After you graduate from dental assisting school, you have a world of possibilities in front of you! Before you truly get started on your new career path, though, you will likely need to go through a job interview. How can you go into your interview with confidence and come out feeling like you made a great impression? Here are some useful tips:

Learn about the Dental Practice

Every dental practice is unique. Each one has its own treatment philosophy and underlying values. A potential employer will want to know that you will support such values and integrate well with the existing team dynamic. Check out the practice’s website to learn about the main “selling points” that they use to attract and keep patients. You can also read the practice’s reviews to find out what their patients especially love about them.

Prepare to Answer Common Questions

Some questions that your interviewer might ask include:

• Why did you choose to become a dental assistant? Be sure to mention your passion for helping people and your enthusiasm for oral health.
• How do you handle nervous or fearful patients? Show that you are ready to contribute to a calming environment by explaining how you put patients at ease. Perhaps that is by listening empathetically, clearly explaining procedures, or by taking other steps.
• Describe a challenging situation you encountered during school. How did you handle it? Your experience might relate to how you calmed a nervous patient, how you smoothed over a chaotic situation, or something else. Be sure that the experience highlights your strengths.

Come Early and Prepared

Punctuality shows respect, so try to arrive for your interview about 10 – 15 minutes early. You should also have a folder with relevant documents, such as a list of references, certificates, letters of recommendation, etc.

You should also be sure to dress professionally. Choose clean and tidy business apparel and accessories that do not draw a lot of attention to themselves.

Ask Questions

Asking thoughtful questions can signal to your interviewer that you are serious about getting the job and performing well. You can ask about things like opportunities for additional training, performance expectations, workplace culture, and more.

A job interview may be an intimidating experience for new dental assistants, but a bit of preparation and confidence can go a long way toward helping you land your dream position.

Prepare for Your New Career

At NE Dental Academy, we have helped countless individuals to embark on an exciting and fulling career. We want every one of our students to thrive as a dental assistant, so we provide all the training and experience necessary to get started in this exciting field. In fact, we have a 91% job placement rate after graduation! To learn more about us and the programs we offer, get in touch with us at 508-425-6644.