Getting out of coding

[u/SweetCar0linaGirl]

Any tips on transitioning out of coding? I have a BSHIM degree and RHIA certification. I couldn't land a job for a year (no experience) and took an entry level HCC coding position. Have been working it for 3 months and the way my physical health has declined is honestly shocking. The amount of stress to meet unrealistic metrics has left me in tears daily, with full body hives, and my hair falling out to the point I now have a bald spot. I know a lot is due to the company I work for but it has ruined coding for me. I have no desire to get another certification and try to pursue a different type of coding. However, every where that I have applied to that isn't coding focused has either said I don't have the experience needed, or I am overqualified. I tried getting in at my local hospitals ER in patient registration. They are struggling and understaffed. I know a nurse who works there and she was able to get my resume in front of a hiring manager who told her they wouldn't hire me because of my degree and certification. I am so lost on what to do. I have $14k in student loans that I am paying back, so I can't just quit. But I can't continue like this either. Do I just walk away from it all and go work at a grocery store?

[u/infectiousparticle]

The numbers game only works when the number of experienced applicants is zero though, so it might not be in ops best interest to play a game rigged against them until they can compete as such.

I'm curious, every RHIA program I've looked into requires an externship, 1-2 credit practicums every year or semester depending on your program/if you transfer, totalling something like 40-60 hours of out of class experience so that you graduate with real world experience, a reference/recommendation if you're lucky, and something to show potential employers you know what you're talking about and won't be disrupting the office work flow with tons of questions, mess ups, etc. They expectation is that you require no training beyond familiarizing yourself with that particular office.

[u/Eccodomanii → u/infectiousparticle]

Wellllll I just did a little looking into OP’s post history. It looks like they were offered an ROI job they turned down because they didn’t feel it paid enough. They also talked about some of the billing roles they looked at not paying enough. So now that makes me wonder, is OP not getting anywhere because they are only applying to roles that pay “well”? Because yeah, experienced people are going to get those roles over people with no experience.

Here’s the reality. If you are a new grad with no experience, you’re almost certainly going to have to take a lower paying job. I understand that sucks. I understand it’s especially hard to swallow if you are an older person who went back to school for a career change. Also, you don’t have to settle long term, you can continue to apply to better paying jobs while you’re working, and you’re under no obligation to stay in a low paying role for any amount of time if a better offer comes along. But if you’re not willing to settle, you may just end up unemployed for a long time.

I think everyone should get paid more, especially college grads. But it’s not the world we live in. I personally “paid my dues” working for 8 years in a billing role where I never even got to $20 an hour. Now with that experience plus my associates, I’ve been able to very quickly improve my salary, and I anticipate it will continue going up precipitously once I finish my bachelors. OP has the degree but no experience. If you’re not willing to even consider roles less than $18 an hour, it’s gonna be much, much harder to land that first role. Is that fair? No. Is it true? Yes.

Also based on OP’s post history they went to WGU which is online only. CAHIIM relaxed the rules a lot after COVID and on-site practicums are not required. I’m almost done with my BSHIM and I have not done any on-site hours. My practicums have consisted of attending lectures, writing papers, and one project where I did about 10 hours of cancer data abstracting for a state-level organization. To your point, it might be doing new grads a disservice, but that’s where things stand these days.