Job Search Skills for the Medical Transcriptionist

You have just finished your Medical Transcription Course and you are ready to venture out into the world of job hunting.  Is that silent screams I hear from students/grads?  The job hunt can be a daunting one, but guess what?  You get to stay in your jammies and do the leg work.  Sweet. 

Job hunting should really start when you are finishing up your course.  Begin to pay attention to where people in the forums are getting their jobs, begin networking, pay attention to what they did right.  Research and make your top ten list of companies you would like to work for.  Find out all you can about them.  Job hunting is your job for the next 3 to 4 weeks.  You will be testing.  My advice is to test for a few companies that are not your top three first.  Get the testing under your belt.  The testing, at some companies, is the same as the Career Step examination, so that is a comfortable feel.  Oh and get ready for some doozies!! Testing is not fun.  And the cardinal rule is DO NOT GUESS EVER.  Blanks are our friends. 

Your resume is just as important as the test, maybe more so.  I had a cover letter for some of the companies I sent out designed like a doctor's report.  SOAP format, of course.  Subjective, objective, assessment and plan. It was quirky and was something a bit different.  Plan out some way for your resume to stand out a bit from the crowd, but make sure it is not a spelling mistake that makes it stand out.  They are looking at a lot of resumes, so any advantage you can make, will work in your favour.  (I am Canadian remember, we add a u to favour) Another resume tip is to include the resume in the body of the report, as well as or instead of an attachment.  Some companies won't look at an attachment, what with a world full of viruses.  Last tip about your resumes, don't worry if you have no job experience--you have the training behind you.  Have fun with your resume, stay at home moms of 15 years!  Think of all the life skills you have and put them down as Time management, organizational, PTA experience, Volunteer work etc.  Think outside the box for your resume. 

When you get a call for an interview don't be nervous.  You have the education behind you!! Some companies will waive the 3 year requirement for Career Step grads.  Apply at the companies that  sound like a good fit.  Ask if they have a training program for new grads. BE CONFIDENT. They need you, remember.  They are not doing you a favour by hiring you.  You are the back bone to their business.  And if it is not the right fit, move on to the next.  Don't stress out about it. 

This brings me to a point I wanted to be sure to make.  If you start or it doesn't feel right, get out.  You don't owe them a thing.  Do a bit more research and see if there are reasons for the feelings.  And pay attention to the negative comments too.  Take them with a grain of salt, but a lot of the comments are not just sour grapes, but real concerns that you need to deal with.  There are a lot of companies that will hire new MTs and take advantage of them.  I know a handful of people (and I don't know that many people) that were taken by smaller companies that decided to not pay them.  Be careful once you are working and don't except excuses for not being paid on a continual basis.  Move on to a different company.  Don't fall victim.    And don't give up if your first experience is not stellar.  I know a couple of girls that were discouraged by the pay and gave up and moved on to something else.  Find a better fit for you, don't give up.  There are tons of companies that need good MTs, so don't undervalue yourself. 

Don't forget to check into transcribing for your own group of doctors or setting up a co-op with some of your MT network.  It is not a large output of money to do this.  You will need a FTP, express scribe, a file done in a mp3 from your doctor and you are ready to go.  I know there is more, but begin researching this if this is what you would like to do.  And the money involved in this is much more than 6 cents per line.  So you will make more money or have less hours to work.  Sounds good to me. 

Job hunting can be a chore and stressful as all get out, but remember that you are in control and you have been trained and are considered a professional.  Send out your resumes and wait for the right fit.  Enjoy your job hunting because soon you will be tied to the computer working for a living.