Working Hard

Recently I decided to enroll in some online classes to learn Medical Billing and Coding. It's something that had been suggested to me many times over the past few years. So, I finally decided to take that leap. I looked into programs offered at a lot of places and finally settled on Penn Foster. The cost was doable, which was a huge reason behind enrolling in the program. I also looked at it in regard to the cost of the program (around $1500 if paid in installments), as well as books I'd need for the exam (the set costs about $270 on Amazon) AND the cost of the exam (between $200 and $500) and I determined that the cost of all that was close to the cost for the program ALONE at most local (and some online) universities/colleges. Also, if I took the exam at home online, I'd need to get a webcam (about $50).

I lost my job in 2011 and have had enormous difficulty in finding another one. I don't know if it was my age and/or lacking in some areas of experience. Could be one or the other or both. If it was age, I would have a very difficult time in trying to prove it. At least, I think I would. I just turned 55 about a month ago so I think it's possible. I did have a temp job that was for almost a year, and it paid pretty well. It was for rating search results for sample searches, basically. Not hard but I liked it. I was hoping I could sign on for another similar job with that particular company, but it never happened. I tried similar companies. No dice. I had to move in the summer of 2012 because I lost my lease on my apartment. Between losing my job and having to move, I mailed out a LOT of resumes and letters to many places. I did hope for replies, but I knew it wasn't likely. I did email a few places to inquire about a particular type of job and actually did get some responses. Then I ended up having car trouble, so I switched to looking for at home jobs. That was even harder because those jobs were hard to find. At least, they were hard to find for my skill level.

My skills are clerical and that's what I've done for years, ever since the part time job I got in high school. I did a lot of data entry. I worked at a university for 10+ years in the admissions department, inputting student applications into the system. During my years there, there were freezes implemented for salary raises. Yet, they would still raise the cost for insurance and parking permits. I had a small one-bedroom apartment at that time, and I had problems making ends meet. It was ridiculous. I was lucky that my parents lived nearby at that time, and I often went over there after work for dinner and sometimes to do laundry.

I left that job for a better paying one at a law firm, inputting legal documents into their system. There were other aspects of the job, but that was the main part of it. I had some family issues arise while at that job and I worked hard to keep up with my work. I thought I was doing well, but I guess I wasn't as they basically let me go. I was very upset about it because I did like that job and the people I worked with. What irritated me the most was I was let go a week before Christmas and close to when they'd cut bonus checks for the employees. I didn't get a last paycheck either because they tried telling me that I'd already been paid. I didn't understand how I got paid for time I hadn't logged in yet. I couldn't get them to explain it to me either, but I knew I couldn't argue with them. I really had no choice but to give up. Funny enough, a few of the people I worked with ended up leaving about a year or two after I was let go. I'd heard some stuff about why some of them left but I can't say what I heard was accurate and I won't say anything.

Basically, my skills in data entry/clerical work are not as sought after as I thought they could be. The jobs that I think I could qualify for always seem to have at least one qualification I can't meet. It's usually the location aspect. A lot of companies want you to live near them so you can come in for meetings or something like once or twice a month, sometimes more. Unless they can help me move, I couldn't even think about applying. Sometimes, the qualification is knowing certain systems or having certain degrees or certifications. I could meet 90%-95% of the experience but all it takes is one tiny thing to derail it all. In the last 10+ years, I'd had a total of THREE interviews. One interview stands out as the most ridiculous to me. I applied for a secretary job at a child/family services place here in New Mexico. I specifically asked during the interview if I need to know Spanish. I was told no. Then I find out the job was actually for the lobby receptionist! So, I had trouble understanding how I would not need to know Spanish in an area where most people using these services didn't speak English. They had the job listed as a secretary instead of a receptionist so they could pay the person better. Noble, I guess. No surprise that I didn't get the job. Another interview was at a college, but they wanted someone already familiar with the programs they used but didn't specify that in the job listing. Again, no surprise I didn't get the job.

After I moved, I kept sending out resumes with inquiry letters. I kept a log of where I sent the resumes. I rarely got any reply for anything, but I didn't expect a lot. Still, I had to try! I did have unemployment for a while, but it didn't last long. I used to laugh at the reports I'd heard about the unemployment rate dropping because I ended up realizing that it most likely was NOT because people found jobs, but that they most likely lost their unemployment. In Missouri, there were multiple levels regarding unemployment, so you had a better chance at keeping your head above water while job hunting but in New Mexico, it was a one-time deal that had no other levels of unemployment. If you didn't get a job within a specific time frame, you lost your unemployment. Sure, there was welfare but here, it wasn't easy to get. At least, it wasn't/isn't for me. So, I never tried to go for it. I still have at least 12 years before I can get social security, and I pray it's still around by then. Heck, I spent years paying into it, so I better get it! I tried to get disability because of my arthritis and my diabetes. It's been quite a while, and I haven't heard anything so I'm assuming I was denied. I know one obstacle was not having worked in the last 10 years, but some health issues can supersede that. I may have to talk to my doctor about it.

I have been signed up on Indeed and Flex jobs for years. I still had problems finding something. I know that restaurants and stores are hiring but with having bad arthritis in my knees (a problem I've had for a very long time), jobs that require me to be on my feet are not possible. I will say that I ALMOST got taken by a job on Indeed. I applied for a job that seemed perfect. But what was weird was them telling me that I HAD to have a bank account at one of a set of specific banks. I didn't. So, I found the website for the company to ask why I needed to bank at a specific bank, only to find out that the company (which was overseas) had no jobs open in the US. Essentially, the job I applied for was a scam. The company thanked me for letting them know about it and they contacted Indeed. I do not know that outcome but I'm sure something was done. But this experience made me very wary of many job postings.

So, all of this led me to where I am now, roughly 13 years later. Working on getting a certification for the medical coding field so I can try to get a job. Since the medical coding field is said to be a growing field, I have high hopes I can find something. I even know some people who are older than me who are working in this field so it's promising. Like I said, I was encouraged to look into getting a certification for this field. The only thing that really scares me is when the entry level jobs want a year or two of experience in certain areas, but I guess I'll cross that bridge when or if I have to.

Okay. Rant over. God Bless.