Job and Career search thread

[MauEvig]

Since I'm pretty much going off topic in the "I HATE WINTER" thread, I thought I'd create a new topic specifically for job search. Some of us are looking for any kind of employment, and others like myself are looking for better job opportunities, and preferably close to what we've gone to school for.

As a community perhaps we can support each other in job/career searching and such and offer some advice and resources as well.

To kick off this thread, I'm going to start with a question: Can a previous employer give a bad reference?

I'm wondering if this may be why I'm having trouble with a previous job. One particular job which is one of my longest employed positions and where I have a lot of call center experience in I left on less than good terms. Performance was alright as I usually did pretty well with sales and overall Customer service aspects. Would I be able to call that employer myself and find out if they are giving a bad reference?

What would really happen if I put "no" on the "May I contact the reference?" option. A lot of people have told me not to do that because it would raise a red flag. Is it possible to provide an explanation as to why I would prefer that employer not be contacted?

Also some job search sites that I use frequently are:

indeed.com
careerbuilder

Someone else mentioned monster.com

Also using your local state job search or government job searches are useful as well. If you are in the state of Virginia like myself you may want to consider:

https://www.vawc.virginia.gov/vosnet/Default.aspx
http://jobs.virginia.gov/ (If you are looking for a State job)

Any input, advice, or resources are welcome in this thread. Remember to positively support and encourage each other! If you are happily employed, perhaps a good success story and advice for fellow job seekers would also be welcome in this thread.

[Boogeyman]

In answer to your question about a previous employer giving a bad reference, they can but they won't because they want to avoid lawsuits. If the previous employer said that you were always tardy or couldn't finish tasks, they could open themselves up for lawsuits for defamation of character.

Basically the only information a previous employer will provide is affirmation you worked there and the dates of employment. If you had a very good attendance record, they may provide that info as well.

AS for you calling them and asking what they are saying, that would be pointless. Because even if they are providing a negative reference, they won't admit it to you. And in all honesty, would you admit to doing so?

Regarding checking no if they may contact a previous employer, it will raise some questions. It is best to answer yes to that because as I mentioned above, the previous employer won't really give a negative reference.

Just to give you a point of reference about my experience in job searches, I am now 44 and have gone through two stretches without a job. The first one lasted a year and was 18 years ago. The current one has lasted 21 months and counting. I have been on close to 50 interviews since 1993 when I graduated college.

I would like to ask you a few questions regarding your knowledge base. Do you have Microsoft Word and/or Microsoft Excel certifications? I ask because I have seen so many jobs classified as data entry(which is what I did for the last 13 years of 16 years at my last job) are now requiring experience in those two programs. If you can take those classes, you will qualify for more jobs. I regret not taking them when I was getting my full pay from my severance package. The classes are often only one night for a few hours. Once I get this job I am training for and have my feet under me, I plan on taking these classes myself.

And while I know this is somewhat personal, what area of Virginia are you in? What is the nearest city? I ask because I want to do a search on your area for something for you.

Lastly, sorry for such a long post, but I will do everything I can to help you and offer what ever advice I can.

[MauEvig]

The nearest city is probably Staunton, as I mentioned to Murf in another post that's about an hour and a half away from where I live.
After that is probably Roanoke, but I'm not sure I want to drive that far to go to work. Staunton's about as far as I'd prefer to drive.

I think I read somewhere that I could get someone else to call them and pretend to be a prospective employer to see if they are giving negative feedback about me. I'm just wondering if maybe that is why I'm having such terrible luck finding a job.

As for my knowledge, as I put on my resume:

COURSES TAKEN

· Advanced Micro Applications · Medical Office Procedures
· Business Communications · Medical Transcription
· Medical Forms and Billing · Human Biology
· Medical Terminology · Desktop Publishing
· Keyboarding · English Communications

SPECIAL SKILLS

Microsoft Office 2007 (Word, Excel, Access, Publisher, Powerpoint)
Medisoft Advanced Patient Accounting Software
Medical Terminology
Keyboarding 60 WPm
Data Entry

This isn't my full resume mind you, but yes I can keyboard around 60 WPM. Typing is a talent I seem to have. Haha! (Granted, prior to the days of instant messaging, I was a lousy one-finger-wonder kind of typist and hated it. But now it's easy as pie.)

It doesn't really translated to the forum as well as I'd like. It looks much neater in word or wordpad. I'm not putting my full resume on there since there's personal information on there I'd rather not post on a forum.

I don't have the certifications no. But I used Microsoft word since Highschool, and I have been trained on it at both the colleges I attended.

If I do end up in a Medical office, I'll probably have to brush up on Medical terminology as well, since I've forgotten most of it and would need to refresh my memory.

[Boogeyman]

You would have done well at my last employer. It was medical billing. In fact we had accounts from Virginia and about ten from New York.

What you posted is fine and that is the info I wanted.

I tried doing a search on agencies, whether government or commercial, that you could utilize and I could find anything. I am sure there are some but i just couldn't find any.

[MauEvig]

That's the trouble I've been having. I bring up a search and often get nothing.
Yet these employers insist on using these things. I even had the same problem when I lived in NYS.

I probably would have done well at your Employer. I wish I could find something similar to that.

Do you know of any specific job titles that I could try searching?

[Boogeyman]

You might want to try searching for medical billing, although you will have to know how to code charts. It looks like you might have had that training but I offer up the warning.

Also maybe try billing specialist. Those positions take calls from patients regarding their bills so you would get some very angry calls. That is how I started with the last company but didn't even last in that position for five weeks. But that was because of my learning disability. It was too much at the time to listen to the caller, look at the account and formulate a response all at the same time

Maybe check the local hospitals or clinics. Also keep an eye on the doctor's offices in your area. They might be harder to get in because they have a smaller staff but you might get lucky. It seems like you would do well in those.

[MauEvig]

I wonder if it would help my case if I told any potential employers that I'm willing to take classes to improve my experience or something along those lines, or get some kind of certification if I can?

[Boogeyman]

That certainly won't hurt.

While it is not true for all medical billing companies, the one I worked for did provide training for medical coders. After a few left once they were certified, they started requiring a two-year commitment. Which is understandable as the company is paying for the training.

[MauEvig]

Two-years is nothing. I'm looking for a job I can reasonably work until I'm old enough for retirement. Something I can settle into as a career. Literally 28 years old that I am now until I turn 65, orr at least, whenever retirement age WILL be when I do actually get there. I need to think about a retirement now or I won't have one, and I do not want to be stuck like a lot of older ladies I've met, who I really feel sorry for, having to work with aching bones and arthritis. Some choose to work, but I feel that once I reach retirement age, I have earned the right to be able to do what I want with my golden years. Haha! (And just think what a nice witchy costume I'll have when I AM that old for Halloween! I'll use my age to my advantage during that time of the year. )

I haven't find the right job that fits that mold yet. This Grocery store I'm working at is simply a means to make money for now until I find something better. It's either that, or have no income at all. I'd rather be working anyway, even if it IS a less than desirable job. One lady I do work with is old enough to retire, and retired from being a florist. Yet she still chooses to work. I really don't know how she does it. She's a sweet lady, and a bit sassy. She's got a great sense of humor (I just have laughed for about five minutes straight when she picked on my Northern Accent) I hope I can get around as good as her when I'm that age.

I plan to talk to the local college and see if they can give me some options. I imagine they'll probably want me to take classes, but hopefully since I haven't made a whole lot of money last year, I'd get grants of some kind.

[Boogeyman]

I guess I should have pointed out that my last employer did not pay very well. In fact they admitted they paid on the low end of the middle of the industry standards. That is why coders would leave once they got their certification.

If not grants, financial aid. I understand your point about retirement. I fear though, that the days of working with a company your 30 years or more may be gone. Those that will still do it are 15 or 20 years in already. I hope I am wrong and I don't want to discourage you to keep looking.

One thing to remember, go on any and all interviews you can get, even if you aren't really interested in the job. You can learn something from the interview about yourself and learn from any mistakes made.

[MauEvig]

Maybe I should just give up then and resign myself to the fact that I'm never going to find a decent career, and that I'll have to work a back-breaking job that I absolutely despise until the day I die...or can collect SSI because I'll probably end up disabled one day if I continue to work into my 70's. I'm pretty much not going to have a retirement fund if I can't find a decent job. At least I don't have kids to support. Knowing my luck, there won't be any more social security left by the time I get there.

If they pay better than Minimum wage, I wouldn't care. As long as a job was full time with benefits, at this point and they pay better than minimum wage...it wouldn't matter at this point. I should be making between $12 to $15 an hour, and it just makes me sick that I can't find a decent job in what I went to school for. Sitel was the best paying job I'd ever had that I can remember, and I was only making about $9.23/$9.50 an hour there. I got fired from there, but I was going to leave anyway to move to Virginia.

I'm not REALLY going to give up...but there are days when it seems pointless to even try when no one will give me a chance. The only time I passed up an interview was when I was already working two jobs as it was and couldn't find time to go...but I'm wishing I would have went now. Working two jobs just wears me out and drives me insane...so that's not an option either. Since I am already working though, I can probably afford to be a little pickier about who I apply with. For example, I probably won't be applying to any gas stations or restaurants at this point, because they'd probably offer me the same pay wise that I have now.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Well, I will be retiring in May. I am still going to try to make a serious go at my photography business, though, and around September I am going to try to find another full time job, but I don't really care what it is, even if I have to work at McDonalds. It will put more money in the checking account every month, and it will help me out with social security when I get older. I am in SURS, (State University Retirement System) so I was exempt from FICA.

And, as much as I love my 114 year old house, I may relocate to a state that has no income tax. Texas is my first choice. There are 6 other states that have no income tax.

Mike

[Spookymufu]

Texas is nice, I prefer S.E. Texas, I dont care for desert areas or where it snows, but we have the Humidity so it's a trade off.

No we dont have any state income tax here but of course we do have Fed tax, we have one of the strongest economies in the country and we're a red state so those are all pluses

[Pumpkin_Man]

I'm getting more and more tempted, Spooky. I know there are some 100 plus old houses down in Texas, too. I would like to have some wooded anchorage. I like to crank out my stereo some times, so I need to be a little isolated. I also like to shoot off fireworks, and we can't do that in Illinois legally. Illinois and only 1 other state has a fireworks ban.

Texas also is abundant with photo opps, so even though I am retiring from my beloved JUCO, I will still be keeping my camera very busy.

Mike

[Kolchak]

Don't forget the great deer hunting in Texas!