Note: This post was originally posted on our Medical Billing and Coding Blog. Check it out for more information!

“I’ve learned that you shouldn’t go through life with a catcher’s mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw some things back…”

- Maya Angelou, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey.

Is it possible to manage workflow that comes to you from two, three or more bosses?

It can be done, but it can also be a challenge. Consider these words from a medical biller and coder who works for a small group of physicians:

“Each doctor thinks that his or her work is priority one,” she states. “And since I am not really in a position to say no to any of them, I feel like I am being pulled in all directions while my in-basket piles higher and higher.”

So, how can you manage workflow from multiple bosses? Here are some suggestions from a variety of experts.

Suggestion One: Let Your Bosses Decide what Comes First

Get conflicting bosses into one room and let them help set your priorities. But don’t use this tactic if both bosses are already fighting aggressively for your time – you could end up with an even bigger pile of work and no resolution.

Source: Adapted from the book Managing Multiple Bosses: How to Juggle Priorities, Personalities & Projects – and Make It Look Easy by Pat Nickerson (AMACOM books, 1998).

Suggestion Two: Keep a Time Log

Simply keep a calendar for three or four days where you log exactly what you worked on, in 15-minute increments. If certain bosses are claiming an unbalanced share of your time, your time log should provide documentation that things are not being handled fairly.

Source: Adapted from the book How to Get Control of Your Time and Your Life by Alan Lakein (Signet, 1989).

Suggestion Three: Schedule Individual Meetings with Your Bosses

Schedule time with each one. Explain that you want to handle everyone’s work more effectively, explain the workload you are dealing with, and ask them to make suggestions. Asking for help in this way is more effective than saying no to new work.

Source: Management consultant Jennifer B. Kahnweiler writing on AMANET.com. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s easy to find ourselves stuck in the grind of everyday, especially when working or taking classes from home. We get into the same weekly routine and take little time to think about what we are actually doing. Are you growing? Are you pushing yourself? There is a question that I ask myself at the end of every week. It is simple:

What did I learn last week?

The secret to moving forward, in life, in school, in a job, anywhere, is that you have to be constantly learning and growing, and be aware of that learning and growth. Some things to think about when you ask yourself this question:

1. Internalize information.

Internalizing is essential in this time of information overload. We are constantly wired in. We are surrounded by news, information, breaking stories and investigative reports. You can scroll through hundreds of stories on Google Reader, but how much are you actually internalizing. What are you learning? Write some points down from what you read and make an effort to talk about it.

2. Find learning in unexpected places.

Think of every experience as an opportunity to learn about yourself. Sometimes we learn the most when things go wrong. Instead of complaining about it (and wasting energy), ask yourself, “What have I learned about myself from this experience?” and move on.

3. Don’t over-think.

Don’t stress over whether you are absorbing every concrete detail of your work. It is impossible to be fully engaged 100% of the time. Instead of stressing over little details, take a look at the big picture. What are you learning from your experiences? Be aware of your growth and set goals so that you know you are moving in the right direction.

So, what did you learn last week?

“Top 10 Unbelievable Interview Blunders,” an article on CareerBuilder.com, tells some really funny stories about blunders that job-seekers have committed in interviews. There was the man who asked his interviewer to leave her own office so he could have a “private” conversation on his cell phone.  And the candidate who asked his interviewer for a ride home after the interview. And the man who told his interviewer that he was “a people person, not a numbers person” – even though he was applying for an accounting job.

Job-seekers with common sense would never make mistakes like those. But the problem is, even smart people can make small blunders that tarnish their images.  The most common mistakes seem to be scuffed shoes, stained ties and excessive jewelry.  But other problems can be overlooked by smart job-seekers too. Here are some basic points to cover, adapted from “Dressing for Success”, an article by Alison Doyle on About.com.

Women’s Interview Attire . . .

• Moderate shoes
• Limited jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Tan or light hosiery
• Sparse make-up and perfume
• Manicured nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Men’s Interview Attire . . .

• Dark socks, professional shoes
• Very limited jewelry
• Neat, professional hairstyle
• Go easy on the aftershave
• Neatly trimmed nails
• Portfolio or briefcase

Have you made mistakes in interview that you would like to help other job-seekers avoid? If so, please take a moment to tell us about them on this blog.

Note: This post was originally published on Medical Billing and Coding Blog.

The internet is full of web-based and social tools that may help you have a richer, more valuable experience in school. We have selected a few of our favorite resources for medical administrative assistant students. Let us know if you have any others that you think should be added to the list!

1. Evernote is a note-taking program that syncs with a personal online portfolio so that you can have access to your classroom notes from any computer.

2. Google Reader is an RSS aggregator that will organize all of your news sources and blogs into one easily accessible location.

3. Google Docs allows you to create documents that are easily shareable with a group of people. Great for projects and collaborations.

4. GradeMate is a powerful online organizer for teachers and students to keep track of their courses — from managing grades, assignments, and events to sharing files, course notes, and class discussions.

5. StudyRails is the online study tool that helps you schedule your time for more effective study habits and homework management. For chronic procrastinators, you can even set it to block specific websites or programs during scheduled homework time!

6. Delicious is a social bookmarking website that keeps all your bookmarks in one location online, so that you can access them from anywhere.

We told you last week how to use social media to increase your chances of finding a career as a medical administrative assistant.  The most important thing when creating or managing your social media platforms is ensuring that you are aware of what image you are putting forth.  Managing your online reputation is becoming more and more important, whether you like it or not.

To help you maintain or find a career as a medical administrative assistant, you need to make sure that your online reputation is spotless.

1. Start by Googling Yourself

Put your full name in the google search and see what turns up.  This is what hiring managers will be doing, so you need to be one step ahead.  What do you see?  Is there embarrassing information?  Pictures from college parties?  Set up a Google Alert for your name that will notify you every time a new search result appears with your name.  This is a great way to keep tabs on what the internet knows about you.

2. Make a list of all your online profiles.

Compile a comprehensive list of all your profiles on social networking sites and any other profiles that might come up in a search for your name. The object of managing your personal brand online is not becoming invisible, but rather controlling what future business contacts, employers, and colleagues will see.

For profiles and accounts that you do not want to show up in search results, simply use an ambiguous display name and avatar. Use Google to remind yourself of profiles you might have that you forgot about.

3. Clean up your “Big Three”

Hiring managers are looking on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to research job candidates.  In fact, CNN says that “of the hiring managers who use social networking sites for candidate research, 24 percent said profiles encouraged them to hire the job seekers.”

Being on these sites can give you a leg up against the competition, but only if you are conscious and cautious of the material posted.  Go through these profiles and either ensure that you have strict privacy settings or remove any content that wouldn’t want a hiring manager to see.

Is California a good place to build a career as a medical administrative assistant?

If you have been following the news, you already know about the state’s budgetary problems, which have led to cutbacks in state funding for healthcare services, education, and a variety of essential services.

According to the Anderson Forecast, an independent trend-monitoring report issued by UCLA, here’s how things look for California’s overall employment picture in the coming year:

“Writing about California, UCLA Anderson Senior Economist Jerry Nickelsburg notes that despite the recession having officially ended, California’s unemployment rate continues to rise, while local governments continue to shed jobs. The outlook for the balance of 2010 is for little or no growth in the state, with the economy picking up speed slightly by the beginning of next year . . . The unemployment rate – currently at 12.5% – will fall slowly through the balance of this year and should average 11.8% for 2010. Though the state’s economy will be growing, it won’t be generating enough jobs to push the unemployment rate below double-digits until 2012.”

Double-digit unemployment is no laughing matter. Yet high unemployment does not necessarily translate to fewer jobs for medical administrative assistants. Here are some factors to consider if you are thinking about working in the state:

• Hiring is happening. When we visited CareerBuilder.com a few days ago and searched for medical administrative assistants jobs in California, we found a total of 663 jobs listed. Employers included Healthport, Hoag Memorial Hospital, La Clinica, Maxim Healthcare, Scan Healthplan, Sutter Health, and the UCI Medical Center.

• California has Medi-Cal, it’s own state-funded healthcare insurance program. Claims for medical service must be submitted not only to insurers and Medicare, but (if patients are participants) to Medi-Cal too. The processing of insurance forms to Medi-Cal can be complex, which can create a need in the state for medical administrative assistants with applicable training.

• California is seeing an increase in the number of urgent care centers and other non-hospital healthcare service providers. One example: According to The Urgent Care Association of America, “the number of urgent care centers in the U.S. grew from approximately 8,000 in February 2009 to 8,700 in February 2010.” Urgent care centers are now dispersed widely through the state of California, as are California chiropractors and other healthcare providers that can hire medical administrative assistants.

• The need for healthcare services in California remains strong. Even though the California Hospital Association points to a reduction in state funding for hospitals, there are many positive signs. One is that Kaiser Permanente, one of America’s leading not-for-profit healthcare plan providers, has just announced plans to equip 15 California hospitals with 15 megawatts of solar-generated electrical power by the summer of 2011. That’s a significant investment in the state’s hospital infrastructure.

So, is there a future for you in California? It could well be. To keep aware of hiring in the state, we’d recommend visiting CareerBuilder.com’s page of California job listings for medical administrative assistants. It’s a convenient way to monitor some of the available jobs in the state.

Social media is a big buzz word right now.  From blogs to Twitter to Facebook, social media is quickly becoming part of our daily lives.  Analysts are predicting where it will go, whether the bubble will burst, and what effects it will have on other industries.

But here is what we know right now: We know that social media is a powerful tool to connect and communicate with individuals that share your interests and goals.  In the next week, take these three steps to ensure that you are getting the most out of your medical administrative assisting career.

Create a LinkedIn profile and begin connecting with colleagues.

LinkedIn is a social network for professionals.  There is no “poking” or tagging of pictures, just a simple, personal business network.  You want to have a presence on LinkedIn because 75% of hiring managers use LinkedIn to research job candidates before making an offer.   Spend some time to create a real profile.  Having a profile with only your name and nothing else sends the message that you don’t care about your professional connections.

Once you have your profile, feel free to join the Ultimate Medical Academy LinkedIn group to connect with other professionals.

Start following colleagues on Twitter.

Twitter is a powerful tool for personally connecting with individuals in your industry.  Create an account and start following your colleagues, coworkers, and fellow students.  Begin sharing links that you find thought-provoking or relevant to medical administrative assisting.  Mashable has a very comprehensive guide on Twitter.  Once you have an account, follow us on Twitter.

Start a blog.

Blogging requires determination, dedication, and a love for a specific topic.  If you have those qualities, then a blog is a great way to get your name out there and establish yourself as a responsible individual.  Your blog does not necessarily have to be about your career, but that doesn’t hurt.  David Spinks writes about the 14 Ways a Blog Will Help You Get a Job.  If you are nervous or don’t know where to begin, ProBlogger is a great resource.

Important: Keep in mind that these are opportunities to build your professional network, which means your profiles and conduct on these platforms should be professional in nature.  Get rid of “cutesy” names, inappropriate pictures, and highly personal information.