Why is medical coding such a hard field to get your foot in the door?

Even if you don't meet all of the requirements you should apply anyway. Job postings tend to be "aspirational" -- that is, they tend to exaggerate the requirements of the position. The business would *like* to hire someone with XYZ years' experience, but if they aren't getting applicants then they'll often still hire someone with less or no professional experience. I didn't technically meet the requirements of the first *three* companies that I worked for, but they still interviewed and hired me because I demonstrated competence in other ways.

To help make yourself more noticeable you should write a really great cover letter to send with your application. Make sure to highlight other experience you might have (for example, volunteer work). Talk about relevant side projects you've worked on and how they were successful. Talk about *why* you want the job. A cover letter is how you can differentiate yourself from everyone else in your own words -- it's your opportunity to shine.