Once you are in the home stretch of finishing your dental assisting program, the time will come for you to begin looking for a dental assistant position. Many students are nervous at this point, but you can feel confident that you will be well-prepared for any dental assisting job that you are hired for. Here are some tips to help you with your search and your interviews.
Update Your Resume
Of course, you will want to be sure that your educational overview is updated; dentists will want to see that you have completed a dental assisting program, and the Sunrise School of Dental Assisting is a well-respected school here in the Carolinas. In addition, comb through your resume to be sure that your relevant skills are highlighted in your previous positions.
For example, if you previously worked in a restaurant, you might think that this is irrelevant to dental assisting, but working and succeeding in a fast-paced environment is often an advantage in a busy dental office. If you were a hairdresser, your gift of relating to people and making them feel comfortable is definitely relevant, so go ahead and focus on that.
While you’re updating your resume, be sure to update your profiles on business networking sites such as LinkedIn.
Network, Network, Network
When you are searching for a job, it’s helpful to talk to anyone and everyone. When you meet someone new, don’t feel shy about mentioning that you just graduated from the Sunrise School and that you are looking for a job as a dental assistant. Everyone goes to the dentist twice per year, so you just might run into someone who heard from his or her dentist last week that the office is looking for someone!
Use the Internet to your advantage, too. In addition to online job searches, you can let your acquaintances know that you’re on the hunt for a dental assisting position by posting on your Facebook or Twitter account. Put up a photo of your certificate on Instagram, or add a signature to the bottom of your emails that says you’re interested in hearing about any opportunities as a dental assistant.
Be Prepared at Your Interviews
Once you start getting some interviews, it’s important to be prepared. First, know ahead of time what type of services the dentist you are interviewing with provides. With the Internet at our fingertips, there’s no excuse for not knowing whether you’re interviewing with a general dentist, an endodontist or a children’s dentist. This will help you to answer questions as well as to ask questions that are relevant to the office.
Also, remember that as a dental assistant, your personality is a big part of your future success. Dental assistants need to be friendly and put people at ease, so it’s important to let that part of your personality shine through during your interview, even if you’re nervous. Being well-prepared can help alleviate some of your natural jitters.
At the Sunrise School of Dental Assisting, we give you the tools you need to succeed as a dental assistant. You can feel confident that you will be well-prepared for your new career and that you will be well-suited for your new position.
Jaylyn Miller September 5, 2017Prior to attending Sunrise School of Dental Assisting I had zero knowledge of the dentistry field and what this career choice would have in store for me. I had an awesome instructor, as well as current Dental Assistants at Sunrise, to help guide me and continue to be successful in my career. Everyone has been extremely helpful and I have had nothing less than a great experience. After graduation, I was hired on by Sunrise and couldn’t be more happy with my job and the decision to attend Sunrise School of Dental Assisting! Thank you all!!
Katie Panchak February 17, 2017If you’re looking into a promising career as a dental assistant, look no further! I recently graduated from Sunrise School of Dental Assisting and couldn’t be happier with the program! This course provided me with all the knowledge and tools that I needed to become successful in my field. Now I am proud to say that after graduation I have been hired on by Sunrise Dental and LOVE my job! Thanks guys!
Madison McCullock January 12, 2017Sunrise School of Dental Assisting provided me with the knowledge and skills I needed to begin my career in the Dental field. The instructors were very helpful and thorough in explaining the lessons and procedures to the class, and also made it a point to provide any additional help/tutoring before/after lessons for students. I enjoyed my experience at Sunrise School of Dental Assisting. I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to receive the proper education necessary in order to excel in their Dental Assisting career
Ashley Hicks June 15, 2016At Sunrise they give you the tools you need to become successful as a Dental Assistant. You have smaller numbers in the class, so you are able to have more one on one time with an instructor if needed. It is a fast paced class, but the instructor is willing to meet with you before class time if you need help. It is a good balance between lectures and actual lab time. You have great hands on experience and work with live “patients” (class members) in order to get an actual feel of what it would be like. The team at Sunrise Dental are very encouraging and push you to strive for your best. They also help with shadowing at different offices and even inform you if there are job openings at other offices. I would recommend this program to anyone and know that they would also get the great training that I have received!