HIM / HIA PROFESSIONALS

Job search for new HIM graduates

Prepared by Alan Soskel, RHIA

Sept. 2013

FIRST THINGS FIRSTStudy, study, study

Study and Grades

• A high GPA does not help that much in a job search.

• However, a low GPA will hurt• Moral of the story:

– You still need to get good grades

• Prepare to take employer assessment tests that test for practical problem solving skills in a timed-environment. Try to take some practice tests. Some employers value these tests higher than GPA.

Study and Grades

• Once you graduate just go ahead and take (and pass!) your RHIA exam within one month of graduation. Don’t wait. Having the RHIA certification at the beginning of your job search will jump start your job search.

• Of course to do this you’ll need to first pass the Capstone RHIA practice test, so:– STUDY!!!

• Begin studying for the RHIA practice test at the beginning of final semester, tackling one domain per week and then doing a review of weak points.

GETTING ORGANIZED

Don’t jump willi-nilly into a job search. You’ll get overwhelmed pretty quickly if you do.

Develop a Project Plan

• Approach your job search as if it were a project, and plan accordingly.– Conceptualize– Plan– Implement– Close Out / Closure

• (you got a job, yea!)

Tracking your activity

• Develop a system to track all your job search activities– Online applications

submitted– Resumes sent directly– Dates to follow-up on

these– Interviews– Thank you notes– Dates to follow up on

interviews– Various other activities

Tracking your activity

• Forms of tracking systems– Paper based– Excel spreadsheet

• Not too practical– Access database

• Best solution• Good practice• Good idea for a Systems

course project

Tracking your activity

Sample paper tracking form

Targeting your search

• Determine maximum of 3 different job targets. Examples:– HIM supervisor– Applications Analyst for a

HIT vendor– Entry level Coding position

Targeting your search

• Create separate resume templates for each targeted job

• Then customize the appropriate resume template for each job applied to

• Include key words from job postings

Cover letters• Repeat this process of

templates and customized versions

Portfolio – create a website

Create your own personal website. Steps needed:• Purchase domain name from

GoDaddy ~$15/yr.• Comes with free web

hosting.• But I recommend purchasing

an economy hosting plan ~$60/yr.

• A dedicated hosting plan does better in the search engines.

• This is a better long term option if you plan on keeping website online after getting a job.

Portfolio – create a website

• GoDaddy offers a service, Website Tonight, that is easy to use to create your site.– Small monthly charge for

this.• Post your college work, team

projects, personal research, transcripts, references, other relevant items.

• Consider doing a “conversation with ____” to simulate an interview for potential employers to view and learn about you.

• Ex: www.alan-soskel-rhia.com

Professional E-mail address

• With your domain name purchase, GoDaddy can guide you through the process for getting a professional e-mail address that matches your website.

• If you don’t set up the website you can still use the e-mail address.

• Ex: alan@alan-soskel-rhia.com

Career resources

• Utilize these resources as needed for advice on resumes, cover letters, interviewing, follow-up, networking, using Linked In, etc.

• I highly recommend:– www.careerealism.com

• Once you get started these sources will come crawling out of the woodwork.

IDENTIFY YOUR DESIRED SOURCES FOR JOB POSTINGS AND LEADS

Networking is #1

• Keep in touch with your supervisors at your practicums.– Find a reason to email

them monthly. Whether it is a question about the HIM field, follow-up on a project you did during the practicum, or just to say hello – DO IT!

– That is how I got my job. I called my ex-supervisor and they had just posted a job. He asked if I wanted to interview for it and I had a job offer the day after the interview

Networking is #1

• Linked In is a great professional social media site and a MUST for job search– I suggest upgrading to the

Premium service for $30/mth• Lots of extra features

available to job seekers– Complete your profile to

the fullest extent• Link to your website• Add projects• Request that your

connections endorse your skills and post recommendations

Networking is #1

• Use any and all networking sources available to you– AHIMA Mentor program– Local job support groups– Friends, relatives in

healthcare• Buy business cards from

Vista Print and pass them out liberally– Include on the business cards:

• Professional e-mail• Website address• Linked In address• Degree(s)• Phone #

Job Boards

A dreaded necessity as they don’t typically yield good results.• Generic big-boys

– Careerbuilder– Monster– SimplyHired.com– Indeed.com

• Industry specific– Miracleworkers.com– Healthcarejobsite.com– Hospitaldreamjobs.com

Practice using the filters to narrow your search agent results

Association Job Boards

• AHIMA Career Assist• HIMSS Job Mine

Association & Industry Publications

• AHIMA Journal• Healthcare IT News• Healthcare Informatics• Health Management

Technology• Health Data Management

Recruiters

I did not find recruiters helpful at all, • Unless of course, you have

previous HIM/EHR experience, then go for it.– Pride-health.com– Thecsicompanies.com– Cnirecruiting.com– Encorehealthresources.co

m– HandAconsulting.com– Thehcigroup.com– Hithired.com

GETTING HIM EXPERIENCE

There are plenty of HIM/EHR job postings, but they all require 2-3+ years experience. How do we start to get HIM experience?

Getting your initial HIM experience.

Become an Independent HIM Researcher. Post this on your resume to show that you are keeping busy & relevant in HIM field. • Select several topics, research

them, create a report and PowerPoint presentation.– add audio– convert to video – you can do all this in

PowerPoint – post on YouTube

• Add these projects under your job description on your resume.

• Then post this video on your LinkedIn profile.

Getting your initial HIM experience.

Independent HIM Researcher

Sample resume listing:

Researcher and Presenter Jan. 2013 to Present (part-time)Independently research and prepare presentations regarding relevant topics in health information management (HIM). • Wrote and produced PowerPoint and video

presentation entitled “The Human Aspect of Creating Work Process Flow Charts”.

• Wrote and posted report on how to develop an employee performance plan and create work performance standards.

Getting your initial HIM experience.

Volunteer• Try to get volunteer gigs in several

local hospitals (not easy BTW).– Medical Records– Admissions– Billing

• Other departments dealing with HIM.

• Decline other types of volunteer work as they won’t help much.

Getting your initial HIM experience.

Document thoroughly your practicum responsibilities and projects (as you are doing the practicum).• Include quantifiable data.• Expand on your resume to

show relevant experience.

Getting your initial HIM experience.

Contact temporary agencies that maintain a healthcare division.• Randstad• Snelling• KForce

CONTINUING EDUCATION

Show you are serious about investing in yourself and developing in your area of expertise.

Project Management

• Very hot skill these days.• Enroll in a short term PM

Certificate program• Add to your resume and

LinkedIn profile.• University of North Georgia

offers an inexpensive 4-course certificate program.

AHIMA Certifications

• Identify an area that you want to get a job in.

• Start right away to prepare for the applicable AHIMA certification.

WRAPPING UP

Job search is very hard work. Keep at it and don’t get discouraged.

Wrapping up.

• Job search is very, very hard work. Don’t get discouraged.

• You need to approach it in a very serious manner.

• A couple hours a week just WON’T CUT IT.

• Do all the things mentioned to gain experience – the rest of your time and energy should be devoted to job search and networking.

Wrapping up.

I found that LinkedIn was my favorite networking and job search technique.• Use it to quickly build your

network.• I built my LinkedIn network to over

500 connections in 3 months.• Well worth the $30 monthly fee as

long as you utilize all the extra Job Seeker features.

• Recruiters use LinkedIn extensively so it gains in usefulness as you gain experience.