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.

Did You Know: Medical Administrative Assisting Blog is part of a network of blogs that discuss careers in the allied healthcare field.  Check out our friends over at Medical Billing and Coding Blog.

President Obama won a hard-fought battle last week.  After months of stalled progress and fiercely partisan debate, the House passed a sweeping health care reform bill with a vote of 219-212.  The $940 billion plan will completely reorganize the American medical system, extending coverage to roughly 32 million additional Americans.

There is coverage of this bill from every major news organization: CNN, NPR, and New York Times to name a few.  The topic is also being discussed across Twitter and the blogosphere.

So how exactly does the bill affect people working in the allied healthcare field?  Whether you agree or disagree with Obama’s policies, it is important to know how they affect you as a medical administrative assistant.

1. The bill increases coverage to 32 million additional Americans by requiring most Americans and businesses to have some kind of insurance plan or pay a fine.
2. Parents will be allowed to keep their children on their health care plans until they are 26.
3. Reform will eliminate discrimination based on pre-existing conditions or medical history.  If an individual hasn’t been able to get coverage because of a pre-existing condition, a ban on discrimination for adults will take effect in 2014. Additionally, a pool will be set up for high risk adults to get coverage until 2014. For those of you who have a child with a pre-existing condition, a ban on discrimination for children will take effect immediately.

External sources:  HealthReform.gov, New York Times Health Care Reform Overview

Prediction: All of these provisions, combined with the billions going to electronic health records, predict an increased need for medical administrative assistants in doctors’ offices.  The sudden spike in the number of patients seeking care combined with rapidly changing electronic health records systems could mean more jobs in the allied healthcare field.

We’ve talked before about the importance of reading blogs.  With the “biggest expansion of federal health care guarantees in more than four decades” (CNN) being passed in Congress, it is even more important to keep up to date with the rapid changes in healthcare technology.

While there are very few blogs that are specifically dedicated to medical administrative assisting (besides ours of course), we have selected ten blogs on healthcare and technology to help populate your RSS reader with useful information.  Here are our suggestions, in no particular order:

1. Healthcare IT News
2. Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society
3. Modern Healthcare
4. The Medical News
5. NPR Topics: Health Care
6. The Health Care Blog
7. Healthcare Informatics
8. Alltop Healthcare
9. Google Blog Alerts
10. Google Blog Search

These are by no means the only blogs that report important information for medical administrative assistants.  If you have any other suggestions or blogs that you think should make the list, feel free to add your comments below!

Today, there was something that you should have done, but didn’t. We procrastinate every day, but why? You should be working on a presentation for next week’s meeting or finishing up your paper for tomorrow’s class (or just starting it) but you find yourself washing your clothes or watching trashy TV instead.

It is especially easy to get distracted while working at home. There are always things you could be doing that get in the way of the things that you should be doing.

It is often not the most brilliant or talented people that find success or get noticed. The people that make progress in their careers are the people that get things done. Here are three steps to becoming the type of person that gets things done:

1. Set goals for yourself.

Setting goals or using a planner will help you stay organized and will let you know when your procrastination is interfering with your work. If you are consistently not meeting goals, then you have a problem. Set your priorities by using a list.

2. Identify anything that is causing you to procrastinate.

There are a thousand possible reasons why you are procrastinating. Poor time management, distractions, anxiety and boredom are all causes. At home, we tend to get caught up in what I call constructive procrastination. This is when the mundane chores around the house become infinitely more appealing than that daunting project or presentation that you have been putting off for the past few weeks. Identifying these causes is only part of the process.

3. Eliminate whatever is making you procrastinate.

Don’t make excuses about procrastination. It’s easy to justify procrastination by blaming it on outlying factors. Instead, take control. Plan your time while at home so that there are designated times that you work and designated times that you do other things. Create a special space in your home that is free of distractions where you do your work.

Sometimes the best way to avoid procrastinating while working from home is to get out of your home. Take your work to a local park or library. Good luck!

The interviewing portion of the job application process is often the most nerve-wracking part of applying for a job.  There is always an element of surprise and unlike in a cover letter or resume, you can’t “edit” what you say.  Here are 5 ways to make sure your interview experience goes smoothly:

1. Do your research.

Read up on the practice or company that you are going to be applying to.  The interviewer will ask you what you know about the medical practice or company, and saying “I’m not sure” shows that you did not take initiative and that you are not genuinely interesting.

2. Prepare your own questions.

Asking questions is also a good way to show that you have done your research on the position that you are going to fill.  Try asking about their professional development opportunities to show that once you have the job, you will still be committed to improving.

3. Use your schools’ career resource center.

CRCs often offer mock interviews for students to help them prepare for job interviews.  Practice makes perfect and these test runs will give you valuable feedback on how you come across in a professional setting.

4. Prepare answers for tough questions ahead of time.

Brainstorm some of the questions that an interviewer might ask you and rehearse your answer.  Questions like “What is your biggest weakness?” and “Where do you see yourself in five years?” are typical interview questions.

5. Be confident.

This is the easiest thing to tell people about interviewing and often the hardest thing to accomplish.  Some people are naturally more confident that others, but everyone can boost their confidence by preparing for the interview.  Dressing well helps too!

People will tell you a thousand things to prepare for an interview.  Give a good handshake, make eye contact, don’t interrupt, don’t fidget, sit up straight, speak clearly, etc.  The list goes on and on, but the most important thing you can do is practice and prepare.  Good luck and let us know in the comments if you have any pointers that work well for you!

Most of us could use less stress. Jobs are being cut and we are seeing our weekly workload steadily increasing. With the kind of ridiculous connectivity that we have and the expectation to be constantly “plugged in”, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. So here’s what we are going to do:

1. Make a list. Sometimes the best thing to organize your life is some good old pen and paper. (Or if you really think a computer is the solution to everything, try out Evernote).
2. Write out your absolutely essential tasks, your “have to dos.” These are your responsibilities. Any deadlines, homework, necessary errands (lack of toilet paper is a “have to.”) or promises/responsibilities you have.

3. Write out your “should dos.” These are the numerous things you feel obligated to be doing, but generally aren’t. Going to the gym, filing your taxes, keeping in touch with friends, etc.

4. Write out your “could dos.” Here are the fun ones! Because life should be balanced, list the things you do to unwind: watching TV, going out, dancing, napping, cooking, hobbies, etc.

5. Prioritize! Organize your list by most important to least important and work your way down the list. If you have to, plan out your schedule for the next week, hour by hour.

6. Based on your number of responsibilities, set a daily goal of the number of “should dos” you would like to complete every day. Start with one a day.

7. Break down big tasks into little ones. This is a pretty basic trick against fighting procrastination. Something daunting like “Apply for Job” becomes many manageable tasks like “Finalize Resume”, “Draft Cover Letter”, “Contact Career Center”, “Research Possibilities Online”, etc.

Follow these pointers and you’ll be well on your way to a more organized and less stressful week.

When it comes time to look for a job, whatever field you are in, keeping up to date is one of the most important things you can do to make a good impression. Things are changing and they are changing fast, so when it comes time for a job search, interview, or a deal with a new client, you have to show that you really know your industry.

It is easy to get so overwhelmed with the amount of information out there that you end up shying away from it instead of learning from it. Think of social media as an opportunity to learn rather than an obligation. Here is how you stay informed:

1. Subscribe to 5 blogs in your industry.

You need to know the key players and discussions in your industry if you want to be competitive in the job market. Ask colleagues what blogs they read. If they don’t read any blogs, see what magazines or periodicals they read and see if those publications have any online content (and then tell them to come here!).

2. Organize your blogs using an RSS Reader

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. Services like Google Reader will grab feeds (a feed is an aggregation of all the content on a given site) and put them all into one place for you to easily access. This way, instead of bookmarking dozens of websites, you simply go to your RSS reader and everything you need is neatly in one place.  Subscribe to our feed by clicking on the RSS button in our header or our sidebar.

3. Share your thoughts using social media.

Get your ideas out there. Use twitter search to find interesting conversations and comment on them. Find interesting blogs at Alltop or Technorati and join the conversion.