Alright, so you just graduated and you need to know how to get a job as a Dental Assistant. Especially if you’re searching for a job online (and who isn’t?), there are a few basic things you can do to make it easier to search and get hired for a job. Here we go!
1. Use Career Builder or a similar job search website: don’t comb through potentially outdated job listings or employer websites to try to email them individually.
More often than not, their own inboxes are the last place potential employers look for applicant resumes! There are some great search tools out there for both applicants and employers, and you can use them not only to make yourself available for more jobs, but also to get a job as a dental assistant that is most convenient to your location or most ideal in terms of work environment.
2. Do right by your resume…
Most employers use some kind of scanning software to grab key details from your resume. So, it’s important that you get the basics right when you’re deciding how your resume is “dressed.” Here are a few pointers:
- Put your full name (and nothing else) on the first line. Your address and contact information should go below it.
- Use one of the following “scanner-friendly” fonts in size 11-14: Palatino, Helvetica, Arial, Times, Futura, New Century Schoolbook, Optima, Courier, Bookman.
- Don’t use underlines, italics, or script.
- Use keywords from your industry. Software is programmed to look for “official” keywords like “Radiation Safety Certificate,” so use that rather than “x-ray certificate.”
3. … and your social media!
Some things (like technology) have changed a lot over the decades; other things haven’t. Even today, some of the best advice on how to get a job as a dental assistant is: Seem like you want one! Hopefully, you know not to have any inappropriate photos or comments on your Facebook or other social media pages. But social media isn’t just something that should not harm you – it can help you, especially LinkedIn. Here are a few LinkedIn ideas:
- Match your LinkedIn profile to your resume. You can go into a little more detail on LinkedIn about your objectives and experience, but an employer should be able to get all the information that’s on your resume from your LinkedIn page, too.
- Ask teachers and past employers to leave positive reviews on your page!
- List all certifications and achievements, including things like a high GPA.
- Join industry-related groups, and comment or ask a question once in a while to show that you are interested and want to get a job as a dental assistant!
4. Ask your school’s advisory or career placement department how to get a job as a dental assistant!
At ACHT, we keep a staff of career placement advisors to help make sure our graduates have help getting the jobs of their dreams. Even if you haven’t attended a dental assistant program yet, we encourage you to stop in and talk with our staff about getting enrolled and how to get a job as a dental assistant afterwards – we would love to help you get the advice you need!
American College of Healthcare and Technology has two convenient locations.
Our Huntington Park campus proudly serves the following communities: Bell, Bell Gardens, Compton, Southgate, Los Angeles, Vernon, Maywood, Cudahy, Florence, South Central LA, Watts, Lynwood, City of industry, Lawndale, Paramount, Inglewood, Commerce, Downy, Norwalk, Santa Fe Springs, Carson, Long Beach, Bellflower, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Whittier, Gardena, Hawthorne, El Monte, La Puente, Monterrey Park.
Our Riverside campus proudly serves the following communities: Corona, Moreno Valley, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Perris, La Sierra, Arlington, Jurupa Valley, Rialto, Pedley, Mira Loma, Rubidoux, Bloomington, Colton, San Bernardino, Redlands, Wildomar, Temecula, Murrieta, Loma Linda, Fontana, Grand Terrace, and Glen Avon.
11801 Pierce St., Suite 100
Riverside, California 92505
(951) 729-5320
6606 Pacific Blvd, Suite 204
Huntington Park, California 90255
(323) 585-9000