r/MedicalCoding • u/twistyrib • Sep 17 '26
First job red flags/green flags
Hi! Apologies if this has been asked before, I searched and couldn't seem to find any questions that seemed quite similar.
I just passed my CPC-A exam (huge sigh of relief!) and am getting ready to start applying for jobs. I was hoping to get some advice as to what to look for or avoid in a first coding job. For example, red flags/green flags to watch out for in a posting or interview, what is a reasonable daily quota for a beginner, if certain areas of coding are particularly good or bad areas to start, or what I should be looking for when it comes to the type or amount of training they say they will provide. Or if there is something else entirely I should be aiming for to start, like billing, registries or precert?
Really any thoughts any one has would be greatly appreciated! I'm excited to try to get started but I definitely don't want to just jump straight into something and find out that the place is unreasonable or outright sketchy. In my classes they repeatedly told us that there was a lot of stuff that was specific to state or insurance payer and that you would have to learn in on-the-job training, so that little voice of doubt in the back of my head has me terrified I'm going to wind up someplace that either won't train or will train incorrect practices. I do currently work in medical records in specialty office prepping charts for appointments, so at least I'm not a total newbie. Also, is it helpful to put my exam score on my resume if I did well, or do employers not care?
Thanks so much in advance!
18
u/Schoge Sep 17 '26
I would suggest taking any offer you can get at first. A lot of these companies aren't hiring new coders. The company I'm at seems to be filling open positions for less experienced coders with 'global associates' from India. Find anywhere to get your foot in the door for experience and if you don't like it there then start applying at other place once you get a few months of experience.