Growth Trends for Related Jobs

How to Get a Job in Medical Billing Without Experience

Medical billing positions involve data entry, data analysis and extensive customer service skills. They are usually entry-level positions. Though some companies may prefer a candidate with experience, training for the job does not take long, and it is possible to get hired without the experience. Medical billing is not the same thing as medical coding, which requires training and certification.

Finish high school and earn your diploma or your state's educational equivalent. You will not find a medical billing office that will hire you without a high school education.

Take a free customer service course online (see Resources). Medical billers spend hours each day on the phone with patients and insurance companies, so customer service skills are a must. If you don't have the experience, you can make up for it by having customer service training on your resume.

Consider volunteering at a local hospital. You will most likely serve in a receptionist position or as a volunteer orderly who brings food to the patients. Though it is not medical billing experience, it is exposure to the medical world that an employer may appreciate.

Write your resume. Include your work experience and education. Emphasis any applicable skills you have, such as operating a multi-line phone system, project management or data entry of any kind.

Clean up your credit report if there are any negative marks on it by paying the creditors. Some employers may run a credit check as part of your background check. Medical billers often process patient payments, so your employer has to trust you to handle large amounts of cash and checks. A poor credit report may reflect badly on your trustworthiness.

Send your application to medical billing offices, doctor's offices and local hospitals. Some doctor's offices do their billing in-house and some hire out, so sending to all three establishments will cover your bases.

Network with other medical professionals. When you go in for check-ups, ask the nurse if the office is hiring, or if she knows if any of the offices that are. The medical industry in most cities is fairly tight-knit, so the employees in your doctor's office should know about the hiring state of a few other offices.

Express your ability to learn the job quickly when you land an interview with a potential employer. Tell him about your last job and how quickly you picked up the different aspects of the job. Emphasize your organizational skills, data entry skills and phone skills. Send a hand-written thank you note after the interview.

Writer

Based in Richmond, Va., Dawn Gibbs writes about topics such as history, fashion, literature, crafts, alternative medicine and healthy living. Her work has appeared on GreenDaily.com and several style websites. Gibbs holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Virginia Commonwealth University.