A driving voice in the field of human resources strategy, Tiffani Murray has over ten years of experience informing job seekers with resume writing techniques and career advice. Through her work with placing candidates within the healthcare industry, she has keen insight into what medical assistant candidates should expect when looking for a job in their field.
Tiffani Murray earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Science at Spelman College and her Bachelor of Industrial Engineering degree at Georgia Tech, as she was part of a dual degree program on a full scholarship. In recent years, she was named one of Workforce Management’s Human Resources “Game Changer” Strategists Under 40—and with good reason. Her consultation experience and sound career advice has caused her articles to be featured and quoted in such distinguished job resources as Elearning! Magazine, the Work Buzz, Media Bistro, Recruiter.com, and theLadders.com. Murray is also the author (Stuck on Stupid: A Guide for Today’s Professional Stuck in a Rut), a human resources technology strategist and consultant, and an award-winning HR Technology and Talent Management professional.
Read our full interview with Tiffani Murray for her expert tips tailored for medical assistants who are considering pursuing a medical assistant career and those who are ready to enter the healthcare job market.
What makes recruiting for medical assistant positions different than other fields?
Recruiting for medical assistant positions is different from other fields in that you are looking for a niche skill set and, in many instances, recruiters will seek candidates from an accredited program. Additionally, while not require for these positions, certain licensing and certification may be desired or preferred. For example, having a certification from the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA) may provide you with an advantage over other candidates, even if this is not a requirement of the job. This is different from other job fields because the set of skills sought after is much more narrow than some positions outside of the healthcare industry. As such, recruiters will likely search for medical assistants on healthcare specific job boards or via programs offering postsecondary training in this area.
What’s important for future medical assistants to include on their resumes?
Future medical assistance need to have a strong mix of both medical and office training. It is also essential to be adept from a technology perspective. The healthcare industry has modernized and many medical assistants will be expected to be quick at learning software on desktop computers as well as mobile devices to aide them in their day-to-day job activities. Medical record software experience is also an asset on your resume in addition to your knowledge of HIPAA compliance and OSHA training specifications.
What is the typical interview process for a medical assistant?
Depending on the employer, the interview process for a medical assistant may vary, but an applicant can expect some of the general phases of the recruitment cycle. For instance, a phone screen is likely to happen up front to gauge your skills and experiences. Once you get past this first layer, you may expect an in-person interview on location where you would be employed. This interview may expand beyond HR representatives to other medical professionals including your potential manager. You may be asked specific questions at this stage, regarding procedures you have performed with doctors or in hospital environments.
Can you give examples of the questions a potential medical assistant might be asked on an interview?
- Questions any medical assistant candidate should be prepared to answer are:
- Why did you choose being a medical assistant as your career?
- What do you know about our facility/organization/company?
- What is your approach to dealing with challenging situations, patients or colleagues?
- What special courses have you completed or certifications do you have or plan to pursue?
Do you think that it is an ideal time to pursue a career as a medical assistant and if so, why?
Healthcare is an expanding field and there is certainly an increased focus on this area in general. This is most certainly an ideal time to pursue a career as a medical assistant. Additionally, healthcare may have both career security and career longevity that some other professional pursuits do not have at this time. This is certainly a field that may be promising in terms of salary, growth, and consistency of job opportunities.
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