It’s time to enter the job market once you’ve finished your medical billing and coding training. A word of caution: the employment market for many young coders is sometimes saturated since the medical billing and coding industry is growing so quickly. Finding a coding or billing job immediately away might be challenging.
Many aspiring billers and coders first gain expertise in healthcare-related industries before switching to coding or billing. It all comes down to getting your foot in the door when it comes to a profitable, expanding industry like coding and billing.
ONLINE MEDICAL CODING PROGRAMS FEATURED
The best way to enter a door
Coding and billing are only a small part of health informatics, which is a fancy word for the study, analysis, and administration of health information and data. There are a wide variety of jobs that assist healthcare professionals and aid in the management of their operations.
If you are unable to enter the coding field straight soon, consider working at a doctor’s front desk or office. Establish relationships with the medical practices you frequently visit and ask whether they are recruiting or if they know of anybody who is. Clerical labor could appear to be a dead end, but it shows dedication to the industry and practical knowledge of how the healthcare industry operates.
Moreover, you might hunt for employment in medical records. It’s a little more indirect than working as a front desk employee or receptionist, but your knowledge with the provider’s office will be helpful. A temp agency is another option, however your results there could vary.
Volunteering and work shadowing are also worthwhile experiences. Although you shouldn’t labor for free for an extended period of time, volunteering at a provider’s office can help you get experience and show that you are interested. Another excellent technique to see the company from the inside out is to job shadow. Simply ask a competent biller or coder you know if you may shadow them for a day if you have a relationship with them. A day of observing a biller at work will teach you more than a week of classroom instruction.
An internship is one of the finest methods to network and gain experience in the workforce. These can be hard to come by, like many of the coding careers they lead to.
OPENINGS FOR JOBS OR INTERNSHIPS
Medical coding and billing career materials may be found in a variety of places. You may look for internships on third-party job aggregator websites like LookSharp or on LinkedIn.
The professional associations we discussed in the last course, the American Association of Professional Coders (AAPC) and the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), are some of the finest sources for finding new positions.
The last Section had a lengthy discussion on how to be ready for the AAPC CPC exam. It makes sense to join the AAPC right away if you want to take that test in the future, especially if you can take advantage of their student pricing, which is only $70 per year. You may connect with coders and billers around the nation if you belong to one of these professional groups. Both of these organizations have great job boards and offer plenty of free materials for job seekers who are new to the field of health information.
Another choice for people who have just graduated from college is to sit for the CPC test without the necessary two years of job experience. Although it will be difficult, if you have faith in your education and your ability, you should be able to pass the test. After passing, you can enroll in the CPC Apprenticeship program. Even though you won’t be a fully qualified coder, you will be ahead of the other uncertified competitors. Additionally, whenever you do land a job in coding, you may utilize it as a way to amass work experience that you can apply toward your complete certification.
HOW TO PERFORM A JOB INTERVIEW
You should first conduct research. Learn a little bit about the business you intend to apply to, and use that knowledge to your advantage in the interview. You should explain how your specific abilities might benefit the business and how your career objectives can be compatible with those of the organization.
Be ready to take an exam. No one will give you a pile of multiple-choice questions, but they very well may quiz you on vocabulary and medical jargon. You could be required to practice some fictitious patient engagement situations in which you describe how you would speak with a patient who, for example, is falling behind on their payments.
Talk about your prior experience, particularly with regard to coding or billing software. It’s a good idea to query your interviewer as well, such as: What kind of practice management software do you use here? What is the usual volume of cases? Ask pertinent, serious-minded questions, and then base your replies on the information you learn.
Declaring your aspirations for the future is also a good idea. If you’re a biller or programmer who isn’t qualified, you should describe your desire in being certified soon.
Even with these pointers in mind, getting your first coding or billing job won’t always be simple. Just keep in mind to be persistent and patient, and you should succeed.
