The last position I applied to was my current job as the Finance Manager for the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Siletz Community Health Clinic. This was the first time after I graduated with my Bachelors degree that I was looking for a long-term professional career, in which my work history, experience, and my schooling would impact the positions I was ‘qualified’ for. Most of my previous experience was in the accounting field, with both for-profit and non-profit experience. As a tribal member, I really wanted to give back to my community and my tribe and work for them.
The job description was clear and led with a position title, location, immediate supervisor, salary (negotiable), and classification. The introduction was an executive summary of what the position might entail, the minimum requirements for the position, and several other areas of listed bullet points (knowledge of, duties, supervisory responsibilities, complexity, scope and effect, and physical demands/work environment).
With my background experience being in mostly accounting and business office operations, I felt that I was qualified to play a lead role in the finance office for the tribe. My experience included fund accounting, which is what the job description stated. I had previous experience in supervisory roles along with multiple classes in the nursing field (from earlier years of schooling before I changed my courses to the business field). I had also previously worked in the Siletz Community Health Clinic in an entry level position, so I was familiar with the software used within the organization.
The only downfall to my experience was that I had no professional experience within the medical field. I was not familiar with medical billing and coding procedures, electronic health records, or regulations associated with Medicaid, Medicare, and other insurance companies. Nevertheless, I had previously taken several medical courses over my years in college, so felt as though I would be able to learn this area of the job in time.
Attached above is the job description for my current position.
3 replies on “Job Descriptions”
Thank you for sharing your experience—it’s inspiring to hear how you’ve combined your professional goals with a desire to serve your community. I think it’s commendable that you sought out a position where your background in accounting and business operations could directly support the health and well-being of your tribe.
Your post highlights how a well-structured job description can not only clarify expectations but also help applicants like yourself determine how their unique mix of education and experience aligns with the role. It’s great that your prior experience with fund accounting and familiarity with the clinic’s systems made you feel confident stepping into a leadership role.
I also appreciated your honest reflection about the learning curve with the medical billing and insurance side of things. It’s a good reminder that even when someone is highly qualified, there are often domain-specific areas we continue to grow into once on the job. It sounds like your prior coursework and adaptability gave you a strong foundation to build upon.
Your story really emphasizes how passion, purpose, and preparation can come together in a meaningful career path. Thanks again for sharing!
Hi Mindy! I appreciate your perspective speaking about a full-time position as my background includes that of part-time, entry-level work. I think the largest differences I noticed between our experiences of job postings seems to be the level of detail, however, this is expected considering the more serious nature of the work you were applying for. It sounds like your experience and background made you the perfect fit for the job, and that the more industry-specific knowledge(like the billing or health insurance) did or will come with time! Thanks!
Hi Mindy! thank you so much for the thoughtful post! Im sure a lot of the skills you have obtained through your accounting and business office operations can be applied to the healthcare setting through training. It also sounds like you are very passionate and that your values line up with the job description. It is not surprising that they thought you were a great candidate and offered you the job!