After completing a medical assisting program, you may be excited and apprehensive about beginning your new career. In this chapter, you learn how to maximize your externship experience and gain the hands-on experience you need for securing a position in medical assisting. Your externship is an opportunity for you to explore the different responsibilities that are required of a medical assistant. After completing this chapter, you will begin to search for a position; you will be able to complete a résumé, a cover letter, and a thank-you letter. You will form a strategic plan on how to secure a position in medical assisting, and you will gain interviewing techniques needed to compete in today's health-care world.

Outline

• Externships
• Preparing to Find a Position
• Interviewing
• On the Job

Learning Outcomes

After completing Chapter 54, you will be able to:

54.1  Perform as a professional in all externship scenarios.
54.2  Discuss employment services and methods of obtaining a position.
54.3  Create a résumé.
54.4  Create a cover letter.
54.5  Create a follow-up letter.
54.6  Explain key factors for a successful interview

Summary

Medical assisting is an exciting field with many opportunities available to you. It is important to realize that the career phase begins with the externship and will continue for the duration of your career. Your résumé will be a life-long document that summarizes your career endeavors. Your professionalism will become your reputation, and employment offers may cross your path even if you are not actively seeking them. Continuing education and credentialing will enhance your career, so you should make education and credentialing your short-term goal after completing your medical assisting program.

The profession of medical assisting allows you many directions to take your career and will enable you to make many career changes within this profession. For example, you may choose academics and teaching future medical assistants or you may choose to pursue customer service or management positions in different areas within health care. Because medical assisting is one of the fastest-growing occupations, if you manage your career with professionalism and diligence and continue to learn, you will have many options for satisfying and successful employment.