How to Lose a Medical Billing Job Online

Today, thanks to the popularity of the internet, sprawling social media landscape and the ubiquity of the camera phone, pretty much everything about our lives are online somewhere.  Do you remember any of the pictures and comments you posted on MySpace.com?  The Internet does!  This is why for young adults working on their medical billing online degrees in hopes of landing a good paying career, the following information is critically important. We all have already been told that Internet etiquette suggests we post nothing in public areas (think Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) that we wouldn’t want our granny to see.  Or, if you prefer, don’t do anything online that you would be too embarrassed to do in a public place.  But carry this logic a step further to consider the availability of your online behavior to the hiring manager you may interview with for a job. Hateful comments, lewd behavior, nude photos, photos of alcohol or drug use posted on social media can be all it takes for a hiring manager to drop your resume like a hot potato.  Even strong political or religious posts or comments can be negatively viewed. Similarly, for those already gainfully employed as a medical billing or coding pro, online activity can torpedo your job.  For example, blowing off steam about your boss to your sympathetic friends could potentially be seen by coworkers or, worse yet, your boss.  Then there’s also the tale of the medical billing manager who called in sick but really went to the football game and posted pics smiling at the fifty yard line.  HR saw the posts and you can guess what happened. There are plenty of other ways to screw up your career through undisciplined usage of social media.  Check out this article from Business News Daily for the comprehensive list of social media mistakes that will ruin your career.

Some careers more than others earn workers special recognition from society at large.  Of course all work is honorable and every person’s efforts and contributions add something to society.  But there aren’t many fields as universally valued as the healthcare field.  Ask anyone who has lost their health and they’ll tell you that health is the number one most important thing in life and that all other happiness flows from being free from physical pain and suffering.  So it follows that those who help people return to healthy conditions, the doctors, nurses and certified nurse assistants, earn the gratitude and admiration of society on a daily basis. It is not surprising then to see the multitude of results returned from a simple web search for “nurse assistant awards”.  The preponderance of results illustrate the extent to which certified nurse assistants are making a difference in all the communities they serve.  Here a few examples of certified nurse assistants recognized for their contributions and excellence all across the United States. Saint Louis, MO Seminole, OK Anderson, TX Tallahassee, FL And the list goes on and on.  Perform your own search to see just how many people are making a difference studying to become certified nurse assistants and then making their mark on one of the world’s most important and meaningful careers.

Nowhere is it more important to manage one’s temper and overall demeanor than in the role of medical assistant.  Medical assistants as well as most other healthcare career positions require a well-cultivated bedside manner.  After all, medical assistants and their colleagues routinely deal with people at their most vulnerable.  This would be difficult enough if not compounded by the fact that patients are often in a bad frame of mind precisely because they’re feeling vulnerable (not to mention the discomfort of their ailments). Like any other fields that require direct service to the public, medical assistants must become very good at maintaining their composure, even in the face of anger. nastiness, impatience and other negative emotions that may be inadvertently directed toward them during the course of their workday.  Dealing with this is not necessarily something included in medical assistant training.  But failing to manage one’s temper can certainly come back to haunt a person. This particular example illustrates the worst case scenario in this regard.  The story involves a man riding the Tube (the subway) in London one morning commute, when he finds his path is blocked by another man in the crowded train car.  The first man shoves his fellow “Tube” rider aside to pass by and lobs an “F-bomb” toward this obstructing fellow so as to punctuate his anger.   Later that day, upon arriving at a job interview, the angry rider came to the shocking realization that his interviewer was the very same man he’d cursed at in the Tube that morning. Moral of the story?  Learning to moderate one’s temper has a direct effect on one’s ability to land and maintain a job.  This is true in all fields, but especially true in the medical field.  Be nice to one another out there!

So, you’ve completed your nurse assistant training with the Allen School and you’re setting out to land your first job in your new career.  It is important to be up to date on your knowledge of resume writing, cover letters and interview techniques.   This is something we’ve covered here for a long time.  But today, we’re going to examine the social dynamic of interviewing and provide you with some ammunition to go into your interview with. As this excellent article in Forbes points out, candidates should not feel like supplicants during the interview process.  While some hiring managers seem to go out of their way to ask questions designed to throw the candidate off their game and reveal how they respond under duress, it is important to remember that at this stage of the game, you’re on a level playing field with the person sitting across from you.  Sure, they may be your boss once you’ve been hired.  But today, you’re an equal.  You’re a professional seeking not just a job, but a job that works for you as much as you’ll work for the job. You should enter an interview with poise and self respect.  Don’t allow yourself to be browbeaten and if you are being treated dismissively or unkindly, take that as a sign that this is not the position for you.  Be confident, respectful, and calm. At the end of most interviews, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions for them about the opportunity or the company.  Beyond the standard advice we’ve given regarding this question in the past (research the company and ask about the work, don’t ask about salary yet, etc.) the three questions below demonstrate your confidence and convey that you value yourself and your time as an equal with the interviewing agent.

1. What items are on your hot list, the things you most want and need to have completed and off your plate three months from now?
2. What is the biggest goal for your department this year, and how would I as a new team member contribute to that goal?
3. What is the biggest problem you’re looking to hire someone to solve for you?

Ask these three questions and not only will you gain some critical insight about the nature of the position that you may not have known, but you’ll also telegraph that you have strong self-worth and won’t be someone easily taken advantage of.