Wiki CPC-A, years of experience, and cannot find a job

[Coder4Ever123]

Hello, all. I am a very frustrated CPC-A.

I am having an extremely hard time landing an official coding position job. I have been working in medical billing and coding for over twelve years now. Every job I have had since my early twenties was in a doctor's office or a billing office. I have done it all, from making copies to checking in patients to coding. I have been on interview after interview after interview for almost a year now and passed all the pre-employment coding tests I have been given, but I am not getting hired. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. My resume looks great and showcases my over a decade of experience, including a year of hands on coding. The interviews I have had always go great. I have a great report with the interviewer and ask good questions.

Nothing is working for me. I am so discouraged and I'm really starting to believe getting my CPC was a huge financial mistake. I have spent THOUNSANDS of dollars with the AAPC over the past few years with the impression that I would be able to get a coding job quickly once I got my CPC. I am not sure if it's the dreaded "A" behind my credentials that is holding managers back from hiring me or what, but I am not going to give the AAPC another dime of my money to have my "A" removed with Practicode. I have a billing job now and hoping once I have been employed with them for two years that they will write a letter to the AAPC requesting to have my "A" removed.

Is anyone else going through this?

 

[sls314]

Hello, all. I am a very frustrated CPC-A.

I am having an extremely hard time landing an official coding position job. I have been working in medical billing and coding for over twelve years now. Every job I have had since my early twenties was in a doctor's office or a billing office. I have done it all, from making copies to checking in patients to coding. I have been on interview after interview after interview for almost a year now and passed all the pre-employment coding tests I have been given, but I am not getting hired. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. My resume looks great and showcases my over a decade of experience, including a year of hands on coding. The interviews I have had always go great. I have a great report with the interviewer and ask good questions.

Nothing is working for me. I am so discouraged and I'm really starting to believe getting my CPC was a huge financial mistake. I have spent THOUNSANDS of dollars with the AAPC over the past few years with the impression that I would be able to get a coding job quickly once I got my CPC. I am not sure if it's the dreaded "A" behind my credentials that is holding managers back from hiring me or what, but I am not going to give the AAPC another dime of my money to have my "A" removed with Practicode. I have a billing job now and hoping once I have been employed with them for two years that they will write a letter to the AAPC requesting to have my "A" removed.

Is anyone else going through this?

If you have 12 years of experience, why not have one of your former employers write the letter?

It sounds like you may have taken a class through AAPC (the thousands of dollars comment - I'm guessing that includes the prep course?). If that's the case, then you only need a letter showing 1 year of work experience. The approved education program will count for a year as well. There's no need for you to do Practicode if you already have work experience.

It might be a red flag to employers that you have a resume showing 12 years of experience but still have the apprentice credential. You sound like you're already eligible to have it removed, so I'd take care of that as soon as possible.

Are you looking for remote work, in-person work, or both?

Have you tried networking at local chapter meetings? I've helped a few CPC-A in my chapter get hired for local coding jobs by connecting them to hiring managers in our chapter. Perhaps that local networking might help you as well.

Good luck!

 

[Coder4Ever123]

If you have 12 years of experience, why not have one of your former employers write the letter?

It sounds like you may have taken a class through AAPC (the thousands of dollars comment - I'm guessing that includes the prep course?). If that's the case, then you only need a letter showing 1 year of work experience. The approved education program will count for a year as well. There's no need for you to do Practicode if you already have work experience.

It might be a red flag to employers that you have a resume showing 12 years of experience but still have the apprentice credential. You sound like you're already eligible to have it removed, so I'd take care of that as soon as possible.

Are you looking for remote work, in-person work, or both?

Have you tried networking at local chapter meetings? I've helped a few CPC-A in my chapter get hired for local coding jobs by connecting them to hiring managers in our chapter. Perhaps that local networking might help you as well.

Good luck!

Thank you so much for your response. I don't know why I didn't think to reach out to my former employers for a letter. I will definitely do that ASAP. I haven't gone to any of my local chapter meetings yet, but I am definitely going to attend the next one they have. Thank you for your help!

 

[csperoni]

I definitely agree with @sls314 to have your -A removed.
In my opinion, having the -A will often prevent you from even getting an interview in the first place. If a company is willing to spend time interviewing CPC-A, they generally would be willing to hire CPC-A.
From my hiring experience, as long as it's remote, you will have literally hundreds of candidates applying for 1 position. For my last 2 openings, I posted on Indeed (not even the paid version to get higher on the search list), and paused the position 48 hours later simply because I couldn't look at any more resumes. One position was 178 candidates in 48 hours. The other 154 in 48 hours.
For both these positions, I tried first for hybrid - come into the office the first few weeks for training, then come in 2-4 times a month. I could not get a single qualified candidate despite the position being posted for 2-3 weeks.

Here's my opinion:
1) Absolutely get your -A removed.
2) If you are not getting interviews, take a long hard look at your resume. Maybe even have it professionally done.
3) If you are getting interviews but not hired, it is less likely for your resume to be the issue. Perhaps a friend or colleague can do a mock interview with you. There might be a red flag you're sending out that you don't even realize. It's possible you think the interview went well, but the interviewer did not feel the same.
For example: my initial interviews are conducted as "speed" interviews with only 15 minutes allotted, which the candidates are all informed about. If a candidate has a relevant question or two, that's great. If they start asking multiple in depth questions during the initial interview, I simply have to cut them off because I have another qualified candidate waiting. When someone tells me they want to work remote because they don't have childcare, I'm like "NEXT!!"
It's possible there's an issue you never realized. It's possible you keeping being the runner up, and just need the right luck.
If you are willing to work in person or hybrid, there may be fewer positions available, but there are far fewer candidates applying.

Good luck!

 

[sls314]

I definitely agree with @sls314 to have your -A removed.
In my opinion, having the -A will often prevent you from even getting an interview in the first place. If a company is willing to spend time interviewing CPC-A, they generally would be willing to hire CPC-A.
From my hiring experience, as long as it's remote, you will have literally hundreds of candidates applying for 1 position. For my last 2 openings, I posted on Indeed (not even the paid version to get higher on the search list), and paused the position 48 hours later simply because I couldn't look at any more resumes. One position was 178 candidates in 48 hours. The other 154 in 48 hours.
For both these positions, I tried first for hybrid - come into the office the first few weeks for training, then come in 2-4 times a month. I could not get a single qualified candidate despite the position being posted for 2-3 weeks.

Here's my opinion:
1) Absolutely get your -A removed.
2) If you are not getting interviews, take a long hard look at your resume. Maybe even have it professionally done.
3) If you are getting interviews but not hired, it is less likely for your resume to be the issue. Perhaps a friend or colleague can do a mock interview with you. There might be a red flag you're sending out that you don't even realize. It's possible you think the interview went well, but the interviewer did not feel the same.
For example: my initial interviews are conducted as "speed" interviews with only 15 minutes allotted, which the candidates are all informed about. If a candidate has a relevant question or two, that's great. If they start asking multiple in depth questions during the initial interview, I simply have to cut them off because I have another qualified candidate waiting. When someone tells me they want to work remote because they don't have childcare, I'm like "NEXT!!"
It's possible there's an issue you never realized. It's possible you keeping being the runner up, and just need the right luck.
If you are willing to work in person or hybrid, there may be fewer positions available, but there are far fewer candidates applying.

Good luck!

I agree with you on that last part for sure.

I know about an in-person specialty coding position where the manager would be willing to hire and train a newly certified coder. There aren't a ton of applicants, which is unfortunate. A newer coder from my area who was willing to be in person for a couple of years could get some great experience.

(IMO some of it may be due to the wording of the posting. There are a lot of preferred requirements that might be scaring off newer coders, but the manager has limited control over the position description.)

 

[caulderjl]

Hello, all. I am a very frustrated CPC-A.

I am having an extremely hard time landing an official coding position job. I have been working in medical billing and coding for over twelve years now. Every job I have had since my early twenties was in a doctor's office or a billing office. I have done it all, from making copies to checking in patients to coding. I have been on interview after interview after interview for almost a year now and passed all the pre-employment coding tests I have been given, but I am not getting hired. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. My resume looks great and showcases my over a decade of experience, including a year of hands on coding. The interviews I have had always go great. I have a great report with the interviewer and ask good questions.

Nothing is working for me. I am so discouraged and I'm really starting to believe getting my CPC was a huge financial mistake. I have spent THOUNSANDS of dollars with the AAPC over the past few years with the impression that I would be able to get a coding job quickly once I got my CPC. I am not sure if it's the dreaded "A" behind my credentials that is holding managers back from hiring me or what, but I am not going to give the AAPC another dime of my money to have my "A" removed with Practicode. I have a billing job now and hoping once I have been employed with them for two years that they will write a letter to the AAPC requesting to have my "A" removed.

Is anyone else going through this?

You should be able to get the A removed with your experience. All you need is proof of two years of coding experience to get the A off with AAPC.

 

[tetonrunner]

Hello, all. I am a very frustrated CPC-A.

I am having an extremely hard time landing an official coding position job. I have been working in medical billing and coding for over twelve years now. Every job I have had since my early twenties was in a doctor's office or a billing office. I have done it all, from making copies to checking in patients to coding. I have been on interview after interview after interview for almost a year now and passed all the pre-employment coding tests I have been given, but I am not getting hired. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. My resume looks great and showcases my over a decade of experience, including a year of hands on coding. The interviews I have had always go great. I have a great report with the interviewer and ask good questions.

Nothing is working for me. I am so discouraged and I'm really starting to believe getting my CPC was a huge financial mistake. I have spent THOUNSANDS of dollars with the AAPC over the past few years with the impression that I would be able to get a coding job quickly once I got my CPC. I am not sure if it's the dreaded "A" behind my credentials that is holding managers back from hiring me or what, but I am not going to give the AAPC another dime of my money to have my "A" removed with Practicode. I have a billing job now and hoping once I have been employed with them for two years that they will write a letter to the AAPC requesting to have my "A" removed.

Is anyone else going through this?

Here is another angle of frustration: I am a physician assistant- PAC. I have over 20 years of coding experience from the other side as a health care provider. Removing the A was the easy part. I have applied to over 100 jobs with only one interview and they say I have no experience as a coder even though I do the work that the coders review! I was hoping to transition to remote work and was advised I shouldn't have any trouble getting a coder job. Totally the opposite. I haven't picked up a coding book since December and am now looking at paying the AAPC renewal fee for what? There are hundreds of coders completing the courses every day. And I can't get a job as a PA w/ 20 plus years of coding experience. Not worth keeping the credential as people will wonder why I haven't worked as a CPC since I became certified. Will go down as one of the biggest disappointments and wastes of time and energy in my 58 years.

 

[csperoni]

Here is another angle of frustration: I am a physician assistant- PAC. I have over 20 years of coding experience from the other side as a health care provider. Removing the A was the easy part. I have applied to over 100 jobs with only one interview and they say I have no experience as a coder even though I do the work that the coders review! I was hoping to transition to remote work and was advised I shouldn't have any trouble getting a coder job. Totally the opposite. I haven't picked up a coding book since December and am now looking at paying the AAPC renewal fee for what? There are hundreds of coders completing the courses every day. And I can't get a job as a PA w/ 20 plus years of coding experience. Not worth keeping the credential as people will wonder why I haven't worked as a CPC since I became certified. Will go down as one of the biggest disappointments and wastes of time and energy in my 58 years.

From a hiring manager perspective, the first thing I would think is "why would this experienced PA who was making $60/hour want to work as a coder making less than 1/2 that."
When people are not getting hired - if you are not being contacted for interviews, it is most likely your resume that needs tweaking. If you are having interviews but not being hired, then it's less likely a resume issue.
I suggest making sure your resume incorporates why you are making a career change and highlights your coding experience. Emphasize that your medical knowledge helps you understand coding guidelines better than almost any other candidate. A brief coverletter in a situation like yours could be very helpful.
If you really do want to be a coder, I would not give up. I know for my most recent coding position, I had 129 candidates apply in 36 hours. The person hired was a combination of the right skill set, enthusiastic and lucky.
So good luck!

 

[Eviesuju]

Hello, all. I am a very frustrated CPC-A.

I am having an extremely hard time landing an official coding position job. I have been working in medical billing and coding for over twelve years now. Every job I have had since my early twenties was in a doctor's office or a billing office. I have done it all, from making copies to checking in patients to coding. I have been on interview after interview after interview for almost a year now and passed all the pre-employment coding tests I have been given, but I am not getting hired. I don't understand what I am doing wrong. My resume looks great and showcases my over a decade of experience, including a year of hands on coding. The interviews I have had always go great. I have a great report with the interviewer and ask good questions.

Nothing is working for me. I am so discouraged and I'm really starting to believe getting my CPC was a huge financial mistake. I have spent THOUNSANDS of dollars with the AAPC over the past few years with the impression that I would be able to get a coding job quickly once I got my CPC. I am not sure if it's the dreaded "A" behind my credentials that is holding managers back from hiring me or what, but I am not going to give the AAPC another dime of my money to have my "A" removed with Practicode. I have a billing job now and hoping once I have been employed with them for two years that they will write a letter to the AAPC requesting to have my "A" removed.

Is anyone else going through this?

I have several years in billing and coding and literally just passed my exam yesterday. I was lucky to know people with the company I work for and got a job as PRN coder for the last several months. You may look into those while at your current job or reach out to companies inquiring about PRN. Also my company is hiring coders as the company is growing, Trilogy Healthcare revenue cycle management. Also may contact local employment agencies, may not be the highest paying or contract but gets your foot in the door.