look back a few days.. LONG post about this

Does anyone have any suggestions for being able to check out the important aspects of a job and a company before doing all the testing, signing all the paperwork, going through training, etc?  I have been in several situations in which the person doing the hiring makes the job sound so wonderful, but then when I actually start training, there are lots of things that are just frustrating and that were not presented to me at the time of hire.  I hoped we could compile a good list of things to ask a company/HR person before taking an MT job.  (QAers can also make a list!)  We could just all add things as they occur to us to help others.  I'm sure I'm not the only one who has been led down the primrose path when a company has presented what the job will be like!  We've all been there!  :)  The last place I was hired was just terrible, and that was the last straw.  So, I need to make sure I'm smarter in my job search before accepting positions with companies and then finding out the rest of the story later.  I know you can't know everything about a job before actually doing it, but I'm so tired of being misled. 

My last experience was this:  (This is a little long but pertinent to my question to show what I mean by my not knowing enough about a company before committing to it, so feel free to just skip it and provide any suggestions about my question above.  Sorry for the long post!) 

The last company that I hired with sounded great.  I was to be assigned a doctor after my training period for whom I would transcribe regularly, and I liked the idea of typing for one doctor on a regular basis.  During training, they trained me on other doctors besides the one I would transcribe for, and then they asked me if I would take a doctor as my primary account who was very unhappy with the transcription services he received from their company.  They gave me the choice if I wanted this position or not.  I considered it, but then I decided that since I had only been with the company for three weeks and was still in training, that it might not be a good idea to place a new Transcriptionist (I’m not new to transcription, but I was definitely new to their company) on that account.  I also needed to be provided with information as to what would be done in cases when he was on vacation (a schedule of which they would not give me so that I could plan when I wouldn’t have work).  I asked if I would I transcribe for other doctors, etc. so as not to be without a paycheck during the times when my primary doctor was away.  Once I asked these questions and also expressed my concerns about being placed on an account where the doctor was already unhappy, they sent me an e-mail stating that they had no work for me.  I was baffled, and sent a letter explaining the situation to an HR person.  They sent me a reply stating that my performance had not been up to par during training and that I am terminated.  I was so shocked.  I have always been a very accurate transcriptionist, and since no one had said anything to me about my work not being good quality during training, I assumed I was on track with their company, especially when they offered me a primary so soon after being hired when I wasn’t even out of training.  By the way, it is a good thing I didn’t need much training because this company is VERY poor in the training department.  You only get to read their manual.  I didn’t get any type of real training on anything other than how to submit my line counts, and that was not even covered fully.  Their manual, which is just about the only thing you have to refer to as you cannot get a return phone call or a return e-mail from a supervisor when you have a question, has steps left out of it.  (Perhaps I should go ahead and leave any company once I find out that the training and communication are poor as that seems to be a telltale sign of poorly-run companies.)  Just to be clear, I read posts from other people on this board who say good things about this company, so I wasn’t expecting them to be like this.  This company never said anything during my training about my work performance being below what they expected.  In fact, I don’t think they would have offered me the position of transcribing for this doctor who was already unhappy with turn-around times and quality work had my work performance been substandard.  Only when I asked questions about the account and said I didn’t think it would be wise to put me as a new transcriptionist on that account did they terminate me and say that my work performance was not acceptable.  It’s my feeling that they got angry with me that I did not want to be set up for a fall by transcribing for a doctor who was already unhappy with the services he was getting from them from a previous transcriptionist, so they began fabricating things about my performance.  I mean, if my performance was not acceptable to them, then why did no one say anything to me about that until after I said I would prefer a different doctor and also to know what would be done to provide me with work at times when the doctor would be away. 

So, the reason I’m typing all this is to say that I want to ask the right questions of companies, but when I asked questions of this particular company, I was terminated.  Does anyone think that asking questions about pay, schedule, etc., will keep you from getting a job or from keeping the job once you accept it?  I have never been involved with any jobs that didn’t let you know what you can expect in terms of work or in terms of a schedule until I began medical transcription, so I thought asking these types of questions wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.  I guess this is just a completely backward industry when it comes to things like that which we take for granted in the rest of the professional world.  And I certainly didn’t expect this company to begin fabricating problems with my work performance when I did ask some questions!  It seems as if the transcription companies want the MT to commit all their time and energy to them, but when they are asked to provide a stable working environment and a schedule, they refuse.  It’s pretty one-sided in my opinion.  I mean, I sit up nights until 4:00 a.m. to meet deadlines and I work every weekend to accommodate what is needed on my accounts, as I’m sure many of us do who transcribe!  Shouldn’t we able to expect to be treated with respect as employees?  I’m not desperate for work as I do have two other jobs, so I am trying to look out for myself and get a fitting position and have it longterm, but when a company fires you for expressing concerns and asking questions, it’s pretty confusing as to what they want.  And my other experiences in medical transcription have been similar.  I have never been told that the quality of my work was not up to par, however until this most recent company!  What I mean is that I’ve just run across companies that don’t tell you the real story up front and also mistreat you as an employee.  One of my supervisors at my current job told me that she has been in this business for over 20 years, and that even though it’s not pleasant, I should just expect this to be the norm in this business.  She is very level-headed and really smart and experienced, so I trust what she says.  It’s just pretty frustrating to think that this is the type of industry I have to look forward to!   

I do want to “search smarter” for jobs next time.  I have a bachelor’s degree in English and Communication Arts, teach English, and I have over three years of transcription experience.  I don’t expect to start with a company as the boss or even at the very top pay, but I feel that I should be able to find a good company, and I want to ask the right questions.  Any ideas out there?