Getting into the dental industry is such a fulfilling career. If you’ve gone through a dental course and are now looking for a dentistry job, rest assured that the industry has much to offer in terms of work opportunities and career growth. As such, you can have an entry-level position as a dental assistant, become a general dental practitioner, and become a dental specialist. If you’re fortunate enough, you can even have your own dental practice and serve your community’s dental needs.
But before you aim for these top goals, you must first start somewhere, which will likely happen after submitting your application for a dental job. After that, you’ll have to wait for the next screening—a job interview. If this is your first interview, you will want to know what to expect.
In this article, we will share five key topics you must prepare for your dental job interview:
1. Personal details
Interviewers might have already reviewed your CV before the actual interview. So, when the session starts, they may have some questions about you that they’d like to dig further into. In some cases, they’ll ask you to tell something about yourself that isn’t found in your CV; now is the best time to introduce yourself and make a good impression. Keep in mind that you don’t necessarily have to tell everything but be sure to highlight those that will give you a competitive edge over other applicants.
2. Strengths and weaknesses
A typical interview will always delve into the applicants’ strengths and weaknesses. These questions allow the interviewers to have a good grasp of your capabilities that will make you an asset to the company and identify some areas of opportunities that will make you a liability. The trick here is to highlight your strengths and back them up with proofs and talk about weaknesses in a positive light that will draw out the potential in you.
3. Primary reasons for the application
Interviewers are highly critical as they will be able to gauge your primary reasons for applying for the job. For this reason, you have to be careful with your answers. The night before the interview, ask yourself why you’re applying and be clear on why you want to get the dental job. Once you know what you want, you’ll be able to answer the question clearly and truthfully so that they will know your motivation for applying.
4. Knowledge about the job and company
It’s vital that you clearly understand the job you’re applying for. This means that you’ve already read everything in the job post—from the position to the job descriptions down to the qualifications. You should also do some research about the company you’ve applied with and know a little bit about their history. Likewise, be well acquainted with what dental services they offer and who is in the dental team.
5. Career plans and direction in the company
To cap the interview, interviewers will most likely ask this crucial question: “Where do you see yourself five or ten years from now?” It won’t hurt if you start looking at what lies ahead in the future. The chances are that you want to start as a dental assistant and eventually become a dental specialist. Other than that, you may also want to specialise in cosmetic dentistry, restorative dentistry, or oral surgery. Be sure to set your career plans and discuss these with your interviewers.
Conclusion
At this point, we’ve covered five key topics that your dental job interview will most likely revolve around—personal details, strengths and weaknesses, primary reasons for the application, knowledge about the job and company, and career plans and direction in the company. As with any job interview, it will make a big difference if you come in prepared!
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