by Ashley
(Orangeburg sc)
I’ve graduated from college. I have my medical billing and coding specialist certificate. I am pregnant and I can’t find a job in my area, I would love to be at home and work but I have no idea how to do that and I need some training!!
Ashley
Response:
Ashley,
I know it must be frustrating to have an education and be certified and not be able to find something in your area. The way I ended up getting into working from home in medical billing was through a friend who owned a billing business. I was really fortunate since I didn’t have any real billing experience – just some insurance experience – but they were willing to give me a chance. I started out working fairly simple and mundane tasks to learn things and prove myself.
You might try seeing if there are any billing services or small practices in your area – even if they are not posting a job. A lot of times a practice or business may need to hire someone but just hasn’t gotten around to posting an ad or getting the word out because they are so busy just trying to keep up that hiring decisions get postponed.
And some of the smaller billing business may not put so much emphasis on credentials and years of experience if they think you can help them get results right away. If you don’t have a lot of experience yet, I would emphasize the skills you’ve obtained in other jobs or training that are applicable to billing and coding.
One thing I’ve noticed in this business/occupation is just like with others its not always just what you know but who you know also. I think that’s why networking is so important – that’s how I’ve gotten most of my clients. If there’s anyone you know who may work for a doctor or billing service you might consider asking if they are aware of any openings. I noticed most people are very willing to help someone else that they know and trust to find a job.
As far as working from home – haven’t really known of many doctors offices or hospitals who allow billers and coders to work from home as a new hire. I think they are much more likely after working there for a while and developing a trust. The other way is operating a billing or coding services or consulting business like myself. But it can take a lot of effort to convince and sign clients – especially in a competitive area. But I’ve tried to share on the site how I’ve managed to start a business to work from home if that the direction you would like to take. It does take a lot of work to get a client.
You might also try some more unconventional ways of marketing yourself. I know Facebook is a powerful tool for getting the word out if you have a lot of friends. Anyone you know from school that is working and may know of openings their employer has. Look for opportunities on Craigs List. I’ve heard of people creating colorful brochures of their resume and handing out to potential employers – anything to get noticed and get your resume on top of the pile.
I know I’ve rambled a lot here but hopefully this will provide some ideas and encouragement.
Congratulations on your baby – that was the motivation for me to work from home. Although it took me a few years to get there.
Thanks,
Gina