So I was watching some funny videos on YouTube yesterday and this one in particular stopped me because it made me think about those you who hate your current dental hygiene job. I’ll post it with this article so you can see it (I promise no mice were harmed in this ad).
Everyone can relate to be in a tough situation, including a dental hygiene job you simply don’t like anymore. It feels a lot like being trapped.
Now, if it’s dental hygiene you don’t like anymore, then you have a bigger career decision to make. But for those who still love dental hygiene (just not who you do it for), don’t roll over and die or wait around for someone to rescue you.
Be like the mouse and take action. If you are feeling trapped, here are two things to remove yourself: Get Serious and Shine.
Get Serious
The only way to get serious about finding a new job is to simply get up, and start assembling your professional information (resume, cover letter, testimonial sheet, etc.) and then use it.
No job openings right now? No problem, send a postcard out or start dropping in on 2-3 offices a day and introducing yourself. Start going to industry conferences and meetings to meet other hygienists. Start participating in local online social media groups where job openings may come up.
If you need help with all of that or don’t have time to do it, contact us at GetHiredRDH.com and we can help move you along quicker.
If you need to do it yourself, that’s great! Set a launch date and then work on it a little bit each day as you have time. If you are starting with nothing, don’t try and knock it all out in one day, go slow and steady toward the goal date.
Shine!
This is the most important of all. Be the shiniest coin in the drawer at work. It will do two things for you. First, it will make you feel better about your situation and second it will make you infinitely more employable.
Let me explain the latter. Most bad employers aren’t going to stop being bad – you can’t control that. But what you can control is how you serve your patients. A bad employer can continue to throw their own reputation into the toilet, but you can actually build your own reputation while that’s happening.
You may even do what you do so well that you improve the overall reputation of the office. So don’t focus on the terrible boss or co-worker(s) you have. Focus on the wonderful patients you have who need you. You have something unique to offer them they may not get anywhere else (even at a better office) so be there for them and participate in some awesome experiences you can share in job interviews to come.
In doing that – in simply shining at what you do – you shouldn’t be surprised if a better opportunity finds YOU instead of the other way around.
That’s often the way those things work.
