Taking a new approach to my job search (IC status)
Posted By: KittyKat on 2009-05-11
In Reply to:
I have been reading the threads on IC status and pretty much agree with what has been said. Being an MT, I do prefer IC status for the flexibility. That being said, there are a lot of ads for IC positions that are limiting that flexibility. My new approach is that when an MTSO contacts me regarding my resume/application, I tell them UP FRONT what I am willing to do...what days I will work and what hours I will complete my work between. I let them know that I will not be held to a strict schedule. If I wanted strict schedule, I would opt for an employee position. If they offer me the job, the terms are clear from the get go. If my terms do not meet their needs, then they are free to move on to another candidate. I really think it is time for us to set the limits and not the other way around. And yes, before anyone jumps on the TAT bandwagon, I do understand TAT has to be met daily. I also understand that there may not be work available when I sign on, but I have come to expect that being an IC working around my own schedule and this is why I have no problem being an IC for more than 1 company at a time if/when necessary.
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I would approach this just as you sm
have told us here. Honestly. It is up to them. It may be a matter that you had a serious illness and unfortunately they may not hire you just because of insurance/risk type reasons. Human resources can be a bear to get past even if a supervisor wants to hire you. I remember a girl that my supervisor wanted to hire years ago and because she had some kind of back problem years before, HR would not allow her to hire her.
I have been where you are. I have a very serious chronic illness and that is one reason I don't go back out to work. I worked for the national for 23 yeasr but for awhile was also working at the hospital at the same time. It was too much for me. Maybe a transcription service would serve you better? Perhaps an IC status where you are very flexible in your hours. Speaking from someone who has a chronic illness, the flexibility is worth alot. Sometimes the stress of a full-time job you have to be at a certain time is not the best thing when you have some type of chronic medical problem. I completely understand.
My approach would have been to
give her much less information about the problem (only gives her something more to argue about) and I simply would have said: I have an urgent medical appointment and will be signing off at 3. If I am able, I will sign on for another hour upon my return. After her first refusal I would have replied: Nevertheless, I will be signing off at 3, sorry about the inconvenience. End of story. And I would not have responded to further e-mails.
Why get into a negotiation over what is within your rights to begin with? Never helps to appear to be asking for time off. You are letting her know as a courtesy.
Of course, knowing her attitude now, you can simply have ''internet connectivity problems'' or a ''power outage'' next time you have to take hour or so off. Call from your cell phone (or a pay phone). Tell her you are shut down and don't know when you will be back on. If you have an answering machine on your house phone, be sure to disconnect it. Then go to your appointment and don't look back.
Whether you do the work of 2 or 3 part-time people is not the issue. You are not her employee. Have there been times when the work you were expecting was not available? Did she pay you an hourly wage for that? Probably not.
BEST approach (This is pure
(and this is being pure b----): If they wouldn't pay me, I'd tell them in no uncertain terms that I did the work and expect to be paid. That if they refused to pay in a timely fashion, you would, alternatively, have to BILL THE CLIENT! Actually doing so might not work, but threatening to do so cerainly would...better than threatening legal action...since the worst that could happen to them would be to lose clients. Still no answer/pay?? I'd make good on my threat...if only to write or contact the client and notify them of MTSO's lack of ethics and responsibility, and, would they want to do business with a company that won't pay its own employees?    
Wow. The Tao would not offer this approach.
For balance in oneself, one must see themselves in others. And that is the way to peace. No offense but even if what this poster said is true, and I am not doubting that she believe it, the way of happiness is not by criticizing others and telling them what to do. That is Ego, and where there is Ego there is unhappiness and of course eventual Karma, what goes around comes around. Just a fact. Blessed are the peacemakers I believe it was said by a very kind man.
Wish I could approach 400 lph, I struggle trying to achieve 150 lph, sm
have difficult account with various work types. How do you do it?
I surely hope you will not approach sm
your MT career with that attitude. As a newbie, your willingness to accept constructive criticism and advice will be what makes or breaks your success. Something to think about. The post made a VALID suggestion and if your response is to put up your dukes and run away, you'll never make it in this field.
The approach to "those who have had a bad experience"
IS very interesting. It is a good company--except when it's not. I wonder just how many good people they have lost.
This is your opportunity to approach Deventure
very legitimate question and/or possible concern about Transcend and the rumored sale, etc. Any answer you get here, for any job, is not truly reliable. So, there is nothing wrong at all with calling them and state that you just have 1 question before you decide, and also fine to be honest that you had run into this issue while researching the company. Something to that effect. I have always up front let any potential employer know that I am aware of the rumors or negative reviews their companies get on different MT forums. I handle it professionally, but let then know my awareness of these situations. It gives the recruiter a chance to usually laugh with me about places like this, and then I am always keenly interested in how they handle the answers. All MTSOs are more than aware of MTStars, and we need not be ashamed or secretive that we get info here. That's what its all about - networking info! LOL. Best of luck! By the way, I only have experience with Transcend, and it was awful. The recruiter handled all the questions well, but turns out the truth was on this board and not out of her mouth! LOL. Live and learn, and gamble and try again!
Not snarky at all, I read it as just trying a humorous approach
I mean, it's either laugh or cry, right? *shrug* I didn't find your initial posting snarky at all.
Agree..with IC status, equip. is your responsibility; employee status - you should SM
not have to pay out-of-pocket for use of their equipment. I would never work employee status for a company who required me to purchase or lease their equipment. The only thing I would find acceptable is to have a small security deposit taken out of paycheck when starting with a company. This will protect the company from those few who might abuse the equipment.
Anyone know of Escription companies that offer IC status. I do not want employee status but would
like to stick with the Escription platform at all possible.
Employee status w/benefits vs IC status??? Dilemna enclosed
I am caught between a rock and a hard place and figure this is the place to get the best advice from those in the know. I have been an IC for the past 5 years and love the flexibility but was interested in a job with benefits. I started a new job about a month ago with good pay (2 lph more than I was making) and benefits......very happy with company but as an employee, obviously have a schedule. I am working both jobs currently and starting to burn out. On the new job, I am struggling to get the 1200 lines per day required but on my old.... I can easily get 150-400 lph depending on the dictator but again, it is IC and less lph than the new job. Obviously, the platform is different and not paid for template headers/footers wheras the old one, I am paid for those. Now to my question. Is it just me? Is it because I really enjoyed the freedom of ic status and therfore seem to be struggling? Anyone else experienced this before? Tempted to go back told job and lose benefits/more pay because in the end, maybe it works out be the same pay because of amount of time I spend getting the job done? Not sure if this makes sense but hoping you can all offer some advice!! TIA
Company Board, MTStar Search Box, (located below Google Search Box)
nm
Use the Google search box for MTStars.com, not the Search box at top of page. Lots of
s
Company Board Search For box (not Google search box)
nm
search on Company Board Search For box (not Google).
nm
Is this a Google search or MT Stars search?
x
dont search in Google box, use the Search Box below that
nm
dont search in Google box, use the Search Box below that
nm
It is as recent as a week ago, you need to search in the Search For box,
nm
search mtstarts box, below Google search box, ....
nm
use mtstars Search box, (below Google Search)
nm
search in Search Box (not Google box)
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search in Search For box below Google box
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BUT...you are taking them at their SM
word that the production rate will increase. The reality? It doesn't. I have been doing VR where I work for about a year now and even after the system was trained properly it takes JUST AS MUCH IF NOT MORE time to edit versus straight-typing the document.
You must always remember that when the company presents a plan and its assurances that you will make more money in the end, YOU WON'T. They may (cheaper labor) but YOU will not. That's guaranteed.
Not currently taking on new MTs (sm)
according to a form email I received. They seem to have a great reputation among MTs.
Well, someone must be taking it or
xx
Taking less pay
In 1981, I was making 10 cents a line; now it is 9, soon to be 8. We, as professional MTs, have let this profession go underground and isolated, many of us working at home and not in a social setting. Its time to RECLAIM our profession, re-emphasize the LEGAL IMPORTANCE of the work we do, and raise the standards again to catch up our salaries and inflation. I'd hate to have to move to India to make what I made 25 years ago!
about VR taking over all by itself but
rather the air heads out there that think it saves time and money, so they take on VR accounts and we as MTs get stuck with the editing. The original poster is correct. If doctors and/or hospitals want to change to VR, let them use it entirely on their own--no editing and no retyping from MTs, nothing! They would be throwing those machines out the windows in just a matter of a few hours. That is what our profession/industry needs. No help for VR accounts, plain and simple.
Have you tried taking Tylenol PM
It helps take away the pain you have in your shoulders and back from typing all day and it helps you sleep. May be a little better than Benadryl.
I know how you are feeling regarding MQ; I am there too and deciding on jumping ship.
That is another long story which I will have to go into at another time.
Have a good day or try at least and try the Tylenol PM
They shouldn't be taking someone right off the
This profession isn't greeting or flipping burgers at Wal-Mart or McDonald's. Why hire someone off the street with no skills in the first place?
THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME IT IS
THANKS!
Taking pole. Which would you take? (sm)
I won't name the companies but have been offered a job from two, both paying the same amount per line. One is as a employee with a company that so far I've seen mostly bad things about on MT Stars. The plus side is they take out the taxes/social security. The second is with a company that I've seen both good and bad things about on MT Stars but it's as an IC so I have to deal with taxes and social security. The only reason I lean towards the first one is because I don't have to provide both parts of social security, but as I said, I've not seen anything good about them. This is a second job to make up for the loss of overtime/bonus time no longer available. What would you do?
taking a pole
I'm with you
taking a pole where?
I think people from Poland are just fine and it shouldn't be painful to take one somewhere, should it?
You are taking my post a little too seriously
You are also obviously missing the point. My post was purely hypothetical. Again...you totally missed the point.
Taking a stand
I work for MDI-MD which does not offshore. There ARE companies out there with integrity. I think it behooves all of you who are looking for new jobs to be very clear that you will work only for companies that do NOT offshore. You should also give the AAMT a piece of your mind since they have been supporting (and profiteering from) offshoring for years. Think about that the next time you write your excuse to this pathetic organization.
So, you don't mind that they are taking
I hope that one day you don't wake up to find out they have outsourced your position and you are now without a job. Let me know how that works for you.
I'm taking the test now. I'm not too sure about this?!?! sm
I saw somewhere where somebody said they got paid every Friday. Somebody else said about once a month. I don't know. Their website looks promising. I'm in the process of getting the test ready to send now. I'm not sure if I'll even finish it.
thanks JD for taking time out of
your busy day to post that.
Nowhere does it say anything about taking our night
differential (not that I can find, anyway). They took one bonus and replaced it one other and another on the way. Rarely do I run out of work. They could have cut our pay even more to get us on a more even keel with the other nationals that only pay 50%. At least that didn't happen yet. It's not a bad place to work. I have always been paid on time, have a good PS and WFC, accrue PTO even though I'm only part time (30 hours per week). 
I know the OSI accounts U R taking about
The OSi MT's are in the dark about so many things. Evil people who run this company.
Test taking
I have just taken a test that must be designed to get into medical school with all of the choose the correct, fill in the blank and give the definition, was sooo..long.... and so intense, and why do we have to take 5 voice tests, don't they understand if you can do one or two, you must know what you are doing? Just tired I guess trying to find a good fit after doing this for 20 years.
Test taking
It was for DR and it was just long and timed too.
Are you sure taking all available deductions?
x
taking the spaces away ????
What is the purpose of taking the spaces away? Any line counter can count spaces as well as characters - and a stroke to the spacebar is the same effort on the part of the MT as a stroke to a letter key - I don't understand the rationale??
Not taking sides
Actually I am in the same boat as everyone else. You have to work harder to make more money because this industry does not give raises. Our economy is hurting; however, I would NOT want live in India or any other country that is being sent work because their economy is obviously worse.
Also OFFSHORING is when transcription is sent to other countries. Outsourcing is what hospitals to when they send their transcription to companies rather than being done in house.
Lots of industries are offshoring. I just sit here in my peaceful living room and decide how much money I want to earn today and determine how hard I want to work. Some days I don't want to do it at all. Other days I am grateful I don't have to go wait tables or tend bar for a second job. As much as people complain about this industry, I can't think of anything else I would want to do to make extra money.
not taking sides but...
I completely understand what you mean about the pay...it is quite a long time to wait for a full paycheck.
But...you really should have read your contract BEFORE signing it so you only have yourself to blame for that aspect.
I am taking a f/t job with them and am pretty
excited about it. They have been really great so far in the hiring process, and I have never seen anything negative, though not much in the archives. Hope this helps! Maybe we will be working together. Good luck!
well i'm taking some comfort in
that i'm not alone. I've taken a big hit in income due to my own slowness (at least in part). but i'm also working a little less to preserve my nerves from carpal tunnel, which after 33 yr is starting to creep in. I always felt that i could find work easy with my experience, but not so sure of that anymore either. So for me, no, not recession proof.
TAKING IT PERSONALLY??...SM
HOW RUDE! It's wonderful that you are able to tell what others are thinking or what they want to do.
Who are YOU to tell an MT to go somewhere else? The poster has a right to her/his opinion just as much as you do, although she seems to be able to express herself with somewhat more class that you are capable of.
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