Research the Industry
A lot of schools will tell you all about their coding programs, but what they may not tell you is what the local job market looks like. And as more and more distance education schools pop up, it becomes your responsibility to find out if there is a need for coders in your area. While it is true that there is a national coder shortage, there is no guarantee that coders are needed in the geographic location where you currently reside. So how badly do you want to be a coder? Are you willing to move somewhere else if there aren’t positions close to you? Where the Job Postings Are The initial research is simple. Check local and national job postings. This may mean going to a variety of sources, such as the local newspaper, AHIMA, AAPC, and employer job listings. Don’t expect to find a whole lot in the newspaper ads (although smaller physician practices still use newspapers to post positions), since there are many professional job listing sites and coding positions are ...