Landing the Medical Assistant Job

Medical Assistants ARE Being Hired, But...

The reason many new medical assistants aren't hired is NOT due to a lack of knowledge, or skill, but because of poor skills in areas such as resume writing and interview technique. Brush up on your interview techniques. Brush up on your resume writing skills and practice your interview survival skills! Most state (un-)employment agencies have personnel on hand to assist you with this type of stuff. Contact them as soon as possible and keep on going. Believe it or not! There are jobs for all medical assistants; they ARE in high demand. 

Important! 

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Suzanne Ashmore, a Medical Assistant Instructor Tells Us:
Medical Assistant Forum Nov 29th, 2007 - 12:16 PM

Re: No wonder so many can't find a job

I have been teaching medical assisting for 12 years. Following is a list of some of the main reasons I see why new graduates are not getting hired:

• Poor communication skills during the interview
• Inappropriate dress for the interview
• Not being on time for the interview
• Not showing a willingness to make big sacrifices for the clinic with which you are interviewing
• Asking the wrong questions (e.g. "How many holidays do I get?)

I recall a few years ago one of our graduates coming back to the school, in tears, after 3 months of interviewing but not yet having been hired. Come to find out, she was terrible during the interviews. As an example, when they asked her to "tell me about yourself" her reply was "Well, I am 30 years old, I have 3 children, we like to play baseball".

Remember: It is a two way process. Half of the interview is for the employer to ask questions, and the other half is for the applicant to ask questions.

Think Outside the Box!

We recently came across a very creative way for medical assistants to get the word out on Craigs List. This medical assistant student shows that she is energized and eager to get to work... Her ad also shows, very discretely, that she is looking for work to gain experience, and is willing to start at the front desk! Great move.

Know Whom and When To Call!

Go through the telephone book and write down some doctor's phone numbers to make research calls. This way you will instantly learn a bit about this office (e.g. was the call helpful, or did they seem stressed and put you on hold?). Introduce yourself, tell them you are a medical assistant graduate looking for an opportunity to gain experience, and ask if you could chat a moment with the office manager.

When exactly is the best time to make this type of call? Early in the day and early in the week!!! Avoid Mondays, as this is usually the busiest day in a medical office. Tuesday or Wednesday is better. Once Thursday comes around, people are trying to tie up the loose ends of the week, and on Fridays they are focused on finishing up so they can leave the office and enjoy their weekend. Likewise, early in the day, 10 AM - 2 PM is better than later, however, remember that most offices are closed for lunch (not a good time!).

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When Asked "What Is Your 5 Year Goal"

Five years is a long time. Best to break it down in two types of goals: short and long term.

Short examples:

1. apply my skills in all areas of the medical office (front and back)
2. sit for the national certification exam in (enter a date/month)
3. work closely with the doctor and medical office staff to gain valuable experience

Long examples:

1. stay current through professional memberships, workshops and seminars
2. look for the opportunity to move up within the organization
3. learn all I can about the profession to eventually go back to college (to become an RN)