Dental Hygiene Career Archives - RDH Resumes and Career Guidance

What Color Should My Resume Be?

August 15, 2021 By Doug Perry

A lot of people ask me about colors for their resume. What’s right for you may not be right for your colleague.

I think that’s cool because we are all individuals, with different personalities, skills, and experiences. Color is yet another way to distinguish yourself from other professionals. And that’s what a resume seeks to do – distinguish!

And what’s even better is there are millions of colors and combinations to see what conveys who you are, your personal brand.

Recently, I did a little bit of digging into the psychology of colors and thought I would share a summary of what I learned. This information comes from various studies and experiments over the last 10 years (since 2010). They provide lots of useful insight and might help guide you on what color(s) are right for your resume and other personal marketing materials.

Red

Red is bold and powerful color, often associated with excitement, passion, danger, thrill, energy, and action. Some use red for their “call to action” buttons (“order now,” “shop now,” etc.). This is because red is intense and provokes strong emotions which motivate action.

The Personality of Red:

Bold
Thrill-seeker
Adventure-lover
Can be a little impulsive
Can be perceived as intimidating

Orange

Orange often conveys creativity, happiness, freedom, success, and sort of a balancing attribute that hints at collaboration and togetherness. Similar to red it’s used sometimes to grab attention to something important or to emphasize.

The Personality of Orange:

Admirable fun and playful energy
Social, perhaps extrovert
Nurturing
Cheerful
Loves to play the host at parties or events
In regards to productivity, you like to dive right into work and get things done

Yellow

Happiness, positivity, and warm summer sun are frequent reminders of yellow. A splash of yellow is sometimes a secondary or complementary color in branding to add a touch of happiness or innocence.

The Personality of Yellow:

A positive spirit
Optimistic
Cheerful
Adventurous
Calming for those around them
Infectious smiles and happiness that spread to each person they encounter

Blue

Blue is stable, harmonious, peaceful, and trustworthy. If you are known for your durability, strength, or dependability you will probably be drawn to the blue shades. You’ll notice many popular tech companies use blue a lot to convey those feelings, but of course, it’s also used heavily in the healthcare fields for those same reasons.

The Personality of Blue:

Dependable or Trustworthy
Gentle
Healing
Compassionate
Peaceful
Loyal
Strong
In regards to productivity, you like to strategize the best way to handle a task and can adapt when obstacles arise

Green

There are two very dominant uses for green – nature and money. But it’s also used to signal growth, fertility, health, wealth, wellness, and generosity.

The Personality of Green:

Practical
Down-to-earth
Growth and ambition
Loves to give advice
Loves to help others improve
Earthy – enjoys the simplicity and balance of nature

Purple

Purple can be connected to royalty, power, privilege, wisdom, and spirituality. Of course, its been well-used in the dental hygiene community as an unofficial-official color.

The Personality of Purple:

Dental hygiene
Quick-witted
Craves own identity
Loves unique and different things, wants to stand out from the pack
Dances to the music others may not follow or understand
You thrive on creativity and inspiration strikes you randomly, allowing you to tune out the world and focus on it

Pink

Pink is usually associated with femininity, playfulness, and love, but depending on the shade can also be perceived as a somewhat of a youthful color. Along with cosmetics, you see a lot of pink in a child’s toy packaging to signal thoughts of whimsical or fun.

The Personality of Pink:

Decidedly feminine
Feminine strength or softness – depending on the use
Fun or playful, possible even naive in some uses
You wear your heart on your sleeve and aren’t afraid to express your emotions
Love and family are important to you

White

White is often associated with clean, new, and simplicity in Western cultures (ie weddings and hospitals). Steve Jobs was famous for his love of white space, calling the absence of color “the ultimate sophistication.”

The Personality White:

Calm or peaceful
Conciseness
Simplicity
You like things clean and orderly
You like the thought of a “fresh start” or a blank canvas

Black

Black is the most versatile color, so context is important. I had a graphic design instructor who always said there is no stronger color combination than black ink on white paper – the contrast is stronger than any other 1-2 color punch. It can mean boldness, uniqueness, mystery, intrigue, and power. But it can also mean unhappiness, darkness, sadness, pain, or grief. Black is associated with death and mourning, but it’s also associated with strength, luxury, and intensity.

The Personality of Black:

Bold
Risk-taker
Perhaps a little impulsive at times
Serious (maybe a little too serious)
You’re strong and command a sense of respect from your peers
You’re trustworthy
Perhaps a little intimidating

Color Psychology Sources: 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2019

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Doug Perry is an expert resume writer and job search coach. He and his wife, Tracie, who is a dental hygienist, created GetHiredRDH in response to the challenging dental hygiene job market and have helped thousands of dental hygienists through tips and individual services. If you need individual, click here to contact Doug.

Should I Stay or Quit?

October 17, 2018 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

Are you working at an office that isn’t so good? Maybe the standard of care is lacking. Perhaps there are safety concerns. Or possibly yours has some internal strife.

As such, should you stay or quit? The truth is, there is no easy answer.

Quitting might solve one problem, but creates another for you and those you serve. And, changing the culture or practices of an office you don’t own or manage seems impossible.

Today, I share some thoughts to hopefully draw you closer to a solution.

Assess the Situation

Take some time to think through and list all the problems that exist. Then, list all the positive things going on. It’s easy to fixate on problems, so spend extra time on the good – what you like about the job.

Give this exercise a solid week or two. Everyone has bad days and even bad weeks, and you need a fair assessment to make the best decision. And, very important, make this assessment away from the office when you are in a neutral setting.

Decide to Stay or Quit

The results of your thorough assessment will give you a good start on the big question: Should I stay or quit?

This isn’t as simple as assigning one point for the positives and one for the negatives to determine the direction. Obviously some factors weigh heavier than others. If your boss is doing something outright illegal and your reputation is on the line, that’s probably enough. Even with all the positive patient and co-worker relationships, or salary and benefits some things can’t be tolerated.

So give each factor fair consideration when you make the decision.

Now What?

The next big question surrounds your plan.

If you stay, you need a meaningful list of things you can do to impact change. It’s likely you will need a series of lots of small things. AND, you also need a deadline. If your small efforts don’t create meaningful change, what is your exit strategy going to be? Wait until you get a job or take your chances you will find something quickly?

If you decide to quit, then skip ahead to the exit strategy. Identify the type of work environment you want. Market yourself to attract an employer that has created that type of an environment. Ready, set, go!

You CAN Bring About Changes

For those that want to see if they can affect change, let’s do the same thing. Identify the things that have to change and the things that would be nice to change. Next, identify what it will take for each of those things to change. Don’t think it impossible, really dig deep to think about what you can do to influence change.

There are ways you can do this. I wrote extensively about leading your boss several months ago. Click here you want to get some specific strategies on that. Likewise, there are things you can do about leading your co-workers better or introducing better systems and policies. Don’t be intimidated by the odds or size of the problems. You and your patients deserve your best effort in trying to make things work.

There’s a great book called “Influencer” by Joseph Grenny. Watch here and you can see Joseph talk about how organizations can change their culture or behavior in very short order.

Know When to Say When

Keep in mind, there is a point where change is either too slow or not happening. For the protection of your career, your reputation, and your sanity determine where that line is. Give it a deadline so that you don’t keep saying to yourself ‘one more week’ or ‘one more year.’ If you’ve made the effort and the deadline passes, it’s time to celebrate your efforts and reward yourself with a better job.

One very important caution: Don’t slack off or burn bridges when you decide it’s time to move on. There’s never a good time for that, but especially not when you are hunting for a job. You need everything going in your favor and those things can bite you. Show grace, dignity, and integrity. Make them wish you weren’t leaving.

There is Hope

The longer I consult with hygienists and other professionals the more I am convinced there is hope in finding a great job. Many of my clients come to me pretty dejected and beat up. They feel hopeless.

Are you one of them?

Let me tell you something – you can do this! I believe in you. Your best days are ahead of you and you will land a great job. But you can’t get there if you project defeatism on your face and in your mannerisms. Pull yourself up by the bootstraps and rekindle that fire you once had. There are things you can do to make that happen – affirmations, exercise, taking a break, hiring a career coach, and leveraging family or spiritual support. These all work!

I’ve seen some amazing come-backs. I’ve watched clients go from depressed to elated in just a matter of weeks. The common denominator, though, is getting support and help, then getting after it. Decide you going to do this, put your plan together, and execute.

It may take more time than your patience is accustomed to, you’ll lose some battles, you’ll pick up some wins. But ultimately you WILL triumph. I have seen it many times – and I suspect you have to.

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Translating Your Skills for a Career Transition

August 28, 2018 By Doug Perry

So you want to make a career transition, but don’t know how to articulate that in your cover letter, resume, and interviews? How do you create a bridge for potential employers, between your past and what you are capable of?

In reality, it’s not much different than doing what you would do to change jobs within the same profession. In either situation, you are aligning yourself with that potential employer.

Before I jump in, let me remind you that the key success factor for all job searches is networking and relationship-building. That’s never going to change so it’s important to build a strong network throughout your career, especially if you ever need to make a career transition.

But even with a excellent list of contacts, you still have to convince employers (and contacts) you can successfully shift. They have to believe you. Here are a few things you can do to achieve that:

Don’t Just Tell, Show

People resonate more with stories and examples. You can tell someone you are good at reading charts, but it’s better to give them examples about the kinds of things you have reviewed on charts or an experience where you caught a mistake on a chart. You can tell them about your ability to relate to patients, but it’s better to share with them that your patients quickly become your friends, or how you met one the other day at the grocery store and connected with them.

Study the Job Opening

Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On one side, list all the qualifications for a job you want to transition to. On the other side, write out what you have done that is directly transferrable.

If they want experience in charting medical records, identify that you did charting in dentistry. If you if can’t find a direct parallel, then find a similarity. If they want someone with a bachelor degree in health science, write down that you have a bachelor degree in a closely related field.

In other words, come up with a response for everything even if it’s not exactly equal. The qualifiers are, more often than not, great clues into what the employer may have either viewed as a strength or weakness in the person in that position previously. So it’s important to address them.

Accomplishments Win Over Skills

Sometimes the tendency is to focus on nuts and bolts, technical skills. While those have their place, and your resume and interviews will include them, what you really need is to demonstrate successes and wins. Employers want to see that you will thrive in the position. They want to see a track record of handling and overcoming challenges.

One excellent way to do this is something I have talked about in the past, creating a CAR Sheet. CAR stands for Challenge – Action – Result and is a formula for describing your ability to handle work assignments in a way that will more clearly resonate with employers. You can read more about this here.

Testimonials and References

Testimonials and references are invaluable when you launch into a job search. I have said many times, and it’s worth repeating, it’s one thing for YOU to talk about how great you are, quite another for SOMEONE ELSE to talk about how great you are.

Third-party validation of who you are and what you have meant to a co-worker, an employer, or even a patient, is huge. As part of your submission to employers, include a testimonial/reference sheet to help seal the deal.

Like networking, this is something you should do throughout your career. Request, collect, and save ALL testimonials and references in a place that’s safe.

Ideally, you will have so many that you can create customized testimonial sheets for specific jobs. This is so that you can bridge that gap between what you have done in the past to what you are capable of in the future.

And finally, live references can be coached. You can talk to your references ahead of time and let them know you are looking to make a career transition and the ways in which they can respond to questions about your skills aptitudes that will align with the shift you want to make.

Getting a Great Picture for your Job Search

July 11, 2018 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

I get a lot of questions about pictures for resumes, postcards, LinkedIn profiles, and personal websites. Whether you plan to include your picture on a resume or not, there are lots of other places to use one. So, I highly recommend you get a professional or really good amateur headshot.

Keep in mind, I am no photographer, but I have been a graphic designer for more than 20 years. I know a good photo when I see one, but don’t know how to necessarily take it myself.

Your best photos will almost always be taken by a professional, but here are some tips for an amateur shot.

Bad lighting

Lighting

If you are taking a professional picture (presumably with a friend), one of the most important factors is lighting. The best way to get great lighting is to go outdoors during the day. Natural light is in abundance and most digital/phone cameras can perform quite well in this setting.

Background

I see lots of pictures taken against a white wall or really light-colored smooth wall. That kind of shot is good if you can Photoshop out the background and add something interesting. But by itself, it looks uninteresting or possibly like a mug shot.

Find a spot where you can incorporate an interesting background. Look for textures and color, and seek a nice contrast with what you are wearing. Trees and bushes adjacent to a brick or stucco building work great, but try several different combinations.

Bad positioning & Background

Positioning

There’s also a tendency to position your head and shoulders straight on – square with the camera. But it looks much better to pose a little and there are lots of ways to do this, so try several things.

For example, look at the camera but turn your body/shoulders to the right or left just a little. You could even try tilting your head slightly in a way that feels nature to see how that feels.

Bad smile

Smile

Obviously, it’s important to smile. But you have lots of smiles, so practice in the mirror to find one you feel captures a genuine, yet confident look. Forced and overly-dramatic smiles never come across as genuine and can actually harm your credibility and professionalism. Keep it real, natural, relaxed and comfortable.

Wardrobe

I tell job seekers who need a resume or postcard picture to wear what they would wear to a job a job interview. But you could also have a lab coat handy and get some shots for that on-the-job look. You may even want to accessorize with items you work with – pair of loupes around your neck or maybe clipboard. This type of a shot helps the employer more clearly envision you working for them.

For those who are doing more extensive professional photography (mostly for a personal website or other marketing materials), you’ll want to also get some casual and full- or waist-up shots. Consider also some shots interacting with people or speaking to an audience. Those can be more challenging to organize, but also very effective.

Summary

A good head shot is important to your career. I think it helps create personal connections with employers and that brings about trust. And trust is a key ingredient to getting hired.

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Your Three Most Important Career Habits

January 23, 2018 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

You have a lot going on, so this week I will keep it short and give you what I believe are the three most important career habits for any professional.

Too often we get short-sighted on our career goals and aren’t prepared for huge opportunities or massive problems that come our way. Everyone likes to think their job is secure or that they will always be happy with their current job.

But things often unexpectedly change, so it’s a wise and career-minded individual who is always looking ahead. Let’s review three habits that will make a big difference for you.

Career Habit 1: Have a Plan

Reverse engineer or map out where you want to be professionally in 5, 10, 20, and even 30 years from now. I’m not to talking about a list of “I want to be successful” or “I want to be happy” statements.

Get specific – such as “I want to be working for All Smiles Dental for the next five years, then pivot into working at the dental hygiene program at State College for 10 years to extend my career in the event I develop back or neck problems.” Or, maybe it’s something like, “I will spend the next three years researching alternative forms of advanced perio therapy so I become a subject expert and lecture all over the country.”

Spell it all out in detail. But be sure to include the “why” or purpose behind these moves. And they don’t have to include specific jobs you want, they can and should also include additional skill sets and other accomplishments or goals.

Think big, but remember, your plan is a living document for your career. Refine and update it regularly (at least yearly) with lots of smaller steps along the way to get you there.

Finally, keep your plan somewhere you are forced to see it regularly. This is important because plans are like plants – without adequate sunlight and TLC nothing grows.

Career Habit 2: Always be Learning

If all you are doing is the basic requirements of CE to maintain your license, you are missing out. Try taking additional classes in areas of dentistry that really interest you. But also, take classes outside of dentistry that really interest you.

Always watch for interesting topics that stretch you a bit. This is important because I think we sometimes cling to what’s safe or easy. But just like at the gym, the easy weights don’t do as much as the heavier ones. This might also include subjects that will require a sustained deep dive over a period of months or years to truly master them.

But don’t let that interest die on the vine – share what you learn with others. Give local and online colleagues the benefit of your education. It’s not so that they can marvel in how great you are, but so you can generate discussion. This discussion will add to the richness of what you have learned.

It may also turn into opportunities to share what you know more broadly. If you don’t like writing, you can speak about it. If you don’t like speaking, you can write about it. Either way, share what you learn.

Career Habit 3: Leverage Failure

Everyone makes mistakes in their career. It’s worth repeating: EVERYONE makes mistakes in their career. It isn’t unique that you handle something poorly, fail to meet expectations, or just flat out suck occasionally.

What is important is where you go from there.

We all know people who just can’t seem to get past certain challenges – maybe even WE fall into that. Reminding ourselves (and perhaps others around us) of the guilt, shame, and embarrassment for days, weeks and even years.

That self-pity or loathing is painful but, properly channeled after a day or two, is an important springboard. Remember, EVERYONE has those moments. And most, if not all, mistakes, problems and challenges can be a blessing, forcing you to act or think in better directions.

You will always gain more career-wise (and in many other ways, too) from struggles. None of us enjoy it, but I think we all know it intuitively. So don’t run from or try to mask them – own your failures and move forward.

Finally, don’t shy away from telling your success story. Everyone loves a good comeback story! There’s no shame in something everyone does. Use your story to demonstrate resilience, that you are a fighter, and that others can overcome also.

Summary

There you go… the three most important career habits: Have a plan, Always Be Learning, and Leverage failure. If you made it this far, there’s one more important habit I want to share. Take action – in fact, I will stop abruptly here so you can take action now!

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What Color Should My Resume Be?

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

Green

Purple

White

Black

Should I Stay or Quit?

Assess the Situation

Decide to Stay or Quit

Now What?

You CAN Bring About Changes

Know When to Say When

There is Hope

Translating Your Skills for a Career Transition

Don’t Just Tell, Show

Study the Job Opening

Accomplishments Win Over Skills

Testimonials and References

Getting a Great Picture for your Job Search

Lighting

Background

Positioning

Smile

Wardrobe

Summary

Your Three Most Important Career Habits

Career Habit 1: Have a Plan

Career Habit 2: Always be Learning

Career Habit 3: Leverage Failure

Summary

Not Getting Interviews?

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Positive Resume Action Words

Passive vs. Active Writing

Positive Personality Adjectives

Red

Orange

Yellow

Blue

<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-4541 alignright" src="https://gethiredrdh.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/coordinated-marketing-design.png" alt="coordinated marketing design" width="285" height="160" />Green

Purple

White

Black

Assess the Situation

<img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-5537" src="https://gethiredrdh.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Uncertain-Woman2.png" alt="uncertain woman" width="285" height="160" />Decide to Stay or Quit

Now What?

Know When to Say When

There is Hope

<img decoding="async" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-4409" src="https://gethiredrdh.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ADHA-CDHA.jpg" alt="" width="285" height="160" />

Don’t Just Tell, Show

Study the Job Opening

Accomplishments Win Over Skills

Lighting

Background

Positioning

Smile

Wardrobe

Summary

Career Habit 1: Have a Plan

Career Habit 2: Always be Learning

Career Habit 3: Leverage Failure

Summary

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Green

Decide to Stay or Quit