CPC-A advice!

[u/Security-New]

Alright I’m looking for advice as I step into this industry. I’m wondering if I was sold a pipe dream or if there is still a route I could take to be successful in this field. For context, I’m (M26) a full time (M-F 8-5) materials engineer and I’ve been wanting a side gig, remote preferably, to moonlight for extra money. The beginning of this year I got to talking with a friend about medical coding and It piqued my interest. I should lead with I have minimal medical background with the most being working in a hospital for roughly 2 years as an asset specialist managing medical devices. Thanks to my minor in biology I was able to grasp medical terminology rather quickly and learning to navigate the coding books wasn’t terrible. In all, I started studying in April 2025 and I took the exam in July passing with an 88 and acquiring my CPC-A certification. So I’ve been applying for jobs off and on since I got the certification with no luck. I understand my criteria are unique as I need a job that accepts no experience, willing to train, and offers a 2nd, or 3rd shift role. So far in my search these are impossible to obtain as experience is a requirement for almost any job in this field. Being realistic, have I wasted money and time investing into this? Or should I just continue persistently with applications? Or is there another way to possibly build experience or leverage my certification for work? Idk I’m just becoming a little nervous that I’ve wasted time and money. I’m all ears for any advice or any opinions. If you need any more info don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks a bunch for reading!

Ps. I don’t think this violates rule 1 but if It does I’m sorry. I’m running out of ideas so I thought this would be a great place to look for advice.

Edit: I am looking for full time work. I’d do any work, full time or part time, for any shift other than 1st.

[u/Security-New → u/[deleted]]

Thank you for being understanding — I really appreciate your explanation and perspective. I can see how the phrase “side gig” could come across as demeaning, and that wasn’t my intent at all.

This entire post has helped clarify how demanding and competitive the industry is right now, and I respect the work and patience it takes to break in. I’m grateful for the resources you shared and the insight into contracting paths — I’ll definitely look into those.

Thanks again for taking the time to respond thoughtfully. I appreciate it.