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Dental Hygiene Solution to an Employer Problem

July 8, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

Have you ever thought of yourself (a dental hygienist) as a solution to an employer’s problem – don’t be modest! You really are!

Every employer looking to hire someone has a big problem on their hands. Not only do they need to find a warm body, they need a good warm body. Someone that represents them well with patients and someone who can get along great with the existing staff and office culture.

You may think that because the dental hygiene job market is saturated that this is an easy problem to solve. And maybe in some areas and situations it is, but they can usually only hire one hygienist. So it still has to be a good decision or it may end up costing them lots of money. And they do leave little clues as to what kind of a solution they are looking for

So let’s put the ball back into your court and show you how to find those clues and communicate back to them the solution called YOU.

Where are the clues?

The best place to find what an employer needs in a good hygienist is in the job announcement itself. Read it very carefully because what they write as qualifiers is some of what they either really liked or disliked about the previous hygienist. There are two kinds of qualifiers “technical qualifiers” and “soft qualifiers.”

The technical qualifiers are things like “two years of experience” or “working knowledge of Dentrix.” Those are important, but often times are negotiable if the soft qualifiers are more significant. For example if you have two hygienists apply for the same job, one has experience with Dentrix, but is a little bit quiet or reserved and the other has no experience with Dentrix and is very personable and friendly, an employer will often overlook the lack of Dentrix experience feeling that they can train that, but can’t train someone to be “friendly.”

Separate out the technical and soft qualifiers into two different lists. Next, go to their social media pages and website to see what kind of feel you can get from reading their posts and information. How do they strike you? Are they all business or kind of a fun bunch? Write all of that down. Finally, think about any kind of personal connections you may have with the office – do you have friends who go there? Do you know someone who worked there at one time? If so, then chat with them about the office atmosphere and culture. They may even be a great reference for you – employers trust recommendations from someone they know many times over someone they don’t know.

Now that you have all this information, it’s time to sprinkle it into your materials and interview prep.

Resume
It’s okay to start with a generic dental hygiene resume you have created. Then for each new job you apply for, do a “save-as” and customize and file it for that specific job you are applying for.

Ensure your resume addresses the office’s problem. This may mean swapping out some lines in favor of different information or re-ordering how it displays to ensure they see it. Pay specific attention to the “About Me” section (sometimes called “Summary” or “Objective”). This may be a good place to insert some keywords they use in their job announcement or that you see in other places that seem to be unique to that office. But there are other places throughout the resume where you can make unique.

You may even want to omit some information from your resume if you feel it either doesn’t apply to the specific job or may be detrimental.

Cover Letter
Your cover letter is probably the main document you will want to customize. I recommend a sentence that acknowledges what they are looking for, using the same words they use and then using the sentences/paragraphs beneath it to talk about how you are the solution to that and more. I wrote about cover letters here.

For example, “From your advertisement, I see you are seeking someone who is detail-oriented, flexible, and can handle stressful situations.” And then further down is something like “Co-workers have applauded me for my organizational skills and how I am able to adjust and handle all different kinds of personalities and situations.”

Testimonial Sheet
I’ve written a lot about my recommendation that you keep short (1-5 sentences) testimonials from patients, co-workers, and employers and then place them on a Testimonial Sheet. If you have lots of these then you have the luxury of hand-selecting the ones you give to the employer, based on the specific things they are looking for. If they want someone who “goes the extra mile” then give them a quote from a former patient who said you “go the extra mile.”

Make it a routine habit to gather these throughout your career – you can’t have too many. Then, when you are seeking new employment, you can choose the ones that best fit each job opening.

CAR Sheet
I’ve also written about CAR Sheets – CAR stands for Challenge – Action – Resolution. Think of it is a micro case study, where in just 3-5 sentences you write about a problem, the action you took, and how it was resolved. You can read more about CAR Sheets here.

Similar to Testimonial Sheets you can pick and choose the best examples of your work and assemble a CAR Sheet that addresses the specific solutions a potential employer needs.

Interview
Finally, if you get an interview, this is your opportunity to really hammer home the key problems that office needs to address in a hygienist. First, empathize with them about it and then reinforce you as the solution through a great example from your experience.

For example: “It’s tough to lose a great hygienist as they become almost like family. It’s been hard for me to leave jobs over the years as I really miss working with my co-workers and the synergy we created, but the upside is you get the opportunity to still hire a great new hygienist and have new experiences together.”

I know I sound like a broken record when I say it every week – but standing out, doing things different than other job applicants is what gets you hired. Doing this kind of work to create a more customized response to employers is truly what makes you stand out and appear different. It’s worth taking the time so that your job search is over and done in a matter of weeks as opposed to months and even years.

Dental Hygiene Job Interview Fashion Tips

June 3, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

With the competition for dental hygiene jobs fierce right now you can’t do too much to stand out. Margins at the job interview stage are often razor thin.

So, this week, let’s review some important dental hygiene job interview fashion tips that will compliment the marketing of your skills and personality.

[Resume Service]

The Basics

Overall: Both pant suits and skirt suits are acceptable attire for job interviews, but always remember it’s better to err on the side of over-dressed than under-dressed.
Colors: Choose a dark, two-piece, gray, navy or black suit as this gives you a basic confident and conservative look. But add to it a light-colored or tailored blouse or shirt. Avoid well-worn shirts and strapless or spaghetti straps under your jacket.
Simple Compliment: Dress up your look with a necklace or other piece of conservative jewelry.
Hosiery: Some are pretty relaxed on panty hose, but you just never know for sure who is or isn’t. Go with a sheer or nude tone that matches your skin.
Shoes: It’s Best to go with a mid heel, closed-toe pump. You may love flashy shoes, but it’s best to choose a pair that won’t distract.

Additional Tips

Make sure the nails are neatly manicured with a neutral polish
Keep makeup minimal
Neatly groom your hair, pulled back or away from the face
Wear a conservative watch (subtle hint you care about time)
If the weather is bad, bring an umbrella and wear a black or neutral-colored trench coat

And, Finally, Some Heck No’s

Short skirts or extra form-fitting clothing
Loud, textured or patterned hosiery
Wet hair (yuck!)
Perfumes or lotions applied to heavily
Too much jewelry; or jewelry that is large and distracting
Body piercings and tattoos that are visible (other than a single pair of conservative earrings)
Jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, canvas slip-ons, and hats (hopefully this is obvious)
Sunglasses should be removed and put away once you enter the building
Exposed technology; turn off cell phone and keep out of sight (this is a huge red flag for employers)

PS – Bring a copy of your awesome cover letter and resume (and testimonial sheet and CAR Sheet if you have them), printed on nicer paper with a little bit of thickness to it (but not cardstock).

EARS Strengthen Your Dental Hygiene Resume

May 20, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

I’ve said many times your name and contact information are the most important pieces of information on your dental hygiene resume. So what’s the next most important feature on your resume?

The next most important feature isn’t as specific, it’s more of an overall approach you need to take. It’s called Different.

Every clinical dental employer assumes that because you are a licensed dental hygienist that you know how to do SRP, sealants, radiographs, blah, blah, blah – right? But that’s not different!

Different is found in your EARS – no, not the things on your head that help support your loupes. EARS in this case are: Experiences, Accomplishments, Results and Solutions.

You should stay alert to these throughout your career because sometimes the really unique ones show up unexpected – on a routine day. Document and save them because they mean a lot to your career and you ability to find work eventually.

They make great content for your resume, cover letter, and other job-hunting materials. But they also carry a lot of weight during job interviews – those experiences are what seal the deal when it comes to demonstrating how great you are.

Let’s review them and give some examples.

Experiences

Every day at work (even dental hygiene school clinics) you are having experiences. Often we just discount them as simple little interactions that come and go, but don’t mean much. And, yes, some are pretty routine so you don’t need to track all of them. But target the situations you face with patients that are unique. Maybe it’s an overly-anxious patient, or an angry patient, or a mother who insists on holding her baby during an exam. What was your approach? How did you handle the situation?

This information will help you define your personal brand and give you some great content to share on your resume about the type of hygienist you are. For example, you could include a line about how you are “Uniquely skilled at educating patients about perio treatment planning.” Then in your interview with an employer you can share with them one or two specific instances have recalled or recorded that speak to the skill.

Accomplishments

This can sometimes be easier for dental hygiene students. In the resumes I write, I see all the time specific accomplishments about this or that award the person received in school. That’s awesome and you need to toot your horn about it on your resume. But what about other accomplishments? Maybe you are really accomplished at taking accurate x-rays or perhaps you are accomplished at a gaining patient compliance.

Again, word your resume with the generalities of it, then share the specifics in your interview.

Results and Solutions

Results and Solutions can be a little bit different in that you can sometimes get more specific on your resume. For example, some hygienists and practices value your ability to gain patient compliance to the point of an actual production goal. The specifics of that and other goals or results you achieve can be very valuable on your resume.

But it can also be more anecdotal in nature – focusing more on story than numbers. For example, “Detected cancerous growth during screening that resulted in patient seeking further tests and treatment for cancer.”

In summary, yes, it’s okay to include the ho-hum stuff you do as a dental hygienist, but hopefully you can spice it up with some great EARS content that will say way more about you and thus make you stand out and appear different than other candidates.

Most Dental Hygienists Can’t Do Enough of this One Thing…

May 13, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

It’s not just me saying it and it’s probably nothing new to you, but your most valuable dental hygiene job hunting combination is you and your friends.

Don’t get me wrong – job boards are extremely important – lots and lots of hygienists find work this way. Postcards have absolutely proven their merit in finding work for my clients. And a great resume beats even an average resume every time.

But those still don’t compare to who you know and a consistent effort to making new connections throughout your career.

According the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 70 percent of all jobs filled are done so without even advertising the job. Jobvite.com recently provided research that referred employees get hired on an average of about 1-2 weeks faster and report greater satisfaction with the job.

And all it amounts to is employers and job seekers communicating within their networks – but does YOUR name come up in the those conversations?

Here’s some quick reminders of ways launch your networking skills:

Most Important: When you begin networking shift your mindset from what others can do for you and instead focus on what you can do for them. There’s an old saying, “Help others get what they want, and they will help you get what you want.” Research studies have backed up this principle of reciprocity for a long time and it rarely if ever works in reverse.
Join and get involved in your local ADHA chapter/component (you won’t get anything out of simply joining, you have to participate regularly)
If you don’t have a chapter near you, consider starting your own or starting a simple study group of hygienists. Even if there are only a handful of hygienists in your local community, it really does help to get together regularly (quarterly) to talk about the profession and share best practices.
Re-acquaint yourself with previous employers and co-workers. Stay in contact with these people. Obviously some you never want to talk to again, but too often we severe ties with co-workers we do get along with and with social media these days it need not be so.
Use social media to foster and create new local relationships (ie LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, even Pinterest!). Don’t be afraid to connect with someone you don’t know or that you have only met once – some with shy away from that, but others will embrace and you can do a lot of good for your career by reaching out.
Focus extra attention on the network closest to you (within the radius you are willing to work). You never know where you will eventually land and so it’s good to reach out beyond your community, but the bulk of your efforts should be on connecting with those nearest to your and your career objectives.
Don’t think of networking as a quick job-hunting strategy – it’s best described as a career mindset. How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time. But that’s okay, a year from now or five years from now, you won’t care that you’ve been networking for five years. The only thing that will matter at that point is that you have an awesome collection of contacts you’ve helped out and who are anxious to now return the favor.

Adding “Healthy Fat” to Your Dental Hygiene Resume

May 6, 2015 By Doug Perry, Dental Hygiene Resume Coach

A great dental hygiene resume is a lot like a healthy body – it needs a balanced diet of content to perform the way you want it to. It’s okay to feed it with a little bit of fluff, but the bulk of your resume food pyramid needs to be what employers are seeking.

So let’s talk about fruits and vegetables versus sugar.

The fruits and vegetables (including protein) of your resume are pretty simple. It should include the following headers (in this order):

About Me
Skills/Expertise
Work History
Education History

The top of your dental hygiene resume food pyramid is small but can include a variety of things. I have reviewed hundreds of dental hygiene resumes from clients and others and have seen lots of different things thrown in. Very little of it will make a difference for most employers, but some of it will help and some pieces of information are more helpful than others.

So, here’s eight extra things (healthier fat?) that won’t ruin your dental hygiene resume diet, as well as short list of extra “sugary” content to avoid.

Volunteer Service
Stick with just relevant (dental field) volunteer service. While other kinds of service are great and even interesting to know, a resume is designed to showcase your professional life and unless your volunteer service has complimented it or is related to dentistry it’s really not the right place for it. If you really want to include that kind of information, consider creating a website for yourself so you can add more in-depth information about you.

Awards/Recognition
If you have received any kind of dental industry recognition (even just within your own office) that’s a great thing to include. By contrast, “Outstanding PTA Mom of the Year,” while really cool, probably wouldn’t mean much on your resume.

Component/Association Participation
If you have served on any type of committee or held a leadership role at your local component/association this can be good information to include in that it signals you deep commitment to the profession. There’s another side to it as well that I was discussing with a hygienist the other day – there is, of course, some who could view that as a threat. Unfortunately, hygienists and doctors at times are at odds professionally and so a strong dental hygienist advocating for something a doctor views as a threat to his/her legislative position may or may not be something you want to boast of on your resume. In other words, exercise caution and understand the playing field.

Short List of References
You could provide the names and phone numbers of two or three references. I still think a testimonial sheet is better and more advantageous, but it’s helpful to have the actual names and phone numbers ready to go for an employer. It shows you are prepared and nothing to hide.

Articles You Have Written
Again, things that show a deep commitment to your profession can be great to showcase. Articles you have written about dentistry-related topics would be a good example of that.

Licensure/Certifications
It wouldn’t be out of line to include the current licenses you hold, including the number. This would allow an employer to verify your information without having to request it.

Non-Clinical Work Experience
A lot of hygienists ask about including prior dental assisting or front office experience. I think that’s great to include, if space permits. It shows you have deep experience within the profession and can relate to the rest of the staff.

What about non-dental jobs? This would depend on how much work history you have. If you are right out of school with no dental hygiene experience in your work history, it may be necessary to include your job at a local retailer, for example, to show you have worked for an employer before. Some jobs may be helpful in terms of giving you experience interacting with customers, sales, or even some technical skills. Evaluate your situation, keep your resume as dental-centric as possible.

Relate-able Education
Another common question I get is about non-dental hygiene education. I guess I can go either way on if you got a degree in English, for example, prior to dental hygiene. There’s sometimes lots of cross-over in professions, particularly if it’s health-related. I worked with a hygienist that was also a nutritionist – that’s very complimentary to dental hygiene and so I highly recommended she include it.

I would even go so far as to say, additional education or training can give you an advantage. You have that value-add to offer a practice. In your interview, you could say something to the affect, “Along with my background in dental hygiene, I’m also a licensed family therapist which I have found really helps me communicate effectively with patients.”

What Not to Include
Here’s a short list of fatty resume foods to keep your resume away from. If you really want to provide this information, again, I recommend a personal website where you can share more detail.

Anything un-related or non-transferrable to dentistry
“References available upon request” (everyone has references and of course they are available upon request – this is just a waste of ink)
Hobbies (interesting but irrelevant)
Marital status or number of children (way too personal)
Your physical address (stick with e-mail and phone for contacting you)
A list of all the CE classes you have taken (website works better for that, or alternatively, a separate document)
High school you graduated from (you’re a college graduate, enough said)
High school activities or recognition (a part of your past you can bring up later in conversation if asked)

Dental Hygiene Solution to an Employer Problem

Dental Hygiene Job Interview Fashion Tips

EARS Strengthen Your Dental Hygiene Resume

Most Dental Hygienists Can’t Do Enough of this One Thing…

Adding “Healthy Fat” to Your Dental Hygiene Resume

Creating a Transitional Resume for a Dental Hygienist

Contact GetHiredRDH Now

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