Honest question about entry level coding jobs

[scott.c.walton@icloud.com]

I know this has been addressed in several threads, but not everything I am curious about in a single thread. I completed a Medical Coding certificate program from an accredited university, and am currently studying for the CPC exam. I have read '...there are no entry level coding jobs...' and 'find something coding adjacent and gain the experience that way'. If companies are requiring experience, but won't hire anyone to give them experience, and even jobs that are related and SHOULD give experience don't, then is it really even worth doing this? I decided on a career change after 20+ years in the tech field. I did research on various things that appealed to me, and Medical Coding was the winner. What I didn't expect, however, was it to be impossible to actually get a job. If you can get one of the requirements to drop the -A, yet Practicode is not recognized by most employers to drop the other requirement, what is the point of it? Sure it provides a level of 'experience' coding, but if it is not recognized, that just seems to be a waste. If 1+ years in a position (or even doing it for several years) that is coding-adjacent does nothing to meet the other requirement, or meet the requirement entirely, is this something worth pursuing? How does one get into the field if:
- experience is required
- nobody will hire to give experience
- required experience cannot be obtained
- few to no opportunities for truly entry level coders trying to get into the field

If there are honestly opportunities out there, I have already invested quite a bit of money and a lot of time, I would love to continue to pursue this.

 

[Lindseywil93@gmail.com]

I would recommend getting on with an employer in the medical field, preferably an employer that also has coders. A lot of companies give preference to hiring within, so even having a job with them that isn't coding related can give you a foot in the door. That's how I was able to get my first coding position. It was a large organization and still took a few tries to finally get a position, but I know that having experience with the company was a big plus for me when I did finally get hired.

 

[tlindo1]

Some jobs will hire CPC-A employees. They are not easy to find, and it takes time to get in the door. It took me over a year to find a job. If you can, internships are a great way to gain experience; generally, they don't pay, so they're not an option for many. Other options include reaching out to companies directly instead of searching job sites, making connections with other coders, and looking into jobs like billing or other medical-related roles. This is not a job where you get your credentials and step into a role right away. Every coder I know had to work very hard to find their first job, and it took time. Jobs are out there; they are not easy to come by, and there is a lot of competition. Try not to get discouraged, but be prepared to realize it will take work and time. I wish you the best.

 

[lesleyjblack@yahoo.com]

I had this problem once I got my certification and started job hunting. It's frustrating because these schools don't give any indication that finding a job without experience is next to impossible. I lucked out and found a privately owned peds practice hiring for a coder. The person I was replacing left before I started, and there wasn't anyone else that had knowledge of coding. I basically walked in and had zero help! Good luck to you!!

 

[jodielonkoski]

Like most jobs, especially ones needing certification, it'll depend a lot on where you live. Remote positions are tough to find/get, but if you live in an area with a lot of medical practices you'll have more luck. I live in the Albany NY area and got my CPC in 2023, within about a week i had 3 interviews nearby, but no responses (ever, lol) from the remote places i applied to. look for related positions like billing, payment entry, collections, records, etc that would be in a billing office. Check smaller practices like dentists office, eye doctors, plastic surgery, and you may have luck, and don't just check linkedin/job sites, the job i ended up getting wasn't listed anywhere but their website. Related experience will help, as reference i had ~8 years working in a pharmacy and then front desk for an endocrinology office, which helped me a lot.