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firemanbrian

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I recently took the cpc test, passed now i am certified, but jobs are hard to come by unless you live in a big city ie Seattle. Sure there is alot of jobs out there for remote coding but all want 2-3+ years of experience i can not just pick my family up and move to a big city for a job. And driving 3+ hours a day just to get to work well you get the drift any recommendations. I paid 3000 for this course now i want to use it. HELP HELP
 
Its always a good idea to see what kind of jobs are available before you train for one but its too late now. Yes its going to be harder to find a local job if there aren't a lot of local jobs. Remote isnt typically going to accept new coders since you need to be self sufficient. Id keep an eye out for HCC coding jobs since there are many companies that hire CPC-A's for remote and provide training. More and more HCC jobs open up once you have the experience. Bad part is they can typically be seasonal
 
firemanbrian said:
I recently took the cpc test, passed now i am certified, but jobs are hard to come by unless you live in a big city ie Seattle. Sure there is alot of jobs out there for remote coding but all want 2-3+ years of experience i can not just pick my family up and move to a big city for a job. And driving 3+ hours a day just to get to work well you get the drift any recommendations. I paid 3000 for this course now i want to use it. HELP HELP
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Yes, I'm afraid that the reality is that your certification, while a great achievement, is no guarantee of a job, especially since you gained your certification so recently.

There are hundreds and hundreds of coders in the same position as you, many expecting to land that first job. Unfortunately, AAPC and other institutions that provide training do not spell out the difficulties you may face in finding coding employment.

This topic appears on the forum almost every day and the consensus is to do several things. Make yourself very saleable. Create a great resume, create a great cover letter to accompany any applications, tell the company what you can do for them. Be flexible in applying for jobs; in other words, don't limit yourself to coding jobs. Look for anything in a medical office/facility, such as data entry, filing, anything. All this counts as experience and often leads to further opportunities.

The pay may (will) not be what you expect but it would be unreasonable to think you can walk into a coding job and earn 40K. I left an auditing job last year having coded and audited for 7 years and was on not much more than 40K.....however the company was notoriously poor for reimbursing well. I felt they were using me. Coding is not a well-paid profession. Keep your expectations realistic.

Of course, geographical location has some bearing on pay. Unfortunately, if you live in a remote or poorly populated area your opportunities will be limited. As another poster said, HCC work is a good possibility with many opportunities and is the way to go for many newly-certified coders. Learn all you can about it online without paying for more training. Companies will train you and most work is remote (CSI create a lot of HCC jobs for newly-certified coders. That would be my recommendation).

So, be flexible, patient, persistent, stand out from the crowd and you will succeed. Good luck.
 
Mistaken

Brian getting your cpc is a huge accomplishment and I have no doubt you will find a job. You have an amazing resume and will be an asset to any employer. Please don't let anyone tell you different
There are several opportunities within your reach and you have proven over and over that you can do anything you put your mind to.
 
Yeah, this is the hard truth I'm learning as well. That certification meant nothing without hospital experience. Unless you got the money to shell out for that "coding proficiency" You're basically stuck with not even doing what you got certified for. Seems like even in entry-level places in hospitals (Like billing, data filing, etc) they want even the slightest amount of experience.

I'd say do like me, just accept that you either gotta go for HHA or med assistant or just do retail
 
Great job on passing your CPC. That is something to be very proud of, truly.

I live close to a city with a population of 75,000. We are what you might call a Medical poor town. There is a medical facility on every street. Well, not really but it seems that way. But even with so many medical places, it took me a year, literally almost to the day of my passing the exam, to find a coding job.

What I did to get my foot in the door is I took a position as a receptionist at one of the clinics. Sure, I was not coding, but I was working around people in the medical business. As it got closer to the year mark, I started rethinking about what I could do. I was so completely frustrated and I even spoke to the Nursing College in town to see about becoming an RN. I was getting no where being a coder and I wanted something, anything! However, right about that time an opening at the cardiology clinic became available and because I had stuck it out and worked for the medical community as a receptionist/collections, someone I was working under vouched for me as an employee. That's how I got into the coding field.

Trust me, I know how very frustrating it is to work so hard and take that grueling test only to not find a job, but you will find a coding job. You have to have patience, find a job in a medical facility to get your foot in the door, stay close in touch with your AAPC local chapter and keep your eyes and ears open. It will come, I swear.

Allana, CPC
 
Kinda jumped the gun

About 3 days after i posted this i was offered a job about 87 miles away. I think I was just getting stressed as i have been unemployed since october of last year. This is such a blessing and I am so excited that I will be able to use this Certification i worked so hard to get.
 
firemanbrian said:
About 3 days after i posted this i was offered a job about 87 miles away. I think I was just getting stressed as i have been unemployed since october of last year. This is such a blessing and I am so excited that I will be able to use this Certification i worked so hard to get.
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Once you get the experience it will be easier to move to a position closer to home.
 
frustrated CPC-A

I passed the CPC exam in October 2016, have been applying to remote and local positions but can't even get an interview or response back from remote applications. I live in Tallahassee, FL and there is very little to apply to in this town. I agree that most all of the remote positions want 2-5 years experience. I have been a Medical Assistant for 30 years, a Charge Entry person for 2 years and I have an Associates in Surgical Technology and now I am a CPC-A. Even with all this experience and education, I don't hear anything back. I know it hasn't been a long time since I passed the exam, but i am getting frustrated and worried I may not land a coding job. I can't just move either, I have a husband and son who love their jobs. Meanwhile, I am stuck being a Medical Assistant, which is not bad but I am getting older and more sore by the day. This is why I took the CPC course to begin with, so I can have a job that does not require me to run around all day and be so totally exhausted when I get home that I can barely cook dinner! Sorry for all the complaining, I'm just tired and frustrated. If any one has some good advice, I am all ears...
Susan
sw.coder.3@gmail.com
 
Do you go to your chapter meetings? At our meetings there is an opportunity at the end of the meetings for members to announce if their employer is hiring. Our members are encouraged to bring copies of their resumes to meetings. One member who works at the local hospital, which is the largest employer in my local area, announces the jobs she has available and tells members to give resumes directly to her. She hires the coders for her department and HR forwards resumes to her but she said it is very difficult to get past HR because most resumes are rejected before she gets them - they are kicked out electronically if the candidate does not have what they are looking for. All of her employees sit together and I can tell from past meetings that she has hired members from our chapter.

Also is there a group in your area for professional women? I have recently joined a group in my area, most woman work for themselves or work remotely for somebody else. I am hoping that at least one of these woman are a remote coder and can help me in my quest to work remotely.

Heather
 
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Hi,

I agree with other poster, attend local chapter meetings for networking and job info.
Some places want you to work on-site for a time before going remote, is that possible for you? Can you work part-time then full-time? Try medical coder web sites too.

You will get a job soon. Stay positive and take care. :)
 
I completely understand. I took a course that came with one year's coding experience. I passed my CPC in September, and still nothing! I am so incredibly frustrated. I have applied and applied. But, I have no actual "paid" experience. I joined my local chapter to try and make contacts, and I am coming up with nothing. I really was under the impression there was a large demand for coders, and, so we sacrificed so I could get my certification. Now, it has been almost nine months and still nada. I honestly do no know what I am doing wrong. Beyond frustrating. Beginning to wonder if all my hard work was a waste of time.
 
gardenchic1225@gmail.com said:
I passed the CPC exam in October 2016, have been applying to remote and local positions but can't even get an interview or response back from remote applications. I live in Tallahassee, FL and there is very little to apply to in this town. I agree that most all of the remote positions want 2-5 years experience. I have been a Medical Assistant for 30 years, a Charge Entry person for 2 years and I have an Associates in Surgical Technology and now I am a CPC-A. Even with all this experience and education, I don't hear anything back. I know it hasn't been a long time since I passed the exam, but i am getting frustrated and worried I may not land a coding job. I can't just move either, I have a husband and son who love their jobs. Meanwhile, I am stuck being a Medical Assistant, which is not bad but I am getting older and more sore by the day. This is why I took the CPC course to begin with, so I can have a job that does not require me to run around all day and be so totally exhausted when I get home that I can barely cook dinner! Sorry for all the complaining, I'm just tired and frustrated. If any one has some good advice, I am all ears...
Susan
sw.coder.3@gmail.com
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You don't say what type of practice you work for, but the first step, if you haven't done that already, is to make friends with the coding manager or other powers that be where you already work. You have a proven track record with them, plus you have experience that most of us don't; a clinical background. As others have mentioned your chapter meetings are a valuable resource. When I changed careers I came from a sales background and my first efforts involved networking. Most positions are filled because somebody knows someone, not because they answer an ad.
 
Patience + Persistence = Success

Hey there. I understand your frustration. I teach the CPC Exam Prep course and always let my students know that receiving your certification wouldn't magically land you a job. It's just like any other field. It may take time for newer graduates to land that dream job. So it goes for new coders! I live in a big city so maybe some land a job a little sooner than others but its not uncommon for CPC-As to try for several months before landing a job. The common thread for all the ones who finally landed that coding job was patience and persistence. They didn't take no for an answer. They continued to look for ways to tweak their resumes. They were relentless in responding to jobs postings for coding positions. Some accepted jobs as hospital billers to get their foot in the door and then, after 6 months, moved into a coding job.

The jobs are still out there. And many of them do ask for experience. But just like any other industry, you have to convince the employer that you are worth the risk of hiring a new coder and don't give up just because a few people have said no. Don't limit yourselves to hospitals. Branch out! There are insurance companies and other healthcare organizations that also need coders. Have you asked if they would be willing to accept you as an intern/extern so that you could get experience? If you work out, they could hire you in the end. Have you worked with your local temp agencies? Often this leads to both experience and possible permanent positions.

This is the long way to say, don't give up. I love coding. It's allowed me to teach, consult and mentor other coders. But it took patience and persistence!

Your Fellow AAPC Member
CPC, CPMA, CPCO, CPC-I
 
Cpc-a

firemanbrian said:
I recently took the cpc test, passed now i am certified, but jobs are hard to come by unless you live in a big city ie Seattle. Sure there is alot of jobs out there for remote coding but all want 2-3+ years of experience i can not just pick my family up and move to a big city for a job. And driving 3+ hours a day just to get to work well you get the drift any recommendations. I paid 3000 for this course now i want to use it. HELP HELP
Click to expand...

I have been in your shoes. I did research the job market and the school I attended BEFORE taking the courses and CPC exam. It was much harder than I realized. I volunteered at a hospital to get hands on experience and to network. I was offered a job from there but it was not coding. I paid my dues and finally I am working as a coder. Please look into CSI Company (HCC coding opportunities). They do take CPC-A's and it is remote work. Also sign up for LinkedIn and Indeed.com

Keep us posted! Good luck!
 
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