​Overview of Jobs Transcript

 

A degree from the Business Technology department can prepare you for many types of work in an office environment. Each of the programs is designed to set students on a specific career path, such as an office specialist, an administrative assistant in a variety of settings, a medical transcriptionist, or other specialized position.

Administrative assistants and professionals provide support in many different office settings and are responsible for the smooth running of their office facility. Administrative support staff can be responsible for office management, internet/intranet communications and research, document processing, customer service, and public relations. Administrative assistants working in a medical facility will also schedule patients and handle insurance claims. Those in a legal or governmental setting may prepare documents such as appeals, motions, or subpoenas. While general office duties are often the same across industries, specific fields may require specialized background knowledge in order to operate comfortably and effectively in that establishment.

The tasks of an office clerk vary according to their facility’s needs, but are often similar to those of an administrative assistant. Most office clerks will take calls, schedule appointments, maintain a filing system, keep records, and manage correspondence, but the specific duties will depend on the field and even the size of the office. Receptionists will spend more time on the phone or interacting with clients. Medical receptionists will also gather patients’ medical and insurance data.

A medical coder takes clinical and demographic data from the patient’s chart to transform procedural and diagnostic information into numeric codes. These codes are then submitted to insurance companies in order to be reimbursed for medical services provided. Medical coders mostly interact with healthcare professionals rather than with patients, often working as a liaison between the healthcare facility and insurance billing offices.

Medical transcriptionists listen to and transcribe recorded dictations by doctors or other healthcare professionals. Sometimes, transcriptionists will edit documents created from voice recognition software. The transcriptionist will check the generated document for accuracy and fix any formatting or other errors. Medical transcriptionists must have good typing skills and extreme attention to detail, as mistakes in taking down a doctor’s directions can have serious side effects for the patient.

These jobs are all based in an office environment, with workers sitting at a desk or computer for most of the day. If you are working in the medical or support fields, you should be prepared to work weekend, evening, or holiday shifts, especially when you first enter the field. These careers require workers to have good analytical, organizational, and communication skills. You must be comfortable having frequent interactions with a wide variety of people, whether in person or over the phone. You must have strong attention to detail, and above all, you must have good computer skills, as many office jobs are based almost entirely on the computer.

If you’re interested in pursuing one of these or a related job, follow the links at the side to continue the orientation and learn about the Business Technology program’s different degree options.

Overview of Jobs

​Find out more about the careers you might have with a degree from a Business Technology program.