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

Finding full-time work - lorlyn

Posted: Aug 06, 2010

I am frustrated and probably should not even post this - but I have been out of school for 4 years now. I landed a job before school was done with a PT/OT clinic full-time. I had wanted to get experience typing hospital records, but have not been able to find work locally and when I apply online I am told I have no experience, even if I pass their tests, I am not given a job. I went into this field because my instructors told me I would have no problem finding work in any area of this field, but was that ever misleading. I find that doors are closed to me and feel the longer I stay in the position I am it is going to make it more and more difficult to locate work. I am single and am seeking an employee position because of the benefits so the IC positions are not what I am seeking, but all positions I come across for employees are for hospital transcription.

I am told that what education I got in this area is not enough and I am also told that I have to have experience. Just how is one to get experience if one never has the opportunity to gain it from a work experience. I have applied to local hospitals and have tested with them and I am always told it was given to someone with more experience. I understand the less training they have to do saves them time and money - but it sure is not helping my bottom line. I wonder why I chose this field. I live in a rural location and there are not a lot of hospitals around here to apply to. I was hoping to get an opportunity for a national company, but that again is not seeming to be possible. Just don't know what to think or wondering if I need to hunt for other kind of work. Would consider any other kind of typing jobs, but have no idea where to look and understand that a legal transcriptionist would probably need an education in legal terms, etc. Anyone have any advice without chewing me up and spitting me up - just looking for suggestions.

Thanks!

lorlyn

Full-time work - Aspiring coder

[ In Reply To ..]
Hopefully you are still at the PT/OT clinic. You had a full-time job there and if you left it I don't understand why. It may not be what you want but at least it would be a job. I would suggest to keep applying to the nationals, many of them do hire FT employees but you usually pay a portion of your health insurance. There are practice modules available for purchase (SUM program) which would be one way to get some hospital transcription practice. Keep trying at your local hospitals as people do quit and/or retire. Maybe a mental health clinic, if there is one in your area, would need an MT. There is always radiology, it is possible to pick that up on the job. Any private physicians offices where you could work? General secretarial jobs? Just keep watching the classifieds and send resumes everywhere. I know it's very discouraging but all I can say is keep trying, good luck.

Finding full-time work - lorlyn

[ In Reply To ..]
I do still have my job at the PT/OT clinic, would never quit in this economy unless I had something else. I get a fair wage for this area for what I do and I am quite busy most of the time so it is not lack of work. I just want to branch out and type something other than this field. It was why I went to school for this to broaden my horizon. I have tapes similar to the SUM program, but have been told by transcription companies that this is not experience and cannot be considered in hiring me. I watch the papers, internet, transcription job lists, etc. I am always looking and keeping my eyes open, but all I meet up with are closed doors. We do have a mental health hospital and clinic here in town, but they have put a freeze on hiring as they are state owned and so they will not be hiring for quite some time they told me. Only 1 private physician's office in town - they already have a transcriptionist. I had hoped that since I live in such a rural location that a national company would give me a chance, but even with 4 years under my belt - it is never enough. I question if I made the right choice for my education destination - wondering if I should have chosen differently.

Lorlyn

Finding full-time work - lorlyn - just my 2 cents

[ In Reply To ..]
I just want to say that since you have taken the time to do the course and want to be an MT, dont give up.

Yes the ecomony is bad and there are a lot of unhappy MTs on here, but at the same time there are a lot of happier MTs that are making a living at this. Over the year I do ok, there are quiet weeks/days with no work, but I still make my minimum lines.

I took my course 6 years ago and even during that time I heard how hard it was to find that first job and get the 2 years experience needed to get a better job.

My first job was only 5 cpl, but I realized that even after doing a course I was still so so green and had so much to learnm so had to start somewhere. I was lucky that even with low pay that the QA people were just great and gave me great feedback. I learned so much from them.

After about 6 months I started taking the online tests for advertised jobs mainly just for experience and for my own benefit. I actually got accepted with a company with only 6 months experience who wanted 2 years experience. They had just taken on a new account and needed people quick. For me it was all timing. At that time I had no experience working for a hospital or doing op reports etc.

So stick with it, take the online tests and you just never know that the timing will be right for you. Summer is slow and things should start picking up now.

Keep applying, they can only say no :) and read and learn as much as you can.

Finding full-time work - lorlyn

[ In Reply To ..]
I appreciate your encouragement. I am not an unhappy MT where I work - I have more than enough work to keep me busy and the pay is fair for this area, but I just want to branch out and do different medical specialties. I have 4 years under my belt for MT typing experience, but only in the PT/OT field. I don't even apply to jobs searching for hospital transcriptionists because I have been told more than once by these companies I was wasting their time applying since I did not have the experience they were looking for.
I hear good timing stories like yours, but apparently I don't have that luck because I just meet up with closed doors. Just wonder somedays whether I made the wrong choice in my schooling choice, because now I am paying for the schooling I took and it has not taken me where my instructors said it would or promised that it would. Sort of feel misled, even though I realize they cannot predict what tomorrow will be like, but my education should account for something - it might as well be a blank certificate on paper!

lorlyn

Full-time work - Aspiring coder

[ In Reply To ..]
I don't know if your school deliberately misled you, no one could have known that the economy would tank like it did. You found full-time employment so actually your school did their job. If it's any consolation people with years and years of experience meet up with closed doors too. You could still get the opportunity to branch out into other areas. My first job out of school was in acute care, and that background did lead to a lot of other opportunities so I don't blame you for wanting it on your resume. I know you are discouraged but don't give up if it is what you want, the right thing will eventually come your way.

Finding Work - Chloe

[ In Reply To ..]
Don't give up. You need to be persistent. You wil find a fit.

Don't give up - Erica

[ In Reply To ..]
I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. If you are getting work and treated decent, you are way ahead of the game. Also, picked up some accounts with mental health facilities. The work is very easy and my line count is much higher than usual. This is a private entity so no hassles with administration, fighting for work etc. Keep applying. In a smaller community, when people leave there is usually a void that may not easily be filled and you will be in demand. Again, don't give up and go for private as much as possible...pay and working conditions are far better.

Having the same problem - Tara

[ In Reply To ..]
I just got out of school July 15. I am having the same exact problem. I started the program last fall. I am having a tough time finding work. I must have applied to 30 companies so far. I called 2 today and one of them isn't hiring until December, and the other has all of the transcriptionists it needs.

How am I supposed to find a job? They shouldn't have offered this program if people are having trouble finding work in this field.

The thing that really angers me is that they put 2 of us with the same company for an internship (DIT) and then one with a company that wasn't even hiring.

I was almost going to take the position with DIT until my professor told me about all of the problems they were having. Why the heck did she put me with this company? She said it was a great internship but a terrible company to work for. I do not get it.

How am I supposed to find a job right out of school? I need help!

I basically want one to do with OB/GYN because that is all I transcribed for my internship (with some dermatology), but mainly it was OB/GYN.

finding a job - anon

[ In Reply To ..]
I would say your best bet is to go with companies that mention "training" in their ads. This is very important, because you could be getting paid for training. Also they are most lenient on newcomers.

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