Once you’ve completed your medical billing and coding education, you probably feel you’re all ready to find a job in that field and start this exciting and rewarding career. You may have some questions on how you should begin your job hunt Is there anything more you need to do? Where can you find a medical billing and coding job? Can you find one in your local area? To get some valuable information on finding a medical billing and coding job, check out the information below.
Don’t Forget Certification
As important as it may be to complete a medical billing and coding training program, it’s not necessarily going to be enough to instantly land you a job. Although completing training in medical billing and coding is important, you must also obtain certification. Certification is a requirement by most, if not all, potential employers.
You can obtain certification through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) or the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC). Both of these organizations offer multiple levels of certification. To become certified, you must pass a computer-based certification exam for each level of certification you hope to obtain.
Finding Local Medical Billing and Coding Jobs
Finding a job can be difficult, particularly with a challenging economy and a large amount of competition in the field. You’ll be happy to know that there are many resources at your fingertips. Consider visiting medical facilities in your area in person to fill out a job application and let hiring managers know you’re interested in working with them. Also, let them know of your credentials. You might also consider approaching a local job service agency. Most job service agencies also have websites for your convenience.
General Job Websites
The Internet can prove to be a valuable resource when looking for medical billing and coding jobs. The great thing about most of the online job sites is that they allow you to do a customized search based on your location or your desired location. Indeed.com is one site where you can look for medical billing and coding jobs. Other valuable online resources for finding medical billing and coding jobs are Monster.com and CareerBuilder.com.
Field-Specific Job Websites
The AAPC has a health care employment section right on its website. You enter certain criteria, such as the type of job you’re seeking and the location, and you’ll see various results for your search. The results will show many medical billing and coding jobs in various cities and companies. AHIMA also has an online job site where you can post your resume and find companies that are looking for healthcare professionals, including medical billers and coders.
Additional Resources
AHIMA offers many resources to help graduates find their first jobs, such as webinars and helpful articles. Another site that offers training, certification and job information for medical billers and coders is the Professional Association of Healthcare Coding Specialists. You must become a member, however, to have access to the information and resources.
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