The sad truth is that many "schools" lead students to believe if you complete their program or get a certain certification you will instantly be employed. I dare say some are taking advantage of people who need a job! This is true of many vocational programs.
It's a long fall to reality for the people who expect that if they get certified they will land that part-time remote coding job and work from home in their pajamas within a month! Sure, there will be some lucky few in the right place at the right time (or networked with the right person), but for the majority it's a tough road. I would say the length of this road depends on a few things:
1) Expectations - If you're looking for that dream remote coding job, you could be looking for a while. If you're looking for any job - period - and open to "get your foot in the door" opportunities like Front Office, Medical Records, etc., you could find something in a couple months.
2) Work experience - What else have you got going for you? Experience in a medical office (no matter what role)? Computer skills? Customer service? Some employers look for "3-5 years coding experience" while others might say "2 years experience required" ... while the first is looking for experienced coders the second is likely looking for someone with 2 years of relevant experience. If you've worked in a medical office for 2 years verifying insurance eligibility you have a shot!
3) Networking - As they say, it's not what you know but who you know. Roughly 70% of jobs are not advertised. Some of these jobs go to friends and acquaintances... some are just lucky! We hired a MA (fresh out of school, no experience) that came into our office with a resume one day. Someone had just announced they were leaving so the job wasn't advertised yet. She came in and was very friendly and made an impression on the staff. She was nice - someone we could see ourselves working with. The office manager was out so the next day several staff members go to the office manager and suggest hiring her because she's so nice... People who met her for less than 5 minutes were vouching for her!
At long last, to answer your question, I was one of the lucky ones. I was working as a MA but the pace was starting to take a toll. I went out and got my certification and used it to transfer to the Billing department. I'd been working there for 6 years and knew the practice inside-out so it didn't take a lot of convincing. But before you dismiss that as just being "one of the lucky ones" ... look at the facts: While I'd working primarily as a clinical MA (bringing patients back, working with medical records, etc.) I had also spent time working in the Front Office (phones, appointments, insurance verification) and even helped the Billing Department when they would get behind (posting payments). I'm also the office computer geek so I've become the go-to for issues with our EHR. It was six years in the making but I have: EHR proficiency, medical office experience, insurance experience, customer service, medical records, etc...
While I "instantly" had a job, you could also say it took me 6 years to get there. My point is that the "credential" didn't get me the job - my work experience did. If you have "relevant" experience, you need to leverage it! If you have absolutely zero experience, you need to go get some. My advice is to be "strategic" and get work experience you can sell as "relevant" to where you want to eventually end up.
Looking for work is the hardest "work" I've ever done in my life. Hang in there. Best of luck!
