First of all, it's way too early for you to get discouraged (sm)
Posted By: MtMom on 2006-08-25
In Reply to: Brand New. Just finished school. - Lisa
If you read the archives on this forum, you'll see that a lot of newbies went through months of job searching before they found work. But you'll also find that a lot of them DID eventually find work because they did not give up. I myself am a newbie and it took me about 5 months to land my first job. I put the same effort into my job search as I did my schooling and looked/tested about six days a week. Does your school offer any job placement assistance?
Search the internet for medical transcription companies and test with anyone that will allow you to. Even if you don't pass their test it is good practice.
And be forewarned about companies that say they have work for you but you have to pay money upfront. Any legitimate company will not charge you to work for them. Read the posts below for more information about that.
Finally, don't give up, because I know you worked very hard on your education. Once you land your first job then you will gain the experience you need and be able to apply for more jobs in the future. Best of luck to you!
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Discouraged
coming to the last weeks of a very abbreviated MT course. am thoroughly discouraged--ready to give up--and seems like i can't get ANYTHING right--even the punctuation skills i thought i was GREAT at (versus comparing transcription to keys). all reading on the various specialties has not, for the most part, helped me on many of the difficult words -- never mind the horrid dictating styles!
is there any hope? i am ready to cry before i give up! 
getting discouraged
I am a recent graduate of Career Step and am feeling very frustrated. I got an 86% on the transcription portion of the final exam. Not what they wanted me to get but I was so anxious to find work that I went ahead and applied to MedQuist. I did not get the job, because I only managed to get an 84% on their exam. It seems that no matter what I do I cannot get myself over this mid-eighty percentile. It seems that everyone wants you to have at least a 90%. Now I really don't know what to do. Does anyone have any advice or know of any employers that are willing to give newbies like me a chance. Any reply would be appreciated
Don't get discouraged...
You're best bet would be to try and find a job in a hospital or clinic setting first before trying to work from home. A lot of hospitals are outsourcing nowadays to cut costs so this might take some searching.
There is just no substitution for hands-on experience. I don't know what I would've done without those extra ears from fellow coworkers to help me out with all my questions. I worked in-house for many years before I took the plunge to work from home.
Good luck and by all means don't give up. You just need somebody to give you a chance.
don't get discouraged
Network, apply everywhere and be persistent. Eventually you will find work - it's just a numbers game in the beginning and you have to put yourself 'out there' - everywhere ! Good luck !
Don't get discouraged.
I also just graduated in December. I was getting discouraged about finding a company that would hire a newbie. I had applied and tested for several companies. I was offered a job at the beginning of March and I will be starting my training this week. So keep trying. You will eventually get a job. It may not be a dream job right at the beginning but it will get you some experience.
Discouraged
I have been a psych Transcriptionist for the past 14 years. I am wanting to get back into medical transcription, but the posts here seem so discouraging as far as it being worth going back to school, etc. It appears that everything is being offshored, etc. I do not know if it is worth my time and money. Maybe I should find another profession, huh?
Getting discouraged.
Ok, I have been reading A LOT on this MB for a few days now and asking what I think are the right questions. What school? Is part-time really available?
After many varied responses and further reading I am only more confused. I really do not believe that the MT field is going to dissappear before I finish training, but should I continue to investigate other at-home careers? This just seemed like a great choice as it is a REAL job, not selling something for pennies (been there, done that) or conning people into a pyramid scheme (found PLENTY of those!)
I would love to hear both sides from you guys. Who is happy with the job as a newbie (and I realize it will be tough at first)? And who would have gone another direction if they had known then what they know now -- if so what would you do instead?
I would love to hear from WAH MTs as this is what my goal is (Part-Time only). But I will appreciate all advice!
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don't get discouraged
this is a tricky field to get in to, but if you are persistent, hard working, and willing to be trained, you should do fine. Check the job board frequently, and try to find something that requires recent certificate only; no experience.
Some schools offer an externship. If yours does, jump at the opportunity, even if it is for 5-6 cents per line. I know a lot of people will say don't do it, but I disagree. 20 years ago when I graduated, I pounded the pavement (noone really worked at home back then). I actually begged the medical records director for a job. Told him I would take minimum wage for six months, would never ask the same question twice, and be one of his top producers within a year. Guess what, I was. I worked so very hard that first year, but it paid off. After ten years working in the transcription department and establishing many contacts in the hospital, I was able to come home and work.
There are services out there who will hire new MT's. Since you are close to graduating, this would be a good time to start looking. Check the job board on this forum, and also MTjobs.com. They also have many jobs for MT's.
Good luck.
Lisa do not get discouraged!
Only you can make it happen. I would suggest you look at the job seeker's board here on this site. There is actually a job posted there today that is looking for "newbies". Everyone was new once. I did not attend a course per se. I learned anatomy and transcription in high school. I have many years of experience and am still learning every day. Please, do not let negative posters here misinform or discourage you from your endeavors. Do not fear the fact that you did not graduate from one of these so-called 3 great schools. Your work ethic will say it all, and yes even after 20 years, I still use a spellcheck and still leave blanks. It is inevitable, and you learn each and every day. Keep your chin up, and I am actually liking your attitude towards these negative people. Stand up for yourself as no one else will. There was another company called CLK Transcription that had posted a while back on the job seeker's board that wanted to mentor. This may be an avenue for you to stroll. You may not make the big money (none of us do on-line), but you will gain experience, hence, making it easier to find even your own accounts on-line. Kudos for taking life by the horns and riding it out. This is a great profession and much to be said for a job well done!!!! 
Replying to Suzi who's discouraged
Try a hospital; some are so desperately short-handed, they'll let you earn while you learn & give you that chance. Good Luck! don't give up!
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