I S S U E 7

Education that Works Allen School Career Connection

Allen School

Career Services

IN THIS ISSUE

Record Breaking

Student of the

Month

All Star Update

1

1

2

Celebrate our

students! 2

My experience at the Allen School has been very challenging. In the

beginning, I was struggling with the computer area. With the help of

my teachers and my fellow classmates I managed to learn the materi-

al and become proficient at it. Although many students think that

the Allen School is hard, I believe there are ways of overcoming these

obstacles. Coming here, I have learned how to deal with patients in

the medical field. Teachers such as Ms. Chambers, Ms. Perkins, and

Ms. Te, etc. have really helped me get through these five modules.

The doctors of Allen School have also helped me with my hands on

skills. Allen School’s Career Services personnel also played a big part

in helping me prepare for the outside world and future job inter-

views. Allen School has taught me everything I need to know to start

off my career. Coming here has been a great experience!

Only about 25% of your job

search should be spent be-

hind a computer applying to

positions online. If that is

the only strategy you are

using, you are missing out

on a lot of other opportuni-

ties! Get out and talk to

people, attend a networking

event, wow employers at a

job fair, shadow someone at

their job...NETWORK!

Student of the

Month - online 2

A P R I L 2 0 1 2

Graduates found a new job in the month of March! The Allen School Career Services office broke their previous record of 115 in a month! Congratula-

tions to all students and the Career Services office for your hard work!

Check out just a few of the job titles of the 118 graduates with new jobs!

Billing Representative

Clinical Medical Assistant Lab Technician

Billing and Coding Professional Direct Care Specialist

Here is a sample of the employers who have hired Allen School students in March:

A BIG THANKS to all of the employers who attended our Employer Appreciation Events

on all of our campuses! We really appreciate your support!

“In the beginning my experience with Allen School was one of confusion. This was my first time going to school online. It took a while to get my bearings but once I did I found that the flexibility of the online classrooms worked out well for me. I flourished as a student and found myself to be a reference for other students. There were still times when things became confusing, but the teachers were so wonderful and there to help with any issues. Actually, all the staff at Allen School was always there to help with any bumps in the road. Career Services was always there in the background as I was making my way through the classes. It wasn't until I was nearing graduation that I really started to communicate with them more. It was really frustrating at first, because you think once you finish school that you will be able to get a job right away. For some, that was the case, but for me that was not. I started looking for a job two months before I finished school. Once I realized how hard it would be to

actually get an interview, I started planning my job search better and seeking out Career Services for their help. I sent in dozens of applications with my resume. Each week I applied to at least three jobs and I was only contacted for about four interviews in a 7 month time span. The struggle is getting an interview, and even then sometimes you will not be chosen. All interviews went well, but everyone was looking for someone with experience. I tried not to let this get me down, and remind my-self that there are hundreds of people out there looking for jobs and it is a tough job market. It would have helped had I known someone or had built up a good network. Career Services encourages you to network as much as possible to make those business contacts, and it really can make a difference between getting a job or not. Career Services was there cheering me on and encouraging me to continue with my efforts. Then one day I got an email from Suzana Almalih from Career Ser-vices. She told me about a job that she thought would be perfect for me. She had sent in a letter of recommendation to the company and gave me the contact infor-mation so I could send in my resume and fill out an application. Next thing I know, I was arranging an interview with the company. The interview went well and after the employer checked my references I was offered the job. The guy who interviewed me turned out to be the owner of the company. He hired me as an independent con-tractor to work from home. Now I set my own hours and do everything online. Having the experience as a student with Allen School Online, I learned to manage my time and meet deadlines while creating my own schedule. This prepared me for my new job. The job involves filing paperwork, billing, and accounts receivable to start, and once I gain experience and knowledge, I will be able to branch out into coding and other responsibilities. I just wanted to send a message out there to other students and graduates and let them know that it can be a struggle to get started. Don't loose faith or your drive to succeed. It can be frustrating, but if you work hard and work with Career Services, you will find that there is job out there that is just right for you.”

Students participated in an All Star event and this is the feedback from the supervisor:

“Thank you for sending the students for my health fair on Friday. As

usual, they were wonderful and a pleasure to work with!”

If it wasn't for Allen School, and the awesome people I've encountered on the way, along

with being blessed with wonderful classmates, I would not be where I am today. My resume

was targeted because of Allen School Online. My boss figured that if I could graduate with

a 4.0 from an online college, then I must be good at being able to work without someone

standing at my shoulder telling me to work. Medical Insurance, Billing and Coding sure is

coming in handy as far as the codes go because you have to know what the codes are for

the audits. All the training I've gotten at Allen School has come into play in every part of my

job, so THANK YOU Allen School!! I graduated Dec. 18, 2011 and started my job in Febru-

ary! So it didn't take me long to find a job, and I have not worked outside the home in al-

most 20 yrs. If I can do it, anyone can! You get out of it what you put into it. I met a lot of

amazing people along the way, and had the best classmates who have also become

friends. We even started our own group on Facebook and we always had each others' backs

and cheered (and still cheering) each other on. Deciding to take the Medical Insurance,

Billing and Coding has been one of the best decisions of my life, and it's certainly changed

my life for the better. It's been an amazing experience and an awesome ride! I SO LOVE my

job!! I work at Lincare Inc., and they deal with C-PAPS, nebulizers, oxygen supplies, and

also respiratory therapy among other things. I am a part of the Medicare Audit Team and we

are only the 2nd such team in the country. We all first of all, love a challenge, and 2nd of

all, we all love how we've been blessed to be in on this team, and 3rd we all love our jobs.

Medical Insurance Billing & Coding Graduation: December 2011 New York Resident

The Allen School is excited to announce the Allen School Alumni LinkedIn Group! If you are not

already familiar with LinkedIn, it is a professional networking site similar to Facebook for your profes-

sional contacts. Through this site all current students as well as alumni will be able to catch up, recon-

nect with classmates, and share job search tips and tricks. LinkedIn is a great networking tool that all

students seeking employment should be utilizing! Stop by the Career Services office with any ques-

tions!