dental hygienist Archives - Page 13 of 21 - RDH Resumes and Career Guidance

The Three Deadly Sins of Dental Hygiene Resumes

November 9, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

Nothing will kill your chances at a job faster than a resume riddled with mistakes. In fact, when dental employers have so many applicants it becomes an easy way to weed several out – don’t be one of them!

I read through and create lots of dental hygiene resumes and there are three specific areas you should watch for that are common mistakes I find.

But first, keep in mind, no one is perfect. Even a practiced resume writer needs to edit and re-edit a resume, and it’s important to have more than one set of eyes reviewing them.

So here’s my top three to watch for and a great tip for helping you more easily spot mistakes.

1. Misspelled Words and Incorrectly Styled Words

Spell check is a great tool, so pay attention to words and phrases that get flagged. But that’s not all – sometimes spell check won’t catch words that are misspelled for what you intend them for. These are called homonyms and homophones (example: sea and see; or meat and meet; or too and to).

Spell check will also incorrectly catch dental-industry terms and product names. Industry terms will throw you off as they are not always found in spell-checkers. Periodontics is one example of that (at least using some spell checkers don’t know what it is). Usually, a spell checker does allow you to add words, so if it bothers you then add it otherwise just be aware of it.

And product names are very often not spelled the way they sound, or they will use some combination of unique styling (upper and lower case letters, and hyphens). DIAGNOdent is a great example of that. You would be technically correct to write this caries-detection tool Diagnodent on your dental hygiene resume, but if you really want to appear like you know the product well (and you probably do) then write it the way the manufacturer does, which is upper case “DIAGNO” running into the lower case “dent” – DIAGNOdent.

2. Inconsistencies

Some dental hygiene resumes I review have all kinds of inconsistencies. It’s really noticeable and a bit distracting because it shows there are some details that just aren’t getting enough attention. And, of course, a dental employer wants a new hire that can pay attention to detail.

So here are some questions to ask yourself as you edit your dental hygiene resume for consistency:

Are your bullets all matching in terms of size, color, and shape? Don’t use a standard bullet in one section and diamond-shaped bullet in another. Pick one style and run with it throughout (that goes for color and size, too).
Do you use the same typeface (font) and size throughout? This is a really common mistake as some people will copy and paste text from one document to another and that can cause that new fonts get introduced into your document. Make sure fonts are the exact same throughout the resume. One possible exception would be to use a slightly different one for your name at the top to give it some style, but I wouldn’t even recommend that. And then make sure they are all the same size except for your name – definitely want that in a larger size.
How about at the end of bullet statements – do you use a period on some and others not?
What about spacing between lines? Extra white space is good, just make sure it matches.
Is the resume’s design consistent? Are you consistently applying the use of color, and graphics (lines and boxes) throughout the document?

3. Properly Placed Tenses

We tend to keep our resumes for many years and as such when we come back to it after a period of time, sometimes tenses aren’t accurate anymore. For example, if at your previous job you had oversight of a dental hygiene staff you would want to say something like, “Oversee productive and cohesive team of three hygienists.” But when you change jobs the tense would need to change to “Oversaw” instead of “Oversee.”

It’s really surprising how often that little mistake isn’t caught. But, again, it’s just a matter of taking some time to thoroughly review your resume before you send it out. Don’t assume it reads fine now just because it read fine even just a couple years ago. Things change and you probably owe it to yourself make sure more than just the tense is current.

Quick Editing Tip

A great editing tip for resumes (and writing in general) is to read statements and paragraphs within the resume backward.

Over the course of our early adolescent and adulthood years, we train our brains to become incredibly efficient at processing text. We look for shortcuts and ways to synthesize the messages we read at the expense mechanics (grammar and spelling). But, when you read text backward you are forced to shift that focus on the flow and instead can more intently evaluate the words themselves.

Beyond that, seek out a friend or hired professional review your resume. It’s really important that your resume is accurate and consistent. The competition is so fierce for dental hygiene jobs – you really owe it to your career and all the time you have invested in it to make sure simple things such as typos aren’t tripping you up from landing a great dental hygiene job.

Searching Stinks – How to Help Employers Find You

October 28, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

Have you ever been lost? I have! A couple Summers ago I was hiking in the High Uintah Wilderness area, located in Utah – about 45 minutes east of Park City. Our guide made some miscalculations on distances and what was supposed to be a 20 mile day hike, ended up being closer to 30 miles.

No shortage of great tasting water in the High Uintas Wilderness. That’s me taking a break.

That’s scary, but it’s not unlike how dental hygiene job seekers sometimes feel as they are searching for the right path to a job.

One of the strategies outdoor experts advise is to do things that make yourself find-able. In other words, if you have to move, leave a trace so you increase the odds someone will find you. So this week, let’s talk about five big traces (or strategies) you can leave behind for employers to find you.

1. Business Cards

This first one is really pretty old-school, but still important. Wherever you go, take with you a few of your business cards. Hand them out freely – to people you meet and talk to in all different settings (professional, casual or chance meeting).

2. Post Cards

I’ve talked lots about postcards over the years and how they help hygienists find jobs. Some of their success is due to timing – they get your postcard on or about the same day they need a temp or to hire someone new. But the hidden secret to their success is that they have a long life.

Some will simply hand or mail out a copy of their resume. This has a similar affect as a postcard, but the big difference is that postcards tend to get kept longer and out in the open than do resumes. Who would post a resume to a bulletin board? Hardly anyone. Who would post a postcard to a bulletin board? Lots of people if the information is useful (and what you are offering is useful).

3. Online Profiles

Ninety-two percent of all employers “Google” the names of job applicants they are considering for an interview. Two of the top sites that often come up when you Google someone’s name are LinkedIn and Facebook. These are great virtual bread crumbs to get back to you. Take advantage of that by fully creating a LinkedIn profile (make sure you fill it out completely – shouldn’t take longer than 10 min.). Your Facebook page is also often at the top of search results.

Online profiles give you a digital footprint of who you are so employers can begin to connect with you (or spot red flags). But they also communicate two important things employers all want in a new employee: (1) that you are tech-savy and (2) that you are current with trends. It’s worth taking the time to ensure they can find you on the Internet also in part because you don’t want there to be case of mistaken identity (mistaking someone else for you).

4. Conferences

Nothing can replace an in-person chat in the hallway at a conference, or sitting at a table with a dentist or office manager during the lunch of a conference. Those unplanned encounters are why 72% of all job openings that get filled are unadvertised (according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics).

This may not lead to a job for years and years, but the repetition of this over and over again (year after year) will yield results so it’s never too late to start.

5. Your Network

Put the word out among your community of friends (dental or not) that you are looking for work. Most of your friends see a dentist – have them put some feelers out to their dentist or other contacts. Honestly, this is a big way in which people find jobs so don’t dismiss it as a long shot.

6. Office Visits

This can be very time-consuming, but also very worth-while. Simply drop-in, introduce yourself, tell them you are seeking a job, and leave them with some information (preferably your business card or postcard). Some might prefer to do this all in one day, but I think it might be more effective and easier for you to plan to do this for say 15 minutes each day for several weeks.

How ever you work that out, look at it as a way in which to make a more impressionable connection with people. Seeing your face, talking with you, and learning that you are great is so much more effective than any other way.

It’s quite frustrating to be looking for work and few opportunities are showing up on the job boards. But you can greatly improve your odds of employers finding you by doing the things mentioned above consistently and regularly until you land a great dental hygiene job.

Your Dental Hygiene Job Interview is Done, Now What?

October 26, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

You just finished a solid dental hygiene job interview. Now comes the waiting and wondering. Are you done marketing yourself – no way!

There are a few more things you can do to help win the job.

Thank You Card

Have you ever thought about sending the employer a thank you note after your interview? You should because most won’t do this and it adds a level of professionalism to your image. Here are a few guidelines:

Get it out fast: If possible, drop it off later that day or the next morning – that adds one more point of contact or reminder of how personable and friendly you are to the front office. If you can’t hand-deliver it then send a quick e-mail thank you note, or send one in the mail. Time is of the essence – give them as little time as possible between the interview and your note.
Hand-written: Writing it with a pen shows you took a little extra time and effort. However, if you have especially sloppy handwriting (it’s okay if it’s not perfect) consider typing it as that could distract from what you are trying to communicate.
Professional stationary: Again, you want to give the impression that you go the extra mile in everything, so if you have a nice stock of thank you note stationary (check your office supply store) it communicates a higher level of professionalism.
Business card: If you have a business card (and it’s advisable that you do), include one with the thank you note.

What should you write? This all depends on how the interview went, but you want to keep it very brief. Here are a few examples:

You feel like you might be lacking in a key area: Focus a comment or two on your biggest strength. Draw their attention away from the weakness. If you are certain you will not get an offer, take a gamble and address it, coupled with how you will make up for it. Example: “I recognize I only have one year of professional experience, but I also have four years of dental assisting in my background and worked closely with the hygienist observing and learning during that time.”
You didn’t say everything you wanted to include: Sometimes there are things you wish you would have been asked about because you had something really strong to say. Example: “I think I would be a great fit in your office as I’m excellent at building patient relations, and even have several friends who already go to your practice.”
You feel really good, that everything went near perfect: If you feel your interview was good then reinforce your strengths. Example: “Thank you for the opportunity to interview with you today. You mentioned the importance of finding someone nurturing for your patients. My co-workers have said, my strengths include treating patients like family. I think you have a wonderful office, and I would love to help continue the success you have achieved.”

Post-Interview Summary

Most of the time when you go into an interview you don’t know everything about a potential job or employer. But after spending 20-30 minutes with them at the interview you can learn quite a bit that maybe your resume and cover letter don’t emphasize. This is where a Post-Interview Summary document can prove useful.

It’s hard to tell you exactly what to put into it because you won’t know until you interview, but here are some suggestions to watch for:

Each question an employer asks has relevance to them. Are there things not in your resume or cover letter they asked about?
Did you notice on your way in any special equipment or software they use not addressed in your resume or cover letter?
Did you pick up on anything in the casual conversations and interactions you had with the employer or staff?

Things you noticed and heard that maybe aren’t emphasized as heavily in your resume or cover letter as they seemed to be when you were there are the things you should include in the Summary. You could also include any testimonial of a person they know.

The Summary is also simply a great way to show how you are different. Very few people will send a thank you note, but almost nobody will take the time to send a Summary. As a bonus this week, I am including here a FREE Post-Interview Summary Template to help get you started.

Working Your Network

If you haven’t done this already, take a really hard look around at your friends and family. Is there anyone who has any kind of connection to this office? Could be a patient, a friend-of-a-friend, or even a former employee there. Any connection could help you out by making a personal phone call or written letter to the office vouching for how great you are.

This kind of influence is extremely powerful if you have it and so it’s worth spending some time to figure that out. Sometimes you can get on Facebook and see some potential connections.

Summary

There are so many things you can do to land a great dental hygiene job – thank you cards, Post-Interview Summaries and working your network are only a few you can do after your job interview. Think through your own situation to see if your unique circumstances might call for some additional ideas to stand out and land a great dental hygiene job.

Dental Hygiene Jobs are Found Here

October 19, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

Dental hygiene jobs can be pretty elusive at times, but new openings do exist and I’m going to share here the top five places they can be found.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, three out of our jobs that get filled go unadvertised. So how does an office hire someone without letting everyone know they need someone? And what about all the dental job boards – do they not have dental hygiene job openings posted? Are temporary staffing agencies a good resource?

Let’s take a look at each of these five options.

1. Internet Job Boards

Job boards are the obvious place and where most people start, but have you reviewed all of them? It’s worth your time to register for all of them that make the most sense for you. You will find that some are better than others for your area.

Go through each of the sites listed below and write down the listings for your area from the last two or three weeks. You should see some overlap in that some jobs are posted on more than one of these boards. But more importantly you will see which sites offer the most listings and you can rank which ones you need to pay the closest attention to on a daily or weekly basis. That doesn’t mean you completely ignore the sites that offer fewer, it just gives you focal point.

General National/Local – these are job boards that post jobs from all different fields, including dental hygiene: craigslist.com; monster.com; indeed.com; careerbuilder.com; simplyhired.com
Industry National/Local – these are job boards that only post dental related jobs: ihiredental.com; dentaljobs.net; dentalpost.net; dentaljobs.com; dentuit.com.
General Local Searches – your local newspaper and TV stations often have community job boards; other community-based websites sometimes have job boards.
Government – CareerOneStop.com has a link to all the state job board websites; your local city may offer one as well so look into that, too.
Corporate or chain dental office websites will often have their own job board. SmileBrands.com or Patterson (if you are wanting to move into sales).
Local office social media pages (Facebook and Twitter) sometimes will post openings. It’s worth your time to find and follow all the local dental offices in your area on social media. Not only will you occasionally learn about job openings, you’ll also learn more about these offices should you interview with them at some point.
Social media group pages: Dental Hygienists Talk is the largest Facebook social media group, but there are countless others that are more regional. Hygiene Subs in Central Florida is just one example of that. LinkedIn, though less active than Facebook, also offers some very large dental hygiene groups you can join such as Dental Hygienists.
National and Local association websites will also often have job boards. For example ADA and ADHA both offer listings, as do many of their state/local affiliates and components.

2. Job Alerts

Most of the aforementioned sites give job seekers the ability to create alerts which are where you sign up for a free e-mail alert whenever a job opening is posted that matches your criteria (such as location). Those are very hand and will save you lots of time going to these sites each day and doing searches.

You can also set up search alerts through Google Alerts and Mention.com. Both are free services that allow you to specify keywords like “dental hygienist” and “job opening” and set them to send you an e-mail daily or weekly. They search the entire internet and even include searches for posts on social media sites so they can be very effective.

3. In-Person and Digital Networking

It used to be that networking meant meeting and talking to people at monthly or yearly meetings, or the occasional chat over coffee. That’s still a very important way to do it, so be sure to include attendance at those functions and other informal gatherings with your peers.

But you can also do some very effective networking electronically. That’s where you occupy a professional presence online and use that space to reach out and create connections. This can include online social media sites, forums, and blogs. As was mentioned earlier, many of these are found on Facebook and LinkedIn. Use them for both short- and long-term strategies by actively participating and making connections with other hygienists. And don’t be afraid to move your networking from online to offline (to grab lunch or coffee together) as you get to know some of these connections better over time.

Another way you can network online is by creating your own professional Facebook or Twitter page specifically for the purpose of networking and career building activities. This allows you to have your separate personal account while being able to target your career networking on a professional account. You can post content related to work, make connections with other dental professionals only, and establish yourself as a credible resource for all things dental hygiene.

4. Pro-active Searching

If you have read anything about our story, you know that postcards were one of the signature ideas that helped Tracie land a great dental hygiene job. In fact, it was one of the singular reasons we launched GetHiredRDH.com and continues to be a powerful job hunting tool.

Postcards really are helping our clients and others find great dental hygiene jobs. Often, finding job openings is all about timing and if your postcard strikes a doctor or an office at the right time you could be like Tracie and get one of those unadvertised job openings.

But postcards do even more – they show you are the type of employee who is pro-active (a highly-sought-for-skill among employers). They also tend to be pinned to a bulletin board and kept some where handy, as opposed to a resume that gets filed or thrown away.

5. Temporary Staffing

Finally, it would be a huge oversight to not mention the importance of temporary staffing agencies (we have a link to most of them here). Stay very well-connected with your local agencies as they can not only help you find temporary and permanent work, but also provide some valuable local information about the job market (including salary trends). They often have really good, established relationships with many of the local offices and can help introduce you even when an office isn’t currently looking.

Again, it can be very challenging to find dental hygiene job openings. But they are out there in different places and by using both traditional and non-traditional methods, you will be ready to find and land a great dental hygiene job.

Dental Hygiene Job Interviews: Dress for Success

October 12, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

First impressions are usually made in the first 30 seconds of meeting someone. Before the first impression timeline is up, you haven’t even opened your mouth to tell your future employer how perfect you are for the job! That’s why what you wear and how you present yourself is critical in a dental hygiene interview setting.

Here are a few wardrobe tips to help you land your dream job.

Tops

Lindsey Shores, professional stylist, recommends “wearing a classy blouse – something that’s suiting to you, but doesn’t have too bold patterns or colors as to distract from what you’re saying.” Have your resume, your confidence, and your experience do the talking instead of your shirt.

Bottoms

There are lots of options you can wear when it comes to bottoms of your outfit. Slacks and skirts are usually best for interviews. If you decide to wear a skirt, stick to a pencil skirt. “Skirts with too much flare can easily make you look young and you want to stay with looking professional while confident,” recommends Lindsey.

Accessories

Keep accessories to a minimal during an interview. Too much jewelry can come across as cheesy, so one or two simple pieces worn as an accent to your outfit is key.

Hair and Makeup

We loved Lindsey’s advice with hair: “For hair and makeup, keep things more natural looking and don’t put your hair up in any sort of braid or updo. Keep your hair down with a bit of wave or no wave at all, OR pull it up in a professional bun (but stay clear from a top knot, it’s too trendy for an interview).”

Make up should be professional and simple as well. Stay away from make up trends, even though you love to wear them on a regular basis. Keep your lip color more neutral and whiten your smile to make you stand out as a candidate.

Colors

There are several colors to stick to, and lots to stay away from. First, try to wear a neutral color that isn’t too bold. Stick with black, navy, grey, white, and brown. A pop of red in an outfit can be smart, but having the majority of your outfit red may come across as too bold and too distracting. Definitely stay away from orange and yellow.

A Final Note

Make sure your outfit is pressed, steamed, or ironed. Even the smallest wrinkles can make a big impression in a negative way to a potential employer.

With these simple dressing tricks, you’ll definitely ace your next interview. Good luck!

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Melia Lewis is one of 4 dental hygienists who runs the website Hygieneedge.com. Hygiene Edge is built by dental hygienists for dental hygienists. Our goal is to provide resources to further hygiene education, promote industry best practices and inspire every hygienist to become the best hygienist for their patients and their practice.

The Three Deadly Sins of Dental Hygiene Resumes

Searching Stinks – How to Help Employers Find You

Your Dental Hygiene Job Interview is Done, Now What?

Dental Hygiene Jobs are Found Here

Dental Hygiene Job Interviews: Dress for Success

Creating a Transitional Resume for a Dental Hygienist

Contact GetHiredRDH Now

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