How to Land Your First Medical Billing Job

As a medical billing instructor of many years, I am frequently asked how to land that first medical billing job.  My intention is to make this article concise and focused on the steps that I suggest to my own medical billing student when they graduate from my program.

How to Land Your First Medical Billing Job

Resume

The first step to getting a great medical billing is having excellent medical billing training. The second step is having a killer resume. A good resume should be 1 page long with a nicely written cover letter. The cover letter should briefly introduce you, briefly explain your skills and motivation to work for the facility, and thanking them for their time in reviewing your attached resume. The resume should be proofread and not contain ANY errors at all. It should include your educational background, work history for the past 5-6 years, contact information,  and any special skills. If you have weaknesses like a long break in work history, you can cover over that by doing more of a “skill based” resume. Microsoft Word has resume templates that you can use. It’s also a great idea to Google “resume samples” and see how different types of resumes are set up.  Do not “decorate” your resume with fancy fonts, etc. Use a normal font like New Times Roman.  I suggest using between 8-10 inch lettering.  You can use “bold” or “underlining” for headings.

Newspapers/Craigslist/Job Boards

Reading your local paper classified section is a good way to find some job leads. Also, Craigslist, local job boards, etc. are great ways to find some leads. Once you find a lead, then you will take the next step of making contact!

Make Phone Calls

Call local doctor’s offices and ask if they are hiring or expect to be soon. It’s always a good idea to ask to speak to the office manager. If they are hiring or expect to be, ask for an appointment for an interview or even to just drop off your resume. Be polite on the phone. Don’t take up too much of the manager’s time but make sure she knows your name and telephone number.

Stop By

 If you are asked a question that absolutely throws you for a loop, be honest about it. It’s okay to say, “Wow, that is a great question that I did not anticipate you asking. I’d like a moment to think about my answer.”  You may bring a list of questions about the job to the interview. Make pay one of the last things you inquire about.

Wrapping it Up

Medical billing is a hot job prospect right now. However, different areas of the country are, well, all different when it comes to what jobs are available. If you find yourself having a hard time landing a job, then offer to intern free of charge for 30 days in exchange for a letter of recommendation from the facility. Now, you have a “recommendation” in your hand for your next interview. Also, the facility may find that they want to hire you after all :).

By: Dawn Moreno, PhD, CBCS, CMAA, MTC. Dawn lives in the beautiful Southwest and has been a medical coding and billing instructor for over 7 years. Her joy is teaching adults new career skills. .  Interested in quality medical billing training?    Click Here for More Details about Medical billing Job

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AAPC – Entry level Medical Billing Jobs