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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.