That’s a pretty heavy title isn’t it? With a title like “The Ultimate Career Guide Tip” you’re probably expecting substantial proof this tip is legit. That’s fair. In order to deliver this proof and convince you the tip is worth your time, I’ll deviate from the regular article or blog post formula just a bit.
First, I guess you want to know what the tip is. I’m like that too. Tell me now so I can decide if I want to continue. No such luck this time. It’s important that you read further before I divulge the ultimate tip. The good news is, you won’t be bored. The following paragraphs tell a true story that will hopefully help you see the value of the tip.
Last week I called my friend Dwayne for advice. We’ve been friends for about sixteen years. No we’re not super old. We’ve just stayed in touch over the years though we never see each other. The background on our friendship is to establish the validity of confidence we have in each other.
Back to the story. An older woman I’ve known for many years recently asked me about working from home. She works full time and has been seeking a legitimate way to cut down on her commute and spend more time at home with her retired husband. She asked about my networking and if I had any ideas to help her.
I asked her what interested her and what she wanted to do. She’d considered medical billing and coding. After I gathered more information from her, we ended the conversation with me promising to reach out to some of my contacts, doing a little research and following up with her at a later date.
It was a couple days later that I called Dwayne. He is what’s considered an accomplished medical records professional. His current title is Coding Consultant. It sounds fancy but the best part is he loves his job and he knows his stuff. Oh, and he gets to travel all over the country. Not bad, you might think. Not bad at all, especially considering the path Dwayne took to reach this level of success in his career. Here’s what he did:
1. Got his bachelor’s degree in Sports Medicine (he wanted to do something health related)
2. After graduation he accepted a not so glamorous position just to pay his bills
3. He then volunteered with a local hospital in their medical records department
4. After volunteering for less than six months he studied for and received his medical coding certification
5. Still working two jobs, he began a correspondence course to sharpen his coding skills
6. When a coding vacancy opened up in the hospital Dwayne was offered the position
7. After seven years experience and more certifications under his belt, Dwayne accepted a position as a Coding Consultant who travels to hospital across the United States and occasionally works from home on his laptop
Did you figure out the ultimate career guide tip? Find a way to volunteer where you want to end up. Options include working remotely, working even one night a week, working one day each weekend or if possible rearranging your current schedule.
Volunteering gives you hands on experience and places you at the top of the hiring list when a position becomes available. It’s even easier to do if you’re currently unemployed.
During my conversation with Dwayne he outlined the steps necessary for my other friend to get certified, get experience, get a coding job and he provided the name of a company for which she could eventually work with from the comfort of her home.
