How To Perfect Your Interview
How to perfect your interview. It is a great time to be a dental hygienist! It is a high-demand job, with flexible schedules and a good-paying career. You are already on the right track. Your resume and or cover letter have already caught their attention. Do not let interviews intimidate you, have fun with them. After doing some job research the next step is the interview. Interviewing is a two-way street where they want to get to know you and you want to get to know them. Take this opportunity to ask questions and see if it’s a right fit for you. Whether you are a new graduate beginning your career or maybe making a transition into a new dental home, here are some recommendations, guidelines, and questions to help you perfect your interview.
Recommendations
Be prepared.
Look over their website, social media, and reviews. Are there things about it that stand out to you? This is a key element, think about it as doing a background check or doing further research on the office. You want to know what you are getting yourself into. As you're going through the website or their social media, is it engaging you? What are the reviews and how does the office reply back? Does it seem like an office you would be comfortable working with? Some websites have more details and others don’t which is why looking at reviews is a great tool and can lead to questions you may have during the interview.
Rehearse your interview solo or with a friend. Practice makes perfect. I will list some commonly asked questions during interviews down below and include some questions YOU will want to ask. This helps with knowing what to expect and practice on how you will answer.
Guidelines
Show up 15 minutes early
Dress appropriately-casual formal
Go in knowing what YOU want.
Are you looking for full or part-time? Did they state what position is needed?
Always go in and know what position YOU want and what schedule works best for you. Most offices are willing to work with your schedule. This is where you can lay out your availability and be open about it. What hours and days work best for you? Are they opened those days? What does their schedule look like? Be transparent about your availability and they will accommodate your schedule and it is a win-win situation. I recommended keeping your options open whether you are full or part-time as some offices will have vacation days, be closed a day of the week, or something unexpected happens you can have another office available at your convenience, be mindful and respectful and let them know ahead of time your availability or let them know you can pick up shifts. This is where you have full control and be very clear about availability or keeping in contact with the supervisor, front desk, or dentist. So, if you can pick up shifts they will have enough time to schedule patients.
Questions
You have practiced, rehearsed, and build up confidence, now it’s show time. By implementing the recommendations, guidelines, and questions you will leave your interviewer impressed. It will come to you naturally. Remember it is also an opportunity to interview the office and see if it is a good fit for you. YOU GOT THIS. Down below will be commonly asked questions during the interview and recommended questions to ask. Remember questions are always welcome. This will show that you are interested and engaging. Get creative and add personality!
List of question examples:
COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Tell me about yourself.
This question gets people stumped. Many will ask this question to see how one handles an uninstructed situation, how one articulates confidence, and will bring a sense of what is important to you. You can find yourself answering other questions within this one; (I once had an interview where I answered most of their questions with this one-it was a home run). You can get creative with this one there is no wrong answer have fun with it.
Be authentic and share why you went into dental hygiene- was it the education piece? Was it educating patients? Was it to make a difference? etc.
List communities you are involved with-ADHA, WSDA and talk about your interests in CE’s which are required and you can turn it into “I enjoy keeping up with the latest products and studies on dental hygiene CE’s…”
Add personality by mentioning your interests and hobbies
You can also share your strengths and weakness- compassion, educating patients, and seeing patients improve with the care you provide-will discuss this in more detail down below.
What are your strengths and weakness?
Examples:
Strengths: Educating patients on oral health, collaborating with your team, helping your coworkers etc.
When you share your weakness make it a strength that can be turned into a “weakness”. Have your weakness turn into a positive thing. Show that you have recognized your weakness and the steps to better yourself.
Example:
“I take on a lot of responsibilities and hold high standards for myself which sometimes can be a challenge to ask for help but it is something I have recognized and know when to ask for help”
What interested you in dental hygiene?
Give them your why. Everyone is different
Example: To educate people who do not have education or resources about dental care and why preventive care is important.
What interests you in working with us?
Was it the reviews? How did you hear about the office? Did their hiring post have something that interests you? Do their beliefs, values, or personality mesh with yours?
Why are you leaving your current position (if relevant)?
Did you want a different opportunity? Did you relocate? Do not overshare and avoid any negative remarks. Keep it simple.
How do you handle anxious or nervous patients?
Do you reassure patients? Do you ask patients how they are doing throughout the appointment? Do you let patients know any treatment options to alleviate any discomfort like ACP gel, topical, Oraquix, anesthesia, nitrous, etc? Are you compassionate?
Can you tell me about a time you had to resolve a conflict? How was it resolved?
Share an experience about your ability to stay calm and respectful and use it to where it compliments and shows you have strong interpersonal communication skills and can de-escalate a scenario.
Example:
“ I once had a patient who was very adamant about radiographs and did not want any taken. I educated the patient on the importance of routine radiographs and explained that radiographs have minimal exposure with today’s technology and protection and want to make sure we are providing optimal care. The patient then agreed and proceeded with treatment”
Do you have a salary or hourly wage you are interested in?
DO YOUR RESEARCH. Look up hourly wages and salaries around your area it will vary by location. Always give a higher range than average because your confidence will reflect on this answer and do not sell yourself short. Also, ask how often are raises given this is an open-ended question to see how they answer and if it is something to negotiate. This is a touchy subject but important, you want to make it transparent how you would like a raise (annually/biannually/new year/ production goals met) and know what to expect. Remember you do not only work for a dentist you work and collaborate with. It is a great time to be a dental hygienist and dentists know you are a valuable addition to their team.
QUESTIONS TO ASK
What is the schedule like? Hours? Days? Full or part-time? (Know what YOU want many dentists are willing to work with YOUR schedule)
What kind of benefits are offered? Vacation time, PTO, health insurance? 401K? CE reimbursement? How do they compensate their employees?
How would they describe the office?
What is the hourly wage (always negotiable) and how do they pay biweekly or salary?
How often are SRP patients scheduled?
Will they schedule any double hygiene? Double hygiene should be compensated for depending on the frequency and how many patients. How does the office go about it?
What does their periodontal program look like?
What is the policy for patient cancellation or late patients?
What are the protocols and policies for COVID-19?
Conclusion
After implementing the recommendations, guidelines, and questions to perfect your interview remember you are also interviewing the office. It is a great time to be a dental hygienist you have made it this far and use it to your favor. It is a rewarding feeling going prepared for an interview and having different options available to you. Take notes of this interview process it will help you immerse yourself and rehearse solo or with a friend. When you combine these elements it will perfect your interview.