# I need a Job !!! I got taken for a ride by college



## jjl2good (Aug 14, 2013)

I recently graduated from Everest University. I got taken for a ride. Spent 16,000 dollars on schooling that I could of got from a community college. The school will flat out deny being preditoral school promise you the world to get a buck. I was not a slacker I got straight a's only missed one day the whole year. I took there B.S test that no one knows about. I tries best didnt have to go back to college. I am on disability but I didnt want to live off uncle same for ever. I even got a externship that was b.s it was for a dental practice in which I learned nothing coding at all. I just took my cpc and for what? Nobody hires part-time with no experience. I had to turn down an ok job with mckesson because it wasnt worth my wife quitting her job.  I dont know what to do next?


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## cordelia (Aug 14, 2013)

You probably shouldnt have turned down mckesson. while it might have been the best paying, it would have given you much needed experience to move onto better paying jobs. I dont know what advice you are looking for, you got a job offer,.which is more than most newbies on this board have received. 

Cordelia, CCS, CPC


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## Pam Brooks (Aug 15, 2013)

There are many, many posts on this topic throughout this board, with some suggestions and comments as posted by many experienced coders and hiring managers by myself. Take some time to read them, and I'm willing to bet you'll have a better understanding of what might work for you and what you should do next.

I echo Cordeila's comment.....never, ever turn down a coding job. They are hard to come by, and I bet there are fifty brand new coders reading this very post wishing they could have the opportunity. I hear you about the finances, but sometimes it's not about the money when you want to start a new career. I've found that the colleges and advertisements for coding careers have over-inflated the starting salaries that new coders can expect. This is just another misconception that a lot of people learned the hard way. 

If you're serious about beginning a coding career, I'd suggest you work on developing a professional resume, and make sure it's organized, clearly written and without spelling errors. Join your local AAPC Chapter, be proactive, develop a positive attitude and try to get over your anger. No hiring manager wants to have to deal with that kind of attitude in a professional setting, and you'll just set yourself up for more rejections. Then apply to any kind of health-related job that's posted, and go to every interview you're called for. If you're lucky enough to be offered another job of any kind that might provide you with a foot in the door---take it.


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## devinmajor14 (Aug 15, 2013)

It's going to take some time, but stay dedicated and keep networking! The best advice is to apply for any position at a Dr's office or hospital. I started working in the emergency room doing admits. I would go to the coding dept and human resources to get any information I could about coding. I introduced myself to the coding managers and told them about my current position in the hospital and that I recently finished school. After a year working in the emergency room I was offered a position as a coding specialist.


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## cgw0417 (Aug 15, 2013)

Something to think about: 

What would you do if you had invested thousand of dollars in a doctoral program and you spent years of study to write/research a thesis that only a handful of specialists would and could appreciate only to find yourself unemployed or working as an adjunct instructor making very little money with no benefits? And how would you like to find your application one among hundreds for a full-time non-tenured junior faculty gig at a community college? 

That, my friend, is the reality of many in today's job market and it is no different for professional coders. The guy or gal taking your order at Starbucks in NYC probably has a master's degree in British Literature and they are doing whatever they can until they find a job in their dream profession. 

There are no guarantees that a coding/billing diploma or [even more delusional] that passing a 5.5 hour GENERAL coding competency exam is going to turn into a $40+/hr remote coding job - the "create your own hours dream job" that is falsely advertised all over the internet. I blame the schools along with AHIMA and the AAPC for not doing enough to counter this false advertising. And - sorry to say this - I blame job seekers for not seeing through these dubious claims. 

When I was looking for work in a hospital, I paid attention to what the department required and preferred from a potential candidate. *I never came across one job posting stating that an 80 hour online CPC prep class and the CPC was sufficient for the position*; instead I always encountered the following: strong background in disease process, anatomy and physiology demonstrated by coursework and/ or a degree from a CAHIIM approved program, prior work experience, and an AHIMA credential, usually the RHIT and/or CCS. Equally important was the ability to speak and write clearly in English. 

My point is that our credentials - *the correct credentials required by the employer *- are only one [important] factor in the job search. When I first started out, I thought that if I just passed the CPC and CPC-H exams, then I would get work as a coder in a hospital. I passed but I could not get one interview - not even a call-back. It was not until I completed my AHIMA Coding Basics Program and earned my CCS that I got calls and interviews. And even still, sometimes I was passed up because I did not have sufficient experience. Fortunately, I met some wonderful people in my interviews who saw my determination and commitment demonstrated in my course of studies, my certifications, and my love for the profession and they were willing to give me a chance. 

I urge every new coder to read the wonderful advice above that others have given and then ask yourself where you want to work as a coder and what you want to code [inpatient/outpatient, specialty, etc]. And then see if you have the required/preferred qualifications for the job posted. If you do not, then attain some or most of them to become a competitive candidate.  But set your sites on a real job - not the make-believe job posted online that promised you lots of $$$$ if you passed a 4 month coding course or earned a diploma from a non-accredited online phony college and then passed the CPC exam. That just sets us up for disappointment.


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