Survey insights: What employers look for in new medical coders

Earning your medical coding certification is a major milestone, but landing that first job can be another challenge entirely. A survey of hiring professionals reveals why newly certified coders get passed over — and what candidates can do to stand out, even without experience.

5 min read

Enhance your job search

In early 2025, I created an anonymous survey to discover what hiring personnel look for in a candidate when they consider hiring a newly certified coder. The purpose of the survey was to gain insight into one of the most asked questions in the medical coding industry: “Why is it so hard to get a job without experience?”

The survey responses revealed several recurring themes. Some reasons were outside a candidate’s control, while others highlighted areas where newly certified coders could improve their competitiveness.

Why employers pass on newly certified coders

Some medical coding programs unintentionally create unrealistic expectations in students by emphasizing career outcomes once the program is completed, without fully communicating how competitive the job market can be. The reality is that if you want to get hired without experience, you’re going to have to step up and put in the effort. Begin by learning why employers might be passing on your application — identifying hiring factors that are within your control — to improve your chances among the competition.

What can keep you from getting hired?

Reasons for rejecting a newly certified job candidate include:

• Lack of budget or hiring freeze

• Unrealistic salary expectations

• Lack of demonstrated skill

• Cannot pass an entry-level coding test

• Lack of preparation or poor interview skills

• Not having a mentor available to assist with training

• Candidate doesn’t seem serious about the career

• Client requirements

Understand the employer's perspective

From a company’s perspective, there can be extraordinary risk when bringing on a new coder. If a new hire leaves quickly because they don’t like the work or do not possess the skills to submit quality work, the healthcare organization must repeat the entire hiring process, which takes time and money.

Set realistic salary expectations

There can also be false expectations when it comes to salary. Salaries differ from state to state and company to company. If you’re new and lack experience, demanding more than you’re worth as an entry-level employee can stifle your ability to secure your first position. Realize that you may have to enter the healthcare field with a salary that doesn’t match your end goal. Once you’re hired and gain experience a higher salary will follow.

What makes a new coder stand out?

The purpose of my survey wasn’t just to identify why a new coder may not be hired, but also what can increase a candidate’s chances of standing out and getting hired.

Top reason:

• Having an eagerness to learn and dedication to continuous education

Secondary reasons:

• Strong performance on coding assessment

• Pleasing personality

• Team player

• Coachable; ability to take feedback in a constructive manner

Show you're willing to learn

An eagerness to learn and stay committed to continued education is a way to show that you take this field seriously. Without this trait, it will be hard to succeed in a field where there is constant change.

Prove your skills with a coding assessment

Passing a pre-employment coding assessment provides another way to show your value. It demonstrates your competence to the hiring team and helps reduce the perceived risk of hiring someone without experience.

Be the kind of teammate employers want

Having a pleasing personality, being a team player, and being coachable all go hand in hand. Having team spirit and a willingness to step up and pitch in are extremely important qualities. Accepting feedback in a positive way and with an open mind is equally important. Combined, these traits help create a collaborative, safe, and stable work environment.

What hiring professionals want new coders to know

In addition to desirable personal qualities, my survey also asked for valuable unfiltered advice from professionals for new coders. Here are five of the responses I received:

Five pieces of advice from the field

Attend a quality coding program. Have a well-prepared, thoughtful resume. Find ways to practice coding. Acquire CEUs that sharpen skills. Practice interview skills.

Be humble. Prepare so you are correctly confident, but work your way up in a position and pay. If you love coding, it will be worth it. If you don’t, you will never survive the assembly line of charts. Also, hiring managers and recruiters are on social media platforms, too. Stop with the negative and entitled posts. If someone helped you at all, thank them at every opportunity, especially publicly. It is a small world in healthcare.

Be outgoing and ask lots of questions when interviewed. Work on your resume.

Learn everything. Go to every chapter meeting you can. Find someone willing to mentor you and guide you toward the resources that are most conducive to your growth.

Look for entry level and/or apprenticeship programs.

Much of this advice resonated with me because I experienced many of these challenges firsthand during my own job search.

What seven months of job searching taught me

Like so many new coders, I did not get hired immediately. It took me almost seven months of applications, rejections, and self-reflection before I got a job offer. This self-reflection included asking myself a multitude of questions about my interview performance. Did I come across as timid or lacking self-confidence? Did I ask enough of the right questions? Did I perform well on a coding assessment?

The changes that helped me get hired

What I took away from this self-reflection was that I needed to improve my confidence, strengthen my interview skills, and demonstrate that I can collaborate effectively as part of a team even though I am an introvert. I also needed to stand out on LinkedIn to potential employers. By accomplishing these goals, I landed my first professional healthcare position.

Take an honest look at your own job search

If you have struggled to secure your first coding position, take some time to self-reflect. Be completely honest with yourself. Ask yourself whether your resume truly stands out, how you feel you present yourself in interviews, and why you may be getting interviews but no offers.

Certification opens the door. Preparation gets you hired.

The healthcare field is fiercely competitive, and it may take time and grit to find that first job. Practice coding and do mock interviews in your free time. Work on your resume or hire someone to do it. Remove any feelings of entitlement from the very beginning, and remember: No one owes you a job. Successful coders are resourceful. They know how to research, locate reliable information, and find answers when challenges arise. Use those skills in your job search.

When all is said and done, you should be able to prove your passion for the field, the value you bring to the table, and why you are worth the investment as a newly certified coder at your next interview. Certification may open the door, but preparation, persistence, and professionalism are what help you walk through it.