 |
| ResumeStandards.com - Careers, Jobs & Employment Information |
 |
|
|
 |
Instrumentation EngineerArticle Category : Job Requirements
Article Category : Job Requirements The answer may be easier than you think, but there’s a catch. The truth is that you find a telecommute job just like you find any other job- with research, persistence and a bit of job search savvy. The caveat? Ever wonder why more companies don’t advertise telecommute jobs? In this competitive job market you’d think more of them would see the benefits of hiring telecommuters. Well, many of them do, they just don’t advertise their telecommute positions. The sad fact is that when they do, they are inundated with responses from applicants who aren’t remotely qualified for the position. There seems to be a persistent rumor circulating that the desire to work at home somehow qualifies a person to perform a job. This has really turned employers off to posting telecommute positions for the world to see. With that said, you can see how important it is to be very realistic when applying for a telecommute position. Think of your home-based job search as a “traditional” job search. Keep in mind that many companies are telecommute friendly, even if they don’t list that in their job listing or ad. In fact, the company you are currently working for may be willing to allow partial telecommuting. That should be the first place you look. Many companies are testing the waters by allowing employees to work from home on a part-time basis. If you feel that this is a possibility for your company, the first thing you should do is determine whether or not the job you do is appropriate for telecommuting. If you are a receptionist who does clerical and phone work, then your job could possibly be performed from home, but if you also greet clients then it may not be an option. Here is a good article on how to convince your boss to let you telecommute. For an external job search, definitely check out the sites that cater to telecommuters. Some good sites are About.com, Gil Gordon’s site (http://www.gilgordon.com/), and www.Dice.com. Aside from that, you should identify companies that you want to work for and apply to them. You will find a listing of Telecommute Friendly Companies here at 2Work-At-Home.com. When I was making a career change, I made a list of the top 10 companies that I wanted to work for. I sent my resume and cover letter to each of them. I ended up landing the job with my first choice. As it turns out, the person I replaced had just been promoted on the day my resume was received. The company’s Human Resources Manager was passing my future boss in the hallway. Handing her my resume she said, “Oh, here you go. You’ll need to replace yourself!”. Timing is everything. While you do want to inquire about a company’s policy on telecommuting and flexible work arrangements, you should not let that be the focus of the interview. You want to leave the impression that you are a quality candidate, not that you are desperate to stay at home. Most companies don’t offer telecommuting right off the bat. In most cases, you must work for a predetermined period of time before telecommuting becomes an option. Take a good hard look at your resume. Companies that hire telecommuters are looking for specific skills and qualities. Make sure your resume highlights those skills. A resume is particularly important for someone who is looking for a home-based position because in many cases, the very skills required to write an effective resume are the skills an employer is looking for. Also keep this in mind when interviewing, as these skills will be evaluated through the interview process. Many employers conduct phone interviews and will get a sense of your communication skills and your professionalism this way. Even if you don’t have the skills that are in demand for telecommute jobs, don’t lose hope! It’s never too late to learn a new skill. Take a course at a local college, or one of the many online courses that are available. Whatever your situation, remember to stay focused on finding a job that matches your skills and experience, present yourself in a professional manner, and treat your job search as you would if you were seeking a non-telecommute position. Sharon Davis is the Mom to two girls, the owner of 2Work-At-Home.Com, Work At Home Articles.net and the Editor of the site’s monthly ezine, America’s Home. In her spare time she reminisces about what it was like to have spare time. This article may be reproduced providing it is published in it’s entirety, including the author’s bio. For a text version via autoresponder, send a blank email to telecommuter@sendfree.com
Article Category : Job Requirements, Others
Medical billers and coders know this and feel good about the support they provide to physicians, clinics, hospitals, and patients. They know they play an important role in the business office where they are employed. Their work consists of submitting the proper documentation to a number of insurance companies and federal agencies for reimbursement in order for their employer to financially succeed and avoid fraud charges. Their specialized training and expertise lets them find work any place, any time. Numerous opportunities for trained individuals exist in medical offices, clinics, hospitals, insurance companies, and in form of freelance home-based businesses. Advancement opportunities are unlimited! The U.S. Department of Labor states that continued employment growth for medical coders and billers is spurred by the increased medical needs of an aging population and the number of health practitioners. The Occupational Outlook Handbook reports that earnings vary widely and pay levels are governed chiefly by experience and qualifications. Healthcare Careers Offer Job Security, Personal Satisfaction, Challenges, and Rewarding Experiences Many interested in a career in the healthcare field decide to specialize in the medical billing and coding profession. Medical billers and coders are no longer restricted to only the doctor’s or dentist’s office but are now working in hospitals, pharmacies, nursing homes, mental healthcare facilities, rehabilitation centers, insurance companies, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), consulting firms, and health data organizations, or even from home. These highly skilled professionals are earning impressive wages everywhere they are. Typical duties of medical billers and coders include:
Other job opportunities for medical billers and coders include:
What is Medical Billing? Medical billing is better described as medical practice management and a doctor’s key to getting paid. Although most doctor’s offices request that payment be made at the time a medical service is provided in order to minimize billing, every medical office has a need to maintain patient financial accounts and for collecting money. In a small family practice or suburban clinic this task may be simple and assigned to the medical assistant or nurse but in bigger practices and clinics this is the medical biller’s job! Medical billers and coders usually work forty regular office hours from Monday through Friday on a desk in the billing office or billing department of the professional healthcare office. They must know the different methods of billing patients, understand various collection methods, ethical and legal implications, have a good working knowledge of medical terminology, anatomy, medical billing and claims form completion, and coding. They also must understand database management, spreadsheets, electronic mail, and possess state-of-the-art word processing and accounting skills, be proficient in bookkeeping, and be able to type at a speed of at least 45 words-per-minute. The work area of medical billers and coders usually is in a separate area away from the patients and public eye. However, even though they are not involved in the actual process of doctors and healthcare professionals providing medical care they need to possess excellent customer service skills when it comes to making contact with clients, insurance companies, and often patients. Medical billers must know how to explain charges, deal with criticism, give and receive feedback, be assertive, and communicate effectively without becoming confused as the person is asking questions. Patients can quickly become frustrated when trying to deal with healthcare providers and bills over the phone. While an increasing amount of patient care is being funded through HMO related insurance, where the patient makes a small copayment at the time of service and the doctor bills the managed care company for the balance, a number of patients still need to make arrangements to pay for their medical services over a period of time. Part of the medical biller and coder’s job is to contact some of these patients from time to time regarding a past due bill. Incoming calls from patients who have questions regarding a bill are also directed to the medical biller’s office. The way s/he communicates over the phone can make or break business relationships. Other specialties closely related to the medical billing and coding profession are:
What is Medical Coding? Every healthcare provider that delivers a service receives money for these services by filing a claim with the patient’s health insurance provider or managed care organization. This is also referred to as an encounter. An encounter is defined as “a face-to-face contact between a healthcare professional and an eligible beneficiary.” Codes exist for all types of encounters, services, tests, treatments, and procedures provided in a medical office, clinic, or hospital. Even patient complaints such as headache, upset stomach, etc. have codes which consist of a set of numbers and combinations of sets of numbers. The combination of these codes tells the payer (health insurance companies or government entities) what was wrong with the patient and what services were performed. This makes it easier to handle these claims and to identify the provider on a predetermined basis. In addition, the services rendered (CPT) codes have to match the diagnosis (ICD) codes to justify medical necessity. To do this correctly for each third party payer choices have to be made from a combination of 3 coding systems totaling over 10000 codes, and which change annually. In addition, a completely new coding system, ICD-10, is proposed for reimbursement purposes in the near future. Tools of the Trade CPT books provide all the procedural terminology and ICD-9-CM code books have the most up-to-date information on medical diagnosis coding. The medical coder must stay current on any new ICD-9 code changes that would impact code accuracy and claims submission. HCPCS books contain the complete lists of HCPCS Level II codes with descriptions. They will guide the medical coder through current modifiers, code changes, additions and deletions. HIPAA books help to develop an effective HIPAA compliance plan and DRG books are needed for Medicare’s classification of inpatient hospital services based on principal diagnosis, secondary diagnosis, surgical procedures, age, sex, and presence of complications. Training Training of the medical billers and coders can range from two to four years of college, a technical school diploma, certificates from correspondence courses, to simple home study programs. Upon completion of such training many coders may seek professional certification. Though not necessary, it is recommended and national associations are available for the certification processes. Vocational Training Professional medical billers and coders are in very high demand. Billing for services in healthcare is more complicated than in other industries. Government and private payers vary in payment for the same services and healthcare providers and organizations provide services to beneficiaries of several insurance companies at any one time. Therefore, to reach proficiency in this business, basic training, clinical supervision and continued professional development is essential! Typical Course Requirements are:
Professional Advancement Opportunities A recent American Hospital Association survey showed that about 18% of billing and coding positions remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. Most companies and practices are looking for schooling and experience mostly because of the legal ramifications of incorrect billing practices. However, medical billers and coders are also able to work independently out of their homes where they established a home based billing office. There are plenty of electronic billing programs available that can be set up through home office computers. Also, there is the possibility to become an independent insurance specialist or consultant who helps patients understand their insurance bills and what they should be paying. Opportunities also exist as patient account managers, physician office supervisors and management, various types of personnel managers in the healthcare industry, health claims examiners, and medial billing and coding instructors. The more education the individual has, the more employment options are available and advancement opportunities become virtually unlimited! Professional Certification As in so many healthcare professions certification in the medical billing and coding field is not required but highly recommended. The days of the single family practice medical assistant or nurse typing out an invoice after office hours are history. Even the smallest offices and clinics have changed to computer billing because it offers greater coding accuracy, saves time, and can be used by administrators and auditors to ensure that visits are being coded to the appropriate levels which increases revenues. Understandably, these offices and companies are looking for individuals who are certified in their field to ensure the employer that the individual whom they hire is competent and proficient. There are numerous well known and well respected organizations sponsoring these types of examinations. Intersted candidates should research each one and find the one that most suits your needs: American Association of Medical Billers (AAMB) offers Certified Medical Biller (CMB) and Certified Medical Billing Specialist (CMBS) examinations. The National Association of Claims Assistant Professionals (NACAP) offer Certified Claims Assistance Professional (CCAP) and Certified Electronic Claims Professional (CECP). The examinations for Certified Procedural Coder (CPC), Certified Coding Specialist (CPS), Accredited Record Technician (ART), and Registered Record Administrator (RRA), are administered through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA). The National Healthcareer Assosciation (NHA) is offering their Medical Billing and Coding (CBCS) credential. If your objective is to work for a medical office, group practice, healthcare provision network, or hospital as the medical billing and coding specialist keep in mind that most private practices, organizations and hospitals throughout the country not only prefer but often require national certification as a competency standard. To learn more about this very rewarding career visit the Medical Billing and Coding Net web site at http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.net ?2003 Danni R. of the Medical Billing & Coding Net. Reprint permission available by request. Article must be complete and must include all contact information. About The Author Danni R. is a certified medical assistant through the AAMA and NHA, and MA Instructor at such well known vocational training institutions. Her background is a unique blend of healthcare sciences and freelance web design and graphic arts, which makes her the ideal author for medical assisting articles, web sites, and various online courses. It is this fusion of contrasting disciplines that makes her work so successful on the Internet! You may also visit her web sites at http://www.certmedassistant.com, http://www.medicalassistant.net, and http://www.medicalbillingandcoding.net to get better acquainted with her work!
Article Category : Job Requirements Ever wanted a job where you could spend all day, every day, writing clever and inspiring prose? Yes? Well don’t become a freelance copywriter! Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great job, and for some of us it’s a calling that won’t be denied. And you definitely do get to write clever and inspiring prose. It’s just that you don’t do it all day, every day. In fact, when you sit down at the end of the day and think about what you’ve done, the percentage of time spent writing is surprisingly low. So what does a freelance copywriter do other than write copy? Well, basically, they run a business. This article discusses 11 daily rituals involved with running a freelance website copywriting or advertising copywriting business (other than writing). It also provides some tips for performing them successfully. 1) Quoting Freelance copywriters serve many masters. They generally have quite a few clients, and spend quite a bit of time quoting on new jobs. When you quote, you’re calculating how much to charge for the job. For a freelance copywriter, there are a number of important factors influencing quoting. You need to have some way to accurately estimate time. Generally the best way to achieve this is to be diligent in your tracking. If you know how long past jobs have taken you, you’ll be much more confident and accurate in your estimates. You need to know how much time you spend not writing (as you should try to cover as much of this as possible). You need to have a feel for what the client is prepared to pay (are they a big or small company, how highly do they seem to value copy, etc.). You need to know how much your competitors are charging for the same thing. You need to understand what differentiates you from your competitors. You need to think about how badly you want or need the work. And, of course, you need to estimate how time-consuming the client will be. 2) Submitting Proposals A quote is not the same as a proposal. A quote is generally contained within a proposal, but it’s not the same thing. When you submit a copywriting proposal, you’re marketing your skills, your solution, your work ethic, your customer service, your commitment, and your experience. Basically, you’re justifying your price, and differentiating yourself from your competition. And it’s not just about WHAT you say. It’s also HOW you say it and how you PRESENT it. Everything about your proposal plays a part in the client’s decision! If possible, include additional helpful information. Use a title page, a table of contents, headers, and footers. Introduce at the beginning and summarise at the end. Include your price, but call it an “investment”, not a “cost”. Show the client you’ve thought their job through by summarising their requirements. Outline your proposed solution. And most importantly, give the client a clear call to action (”Where to from here?”). 3) Chasing reviews The freelance copywriter is almost never the bottleneck in a copywriting job. In 99.99% of copywriting jobs, the bottleneck is the review process. Most clients take a long time to review. In fact, about a third of clients need to be prompted at least once before they’ll get back to you with their changes. It’s not uncommon for a one-day writing job to take a full month to reach sign-off ? or longer. Some clients will put the copy review on the backburner for months (just another reason to request a deposit before commencement of work)! As a result, freelance advertising copywriters and website copywriters spend a lot of time chasing reviews. Make sure you factor the delay and the chasing time into your quotes as best you can. And always record which clients take a long time, so you can be prepared when discussing deadlines on the next job. 4) Project scheduling & tracking No matter whether you work on big projects or small, project scheduling and tracking are vital. You need to know the exact status of all work in progress (tracking), and you also need to be very aware of what’s coming up and how you’ll manage it (planning). If you’re doing it right, you should be using your tracking and planning tools several times a day. In fact, they should be the hub of your business. TIP: A good way to track copywriting projects is to use a job (and contact) tracking database. I created my own database using Microsoft Access. Click to download a 208KB working copy for FREE. You’ll need Microsoft Access 2000 to run it. I’m no database expert, so it’s not a work of art. It’ll certainly get you started though. (TIP: When using the database, press Ctrl + ; to enter today’s date.) 5) Accounting Issuing invoices, processing payments (and part payments), chasing outstanding invoices, recording expenses, managing bank accounts, putting tax aside? It all takes a lot of time. Don’t be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You’ll understand why the first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you’ll understand why whenever you need to chase down outstanding invoices 6) Visiting clients Although the wonders of modern email let a freelance copywriter get through about 95% of their work without ever leaving the office, it’s sometimes still a good idea to do things the ‘old-fashioned’ way ? especially if you expect to work with them quite a bit. Shake hands and put a face to a name. And remember, everything about the meeting reflects on you and your business. As with your proposals, think about WHAT you say, HOW you say it, how you PRESENT. Always organise the meeting with plenty of notice, confirm the day before the meeting, be on time, summarise the meeting, and provide a call to action. (Try to do these last two both at the end of the meeting and via email after the meeting.) 7) Office admin Even for a low overhead business like copywriting, there’s always something! Changing phone plans, upgrading/fixing computers, your internet service is down, your website is temporarily unavailable, you’re enhancing your data storage procedures, you need new printer or fax ink cartridges? Office administration takes up a surprisingly large chunk of your day. Make sure you allow for it. This means allowing time to do the work, and factoring that time into your quotes. If you don’t, you’ll be continually working into the wee hours and/or losing money. 8) Marketing strategy How do you generate business? Cold calls? (See http://www.divinewrite.com/coldcallingcopywriter.htm.) Website? (See http://www.divinewrite.com/articles.htm for numerous website & SEO articles.) Networking? Word of mouth? Repeat business? Agencies? (See also http://www.divinewrite.com/freelancecopywriting.htm for some tips on succeeding as a freelance copywriter.) No matter what your strategy, you need to give it the time it deserves. It’s a good idea to average around an hour a day to thinking about and implementing marketing strategy. 9) Industry research Stay up to date on the latest copywriting industry research. Read research on usability, readability, and scannability (visit Jakob Nielsen’s website on usable information technology or GoodExperience.com and subscribe to their newsletters). Read up on search engine optimization (see http://www.divinewrite.com/SEOCEO.htm or try subscribing to a newsletter from WebProNews.com or Site-Reference.com). Try to track how day-to-day language is changing (what buzz words to use, what buzz words to avoid, what rules are being overlooked in spoken English, what sounds make a positive impression on people, etc.). Know the difference between writing for the web versus writing for print versus writing for search engines (see http://www.divinewrite.com/articles.htm for some relevant articles). If you want to scratch the surface, spend 10 minutes every day. 10) Subject matter research Whether it’s website copywriting or advertising copywriting, to do a good job, you need to know a lot about your subject material. This means both specific knowledge about the client’s product or service as well as more generic ‘domain’ knowledge. Clients have a tendency to not supply enough information. Make sure you interview them thoroughly. And then let them know you’ll probably need to ask further questions. Even then, you may find yourself doing a bit of independent research. The Internet is your saviour, but always run any information by your client before publishing. When you’re quoting on a job, try to figure out how much detail the client will be able to supply. You can even ask them to estimate how much they’ll supply (i.e. All, Most, Some, or None). This is a good technique as it gets them thinking about your requirements while at the same time giving you some idea how much time you’ll spend researching. 11) Planning In one important respect, website copywriting and advertising copywriting are no different from any other form of writing; planning is vital. For more specific planning information, see http://www.divinewrite.com/benefits.htm and http://www.divinewrite.com/webbenefitwriting.htm. Happy writing! * Glenn Murray is an advertising copywriter and website copywriter and heads copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com for further details or more FREE articles.
Article Category : Career Management, Job Requirements Are you a new graduate with little or no work experience??Sometimes it can be tough to get a job without experience, and how do you get more experience if you can’t get a job? Well, your chances are better than you think. Even if your work experience is a little weak, you’ve probably got life experience that will help you. After all, it’s not really your job history that employers are interested in — it’s your talents, abilities, knowledge, work ethic and attitude. It’s likely that you’ve developed and fine-tuned these traits through your school work, volunteer activities, and interactions with people throughout your entire life. The key is to identify your best attributes from your life experience and promote these to potential employers in the right way. Make a detailed list of all your talents, skills, knowledge and personal qualities.?Think about all you’ve done in your life and what you’ve gained from it. For example, if you earned extra money by babysitting or mowing lawns, you gained experience in promoting your services, obtaining customers, negotiating payment, and accomplishing the required tasks while demonstrating self-motivation, punctuality, responsibility and customer service!?If you’ve participated in a sport, you’ve shown commitment, discipline and teamwork!?And don’t forget to list what you’ve learned in school:?computer skills, software applications, math, science, communication, etc. Once your list is complete, you’ll see that you really do have experience and can offer potential employers the talents, abilities, knowledge, work ethic and attitude they need in their ideal candidate!?All you have to do is convince them of that. You can do it… you’ve convinced people of things all your life!?Your parents, siblings, friends, teachers — think of all the times you were able to convince them to see things your way.?It’s one of爕our talents, so use it during your job search and you’ll be gaining work experience in no time! Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, “Career-Life Times.” Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.best-interview-strategies.com.
Article Category : Job Requirements If you are looking forward to a career as a webserver administrator, but are unsure what would be the qualifications requred? We at Resumestandards.com have compile some requirements which you can work on.
Pages (1) : [1]
|
|
|
|
Submit ResumesArticles
USEFUL LINKS
Pages
Mobile users save 90% or more on international calls with Pingo!
|