight, old clothes, fingernails clean but unmanicured (just trimmed to accommodate my keyboard), yellowed teeth, hair unmanicured, etc. -- they decided right away they didn't want me in their office, regardless of my skills.

We work from home, and it gets easier over the years to take this stuff for granted. I'm not in any way saying that you made the same mistake I did, but just in case you did, I wanted to give you the same courtesy someone gave me when they brought these things to my attention.

We're competing with a younger workforce. Employers don't mind our age, as long as we don't LOOK our age. I'm not kidding. This bias is very real.

I did the best I could with my appearance and finally landed an okay temp job, simply because I was willing to work the worst shift. It was rough, but it gave me the chance to put something on my resume that wasn't MT, and I also made some new friends and got some great new references. It was because of this job that I got my next better temp job. About 1 year later, I landed an even better, permanent job, which I would've never gotten if it weren't for that second job (the managers in both places just happened to be friends, which I didn't know at the time). Since then, I've moved on to an even better job which has nothing to do with MT.

Bottom line, you're likely going to have to wade through some pretty bad jobs to get to that better one. It's rough, but it's absolutely worth it.

If you decide to get retrained to do something else, pay attention to your instructors. What I mean is, there are networking opportunities there. Instructors are often just part-time instructors who have full-time jobs in their field. Do well in school and impress your instructors. You're going to want them as references.

Good points...Wishin' I was in my 30s again... - CrankyMT

[ In Reply To ..]
I've been doing absolutely everything I can think of to look professional and youthful (teeth whiteners, hair coloring, better makeup), but it's still a humbling experience.

Is it that I've been out of the swing of things for too long, or has there been a sea change with career women? The last few I've interviewed with have been somewhere between rude and impatient to aggressive in their demeanor. I know they're trying to be assertive and confident, but really, they're very off putting. Maybe it was just luck of the draw, so to speak. It really doesn't help my nerves as I go through this process!

I fear my resume is keeping me from a getting a non-MT job too... - ???

[ In Reply To ..]
I've applied anywhere and everywhere that is FT, set hourly rate, and some kind of insurance benefits. I don't hear back either. When I was working before in non-MT jobs, I would always hear back when I applied. Now they see MT on a resume and I think they're just thrown away. I'm trying to get out too (under 40, only been at MT 5 years) but I regret coming into the field. Oh how I wish I knew 5 years ago what it would be like, I would've stayed where I was.
I even tried applying again with former employers but no go. I understood though cuz I left for a reason. Honestly, I'll take a factory job over this any day. Anything that does not involve having to be available 24/7 and missing holidays and time with family and having no money for any kind of fun will be worth it. I'm not asking for CEO or anything. Just a steady income that can take me to retirement. Good luck everyone trying to get out of MT.

As far as a resume goes, - I would not market

[ In Reply To ..]
myself as an MT, something more like a "document preparation specialist." Brush up on word processing and computer skills and don't wait to see jobs advertised. Hit the road with resumes and get some cheap business cards. Put on your best positive personality (you remember, the one you used to have before you became a beat down MT) and visit every law office, medical office and small business in your community on a daily or weekly basis if necessary. Sooner or later someone will need something typed, and you never know where that will lead.

Why would anyone "apply" to be a Merry Maid, when you could be a maid, pet sitter, baby sitter, elder sitter, errand runner, grocery shopper, dinner cooker?

As for me, recently got my life and health insurance licenses and voila, instant profession (about 700 bucks and 6 weeks study). I'm in insurance "grad school" (aka learning the ropes) right now, and loving it, I haven't given up my day job completely yet, but I know when I lay this foundation, I won't have any problem making a living and being closer to being my own boss and working toward a residual income for life as well. Whenever I answer ads for agents, I always hear back within a day or even minutes from people interested in taking me on.

If insurance, real estate or financials don't do it for you, there are other things to sell. Make up, bags, jewelery, even sex toy home parties.

My feeling is that for me and so many of us, now is the time to start thinking outside the box, if not to completely replace MT, at least to provide some cushion for the inevitable that is already here. It really is sad to see folks who have so much to offer thinking the best they can ever achieve is a maid or receptionist making 12 bucks an hour.

Best of luck to all of us!

I've had plenty of non-MT jobs, but they were - all before 1975! Losing Hope! n/m

[ In Reply To ..]
.

Same here. (sm) - MTBankAccount

[ In Reply To ..]
Although the convenience of being able to search and apply for jobs online seems great, it only seems to help the employer, not so much the job-hunter. It annoys me to think that my thought-out and long-worked-on cover letters and resumes often get "read" by HR software before a human ever reads them, and they're just looking for "keywords" (i.e., full of fluff and corporate-speak), and all they want is a cookie-cutter employee.

I've also learned that it's not always a good idea to apply for a job through the job-search website, as I've had applications "not go through" to the employer at all. When in doubt, I try to find the company's website and if they have a "careers" section, I apply through that, instead.

The other thing is that the impersonal online job hunt process makes it just that much easier for employers to discriminate. I may be 60+, but I don't look it, and can pass for 40, both lookswise and physical healthwise. But how would they know that I'm not "old", if I can't get an in-person interview?

I've also tried applying for some jobs the "old school" way - showing up onsite and asking if I can fill out an employment application. Most places say no. Their loss! One would think that an employee who would go the extra mile to drive there and apply onsite, might go the extra mile on the job, as well.

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