What is considered a dream job? This is a particularly tough question and the answer to it varies from person to person. One dentist may want to work in a position with as much responsibility as possible, while another may want to have the highest paid job available to them. Also, a dream job to those of us who are family orientated may be a job that is a few minutes walk from where you live. No matter what you consider a dream job, you will have to exhibit and show a broad range of skills and characteristics to your prospective employer in order to set yourself apart from the competition. What employers are looking for varies from employer to employer, but it is possible to generalize what requirements they may be looking to identify in a person they interview. Read on to find out.
What Employers are Looking for?
If you are looking to land your dream dental job, you have to have a real passion for dentistry that comes across to your prospective employer. Not only this, they will be looking for a dentist that shows:
Strong Interpersonal Skills
This is probably one of the main areas that an employer will look into when looking to hire a new dentist. It is important that the dentist is good with people, as they will be dealing with members of the public on a day to day basis – many of which will not enjoy coming to the dentist, so they need to make them as relaxed and as calm as possible. While the dentist is expected to interact in a positive manner with the patients, they are also expected to interact with fellow staff members, whether it be the Receptionist, the Dental Assistant or the Dental Hygienist. Therefore, the dentist needs to be friendly, interactive and a clear communicator.
Good Business Sense
This may seem like a strange requirement for a dentist, but this is becoming more and more important. If you are looking to be hired into a dental group practice, you will be expected to perform as if you were owning your own dental practice. As well as treating patients, you may be expected to hire, train and keep track of the finances of the practice, whilst ensuring all legal requirements are adhered to.
A Desire to Learn
Lifelong learning is something which you should expect to do as part of being a dentist. You need to show to your prospective employer that you will be partaking in learning new techniques by taking part in continuing education credits. These continuing education credits are essential for renewing your licence to practice, but if you do more credits than is required, an employer will quickly realize that you have a real passion for dentistry. They will think that you will transfer this positive work ethic to the position they are looking to hire for.
Dentistry is an area that is always changing. A dentist who qualified 20 years ago will not have as much knowledge of the more modern techniques that are being taught in dental school these days, so by showing that you take part in continuing education credits will show to the employer that you have a real desire to uphold patient safety. A dentist that prioritizes patient safety is something what employers are looking for.
Compassion and Honesty
Every dentist needs to show to an employer that they have compassion and honesty. Dental health is an area that troubles many patients, so it is important that the dentist realizes the sensitivities involved when treating patients and speaking with them. Sometimes, an employer will give a scenario during an interview, and you will have to explain to the interviewer how you would act, so make sure you make reference to being compassionate and honest with the patient, as this keeps them relaxed and comfortable while you treat the patient.
Excellent Manual Dexterity
Possessing competent manual dexterity is key to being a successful dentist. Because the mouth of a patient is quite an enclosed space to work in, you need to show to an employer that you have excellent coordination skills combined with a steady hand. It is important to manipulate and use dental tools with complete accuracy, which takes practice, so make sure you refine and try to improve on your skills on a regular basis.
Excellent Communication Skills
This may form part of the interpersonal skills described above, but we will make reference here to the way that the dentist will communicate technical treatment information to other employees, such as the Dental Assistant. The Assistant relies entirely on the commands and requests of the dentist, so in order for the Assistant to do their job to the best of their ability, they need to be guided and told what to do in a clear and competent manner. When it comes to interview, make sure you speak clearly and confidently, as any sign of any shortcomings in the communication department will be quickly picked up by the interviewer. This is a key area what employers are looking for.
Problem Solving Skills
As a dentist, it is rare for every patient’s treatment to progress smoothly, therefore, having and showing to a prospective employer of your problem solving skills is key to landing your dream job. Thinking outside the box, and outside the box again is key to being a good problem solver. Be prepared at interview to be given a complex scenario, and you will have to describe in detail how you would overcome the problem. I would recommend having a few anecdotes of previous patient’s treatments to hand to support your claims. The more evidence you provide, the greater the weight your answers will carry and make it more likely that you will land your dream job.
There are just some of the areas of what employers are looking for. Are we missing any qualities that a dentist should exhibit? If so, be sure to let us know!