When asked about the hardest part of their career choice, many dental hygienists say that it was the education and training required for the career. But due to the downward spiral suffered by the economy lately, many dental hygienists are now saying that the hardest part of a career in the dental field is actually finding a job.
If you are a dental hygienist and you are having trouble finding a job that allows you to put your skills to the test, you may want to consider using these three resources that can help you land the position that you’re looking for.
Register With a Staffing Firm
There are many brick and mortar firms and online staffing firms that will help match dental hygienists with dentists who are currently hiring. Modeled to effectively place medical professionals with hospitals or other private practices, staffing firms like Sunbelt Staffing have websites that list available jobs that you can apply for, or allow dentists to browse profiles and resumes to find someone that has the skills and training needed for the job.
Utilize College or University Resources
Many colleges and universities that offer the courses needed to become a dental hygienist will also offer help with career placement. These career placement departments offer a number of services ranging from writing a resume, to posting help-wanted ads. If you are finding it difficult to find a job on your own, these career placement departments may be able to lead you in the right direction.
Seek Out Internships
Many dentists will offer newly trained dental hygienists the opportunity to intern at their dental practice. Most internship opportunities are not paid, or they offer a payment that is less than what you would receive if you were actually hired. However, there are many benefits that can come from taking part in an internship. The benefits include:
- Resume building. When placed on your resume, dental hygienist internship shows that you have “real world” experience as a dental hygienist.
- Obtaining possible references. You can use the dentist that you worked with during your internship as a reference on future job applications.
- Possible job placement. Many dentists will use an internship opportunity to see if you are a good fit for their dental practice. If you do a good job during the internship, it can lead to full-time work.
Finding a job may be hard when you are trying to start out in the world, but it’s not impossible. Using the resources that are available to you, you can eventually land the dental hygienist job of your dreams.
