Why is it so difficult to get your first coding job?

[RosasHomestead]

Hi,
I'm a medical coding student, planning to finish my program in November. I'm also an LPN with 10 years of clinical experience, so I'm not new to the medical field. I am starting to think that it is going to be impossible to get a job as a medical coder after I complete my program and get certified.

I read other coders' stories about how they cannot find a job because of lack of experience, etc., however I've seen numerous job listings for coders, remote and in office, posted online for months. I've read that one should try to get a position as a receptionist or a similar job to get one's foot in the door and then wait for a coding job to be offered. This is like being a new nurse, with a license, and applying for an activities aid position, while waiting for a nursing position to open up.

Are there really no employers who will hire a new coder? How is one supposed to get experience if there are, supposedly, no jobs available to someone who has recently finished studying and been certified? What are employers looking for?

Thank you!
Kelly

 

[Ruth Sheets]

Kelly,
You have several advantages that I can see just reading your post. You know how to write well, you have had experience (10 years) as an LPN, and you are pro-actively looking for opportunities in your area. Don't be discouraged! I would suggest you take the steps to get certified (CPC) after you graduate in November.

In the meantime, here are some links to our ebooks that will give you some more information for tips to finding a coding job that suits you.

How To Get Started in the Lucrative Medical Coding Field -free
Get Your First Job in Medical Coding - free
A Career in Medical Coding - available from Amazon, $3.99

 

[Laureen]

Hi Rosas - we're seeing a lot of LPNs and RNs join the coding ranks - welcome! Regarding it being hard to get that first coding job that is true of any new field one gets into - coding is not exempt. That being said we do have tools like Practicode that will allow you to code real live cases as if on a real job. You get a proficiency score (speed + accuracy) that you can in turn use with prospective employers. And the makers of Practicode are called Aviacode -they are a remote coding firm and will hire based on those with good proficiency scores vs experience. We use practicode in our Medical Coding Practicum (MCP) course.

You might also be interested in our free E-Book.
Ebook - Get Your First Job in Medical Coding - http://cco.pe/1k0D0eS