Where to Score Black Friday Deals on Tech

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Online students have an excuse for going out and spending money on electronic gadgetry.  After all, a new all-in-one printer is useful for printing out coursework.  A new laptop will increase productivity during study times and also, allows online classes to load and play more quickly with less browser crashes.  And of course, a new flatscreen TV or media player is just the thing with which to reward your favorite Allen School Online student for studying hard and joining the workforce as a medical billing and coding specialist. Lifehacker has this pretty solid list of the best Black Friday deals available beginning Thanksgiving in the evening.   Share any sale info you may have come across with your classmates in the comments section.

Remember, They Fought for Our Freedoms

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On this Veteran’s Day, the Allen School Online Blog would like to offer sincere thanks and profound gratitude to all those who put themselves in grave harm’s way to protect and defend our Constitution, Bill of Rights and the freedoms they enumerate.  Their sacrifice and dedication should never be forgotten.  Please honor the memory of those who have fallen and those who have returned to us by being an engaged citizen.  Vote, participate, celebrate your right to self governance and thank a veteran for the gift of being able to have a voice in your country. “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. “ — John F. Kennedy

Laughter is the Best Medicine

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OK, so it’s Monday again.  I thought readers might enjoy a little levity.  Many of you students will go on to work in doctors’ offices all over the country.  A doctor’s office, like any other office, has its share of politics, fun customers, mean customers, gossip, laughter and tears.  Here’s to the laughter!  Check out this great compendium of  “Funny Stories from the Doctor’s Office” for some insight into the kinds of stories you’ll one day be able to recount to newbies entering the field.

Good Resource for Job Hunting

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The much ballyhooed takeover of AOL by the Huffington Post has yielded a very comprehensive resource for people seeking new employment.  If you’ve recently earned your Medical Billing and Coding certificate from Allen School Online, or if you’re soon to earn yours, you may be apprehensive about the looming job search.  It is true that finding gainful employment these days is more challenging than it has been in quite some time.  You’ll need any advantage you can come by if you’re to succeed.  Luckily, an Allen School certificate is one such advantage.  But it won’t land you the position you want if your resume, interviewing skills and salary negotiation chops are weak.  So take a look at the new Huffington Post/AOL Jobs and Career section for the latest and greatest tips and strategies for landing the dream gig.  Check back frequently because the content there is update rapidly and there’s always something new and useful to be found.

From Humble Beginnings

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Every recent report on the economy tells the same story with regard to the employment outlook.  For many industries, the outlook remains bleak.  Yet, throughout the devastating recession we still endure, the Medical industry continues to show solid, unwavering growth.  The imminent retirement of the Baby Boomer generation pretty much guarantees that those in the medical field will continue to be in high demand. This is a likely reason why you’ve decided to pursue a career in medical billing and coding at the Allen School Online.  But do you ever allow yourself to dream a little bigger?  The basis of understanding you’ll gain through your training here and subsequent immersion into the offices of doctors, surgeons and hospitals could act as a springboard for an even more intensive career in medicine.  Now, it’s not for everyone to aspire to rise up through the ranks from billing specialist to nurse, to nurse practitioner to eventually a medical doctor.  Nonetheless, it is not outside the realm of possibility.  It is likely that some of our Allen School Online grads will feel compelled to use their training as a springboard into full on medical careers.  I know many of you are probably thinking, “well, that couldn’t be me” and “my grades were never strong enough to get into med school”.  To you I say, consider Naomi’s story. Naomi (that’s her in the pic above) is currently enrolled in med school and studying to become a doctor.  But, she didn’t start out with that as her career plan in high school or even in college.  Yet, at her blog, www.get-into-medicalschool.com she shares her story and tips on how through hard work, perseverance and unshakable belief in yourself, you too could achieve what may seem like an impossible dream.  Even as most of you may not be driven to become doctors, I still recommend checking out her blog and gaining some inspiration from her story and her drive to succeed.  It almost certainly mirrors your own!  And for those of you who may be interested to learn what’s involved in taking this bold step in the future, Naomi’s “how to take the MCAT” page is chock full of great info.

Forbes: “Telehealth Among Top Paying Work-from-Home Jobs”

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Love studying medical billing and coding from home?  Then you’d probably love earning a high salary WORKING in medical billing and coding from home.  “Is that really an option” you may ask?  Well, Forbes magazine seems certain that it is.  In a recent article on the best paying work at home jobs, Forbes characterizes the field known as “telehealth” as among the highest paying, work from home career options.  Take it from this blogger who works from home in several of the other fields listed in the Forbes article (PR specialists and writers), earning a good wage while working from the comfort of home is where it’s at!  All the more reason to study hard online to earn your medical billing and coding certificate.

Perseverance

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We all have days when we feel like life’s challenges are just more than we can overcome.  If you’re feeling stretched thin, perhaps as you’re trying to train for a job in a new career field.  Or maybe you simply struggle to keep studies, work and family responsibilities from falling by the wayside.  Whatever your personal struggles, remember that the secret to success is to never give up.  Never give in.  PERSEVERE! Consider the story of Brandon Mulnix of Michigan.  Mulnix’s jaw was wired shut after injuries he sustained in a car wreck.  Yet he was scheduled to run a marathon.  A person with less perseverance might have opted to skip the 26 mile run.  But not Brandon.  He stuck to the task, no matter how large the obstacle in his path and completed the run in spite of his inability to consume solid foods for nutrition and energy. Kind of puts your struggles into perspective no?  Excelsior!

Starving Students Shouldn’t Suffer

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Hey, it’s hard to be a full time online student.  Especially if you’re also working full time and/or raising a family at the same time as you study to enter this exciting new field.  There frequently isn’t much do re mi left after you finish paying for all the essentials.  Lucky for you the fabulous folks at Kiplinger’s compiled this awesome list of freebies.  From meals, to books, to outings and more, there is lots to do, eat, drink, watch, listen to, read and enjoy for less than one thin dime.  Click here for the article chock full of fee-free goodness.   And if there’s nothing there that appeals to you, have a look at www.totallyfreestuff.com for even more gratis goodies.  If you’re still not satisfied, I will refund to you the full purchase price you paid for this blog.

You’re In Demand!

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It’s always nice to hear information that validates your efforts.  This is one of those bits of data that you’re sure to find heartening.  In an article for Yahoo! Education, Chris Kyle makes a list of career skills that are always in demand.  You can read his excellent article here, but the short version goes like this.  The Top 3 most in demand skills in all of business are:
  1. Organizational Skills
  2. People Skills
  3. Creative Skills
Then he lists two career choices perfectly suited for people with each of these in-demand skills.  For those with strong organizational ability, Kyle offers medical assistant as a perfect field where you’ll always be welcome.  So its good to know that the traits which may have driven you to online study in the field of medical billing and coding are the very same ones which will make you attractive to employers.  Well done!

The Modern Resumè What’s “In” and What’s “Out”

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The ongoing unemployment problem in the US has effected many changes in  the way Human Resources departments deal with hiring.  With 6 applicants for every single available job, the dynamics of how an applicant gets noticed have changed.  In fact, much of what was once the conventional wisdom with regard to resumè writing has been turned upside down.  So US News has prepared a list of the top 10 most outdated resumè strategies and practices.  The top 5 are: 1. You must use a land line for a phone interview. 2. Your resumè can only be one page.” 3. Every job has to go on your resumè to present a complete account of your professional history. 4. Include “references available upon request” on the bottom of your resumè. 5. Include an objective at the top of your resumè. To read the details of the thinking behind these tips and for the rest of the top 10, visit this excellent article from US News.