How exciting! I’m not sure where to find the best templates – I would just look around online and find a couple, then combine what you like from each. I did a quick search and found a bunch specifically for dental hygeine: http://www.monroecc.edu/depts/careercenter/StuServ/Sample%20Resumes/DentalHygieneSampleResume.pdf

It is really tough when you’re right out of school – I changed industries this year and I had to write a resume filled with stuff that didn’t quite apply to my new industry. Try to take what you’ve done in retail and apply it somehow to your new job – you can talk about extra responsibilities you had or something. Do you have clinical experience from your school? Definitely focus on that stuff and any groups you’ve joined in school that show your involvement and leadership.

I’ve never been great at cover letters, but one important thing is to try and include words from the job posting in your cover letter. Not sure if dental is the same as bigger companies, but sometimes HR will toss your resume just because it doesn’t have the key words they’re looking for. If they ask for a specific skill, try to mention how you have that skill.

I haven’t had to make a resume since I was in high school.. so i wouldn’t be much help. Anything I know is rather redundant

Will be quite happy to see some tips though, as I need to know at some point

I probably wouldn’t be much help since I’m sure my experience won’t apply to your situation. But my adviser always told me to list my accomplishments at the top of my resume, right below my education. So that is where I moved all my clubs, honor societies, and presentations I had given. Before, I had these things at the end. When it came to the part where you list your work experience, I changed my duty descriptions to fit the job I was looking for. Even with my retail experience, I played up the skills that I gained that would apply to my seemingly unrelated career field. I don’t know what sort of job you had before, but if you worked somewhere where building a rapport with strangers was part of your job (retail would be my example, but you might have done something different) then you could play this up saying that that is a skill a good dental hygienist should have.

Hey Beka!!! Congrats!!!! Such hard work-that’s so awesome!!

I do the resume screening, interviews and hiring for some of our sites and see lots!! The best thing I can tell you is make it CLEAR what education and experience you have. We don’t care what people put for ‘what they can do’ under each job they’ve had, just really the jobs they’ve had, where and for how long. And education at the top so we know they are qualified and have the diploma/degree etc.

Request an interview at the end of the cover letter.

Tailor TAILOR tailor!! I hate when we get ‘dear employer’…..the internet is your friend, call them…whatever. Just find out who you are applying to, address it properly, and tailor your resume and cover letter to each employer

Spell check-and have someone else spell check. And someone else! I’ve seen scary ‘spellchecks’ lol So have other people read it too!

If you want to stand out in a crowd-print it on nice thick paper and mail it in registered mail-they have to sign for it-they will have to see it.

I know I thought it would be pushy to call to see if they received it-but trust me that’s who we interview-the people who call to say ‘hey when’s my interview’ so be pushy-well you know, politely inquire. But that shows your interested and that’s who we want.

Send a copy of your certificate/education diploma-whatever is needed to have that job-send a copy with your resume if you can! They’ll need to ask for it eventually and appreciate someone thinking ahead!

Contrary to what I was told-references upon request is totally suitable when applying for jobs. But bring them to the interview!

Google cover letters, read lots-get a feel for them.

Basically-first paragraph=I saw this posting, heard about the job this way etc.
second paragraph=I’m awesome and this is why….
Third=I would love to discuss my qualifications and credentials at a mutually convenient time. I am looking forward to hearing from you about setting up an interview.
Keep it short-no time to read novels

K&K gives some excellent advice. I would not agree about the when/where of a job being more important than what you did there. In that case, if you are trying to get a new job it’s the transferable skills that count for a lot. It will be more important to any prospective employer (that isn’t a museum) that I created a dozen brochures in-house than I worked on 21 exhibits for 5 years. So one thing I’ve done that always gets a verbal compliment from anyone who sees it is start just below my contact info. at the top with a HIGHLIGHTS section. It’s about 6 bullet point statements that are my most impressive skills or accomplishments. You can use those keywords there, too. Example:
~ Coordinator of national traveling exhibition with over 2 million visitors
~ Strong Marketing, PR and Communication skills
~ Created over 30 Published brochures and other collateral material
~ Able to direct and see projects through to completion on time and within budget

So in your case, you might say:
~ Ranked in top 10 of graduating class of H. School
~ Conscientious employee with strong work ethic
~ Able to work independently while maintaining smooth daily operations of business
etc. etc. etc.

As for cover letter, definitely use the keywords. Also, before any interview, even before cover letter, research the employer on line and drop an indication that you know what they do and you’d love to discuss how you can fit their needs.

But remember: not too much is also key. One page cover, 1-2 page resume if you can pare it down. Bullet points scan more easily than wordy paragraphs. Statements, not complete sentences – OK. (As long as it’s clear you understand correct grammar.)

YOUR RESUME AND COVER LETTER ARE ONLY A CALLING CARD TO GET YOU AN INTERVIEW. It is NOT a personal history. That can be provided with supplemental samples once you are sitting talking to someone. The only purpose is to get them curious enough to think “she may be the one to stop this headache for me that I desperately need fixed” and call you to come in. You are their solution, they can stop worrying now. You’re here. The point of the letter is to meet them. The point of the interview is to be the best person they’ve seen. The point is to get them to love you and gotta have you. THEN you tell them what you need to make that happen. Don’t be the first to mention money. Let them give you a range. If they ask you what you’re looking for, ask the salary range of that particular job. Courtesy to every person you meet from the moment you walk in is essential. The secretary who schedules your appointment may quietly rule that roost. If she didn’t like you, poof. It’s over.
Always, always, always write a thank you note after the interview. You may be the only one, and it may land you the job.

When I was looking for a job I signed up for Monster and any other online job resources I could. I still get email from recruiters for my Monster profile (though I’m pretty sure I changed it so it said I have a job now), so it can be helpful. It probably depends on the industry and whether they use it or not, but it can’t hurt. There are also some great local job sites (we have some around here like NewYorkHelpWanted.com) and I find those have even more jobs listed in one specific area.

Even the places that did post their jobs on Monster still all required automated resume submission. For my current job a friend emailed the manager directly with my resume, but I still had to apply through their online system. It might be different with a small local dental practice vs a big company though and they might prefer a faxed resume.

In order of employer preference: A personal referral of someone who knows someone they can recommend.
A resume from someone someone knows who they told to send one to a person’s attention.
A cold resume mailed to someone’s attention with a reason like you heard they were an excellent practice and wanted them to keep you on file if an opening occurs.
A walk in to hand a resume to a receptionist with the request that it be delivered to the hiring manager in the event of an opening. (Careful, they won’t if they think you want their job.)
Then answering their ad if posted on their website. In fact, cruise all the local practices’ websites and email to a person’s attention an introductory cover email and your resume attached.
Attend an industry conference locally and bring resumes to hand to people you meet there. Or a card with your name saying you’ll follow up with a resume after you exchange cards with them.
In short, anything that can start with a personal touch.
Hiring agencies, and especially Monster.com or CareerBuilder.com are designed to screen OUT applicants in a matter of seconds, not get you a job. You blindly compete with hundreds of people. So stuff it with keywords that match the ads if you have to use them, but expect an hours work applying for the fastest rejection possible. It is an employer’s nightmare to go through those responses, and any personal touch will pull you out of the pack. On person I heard of mailed a hard copy and began the cover letter with “tired of sorting through all those online resumes? Call me and you’ll never have to look at another.”
You want to be computer savvy, but not ruled out before a person ever learns you exist.
Oh, don’t forget Craigslist locally for small employers who can’t afford a big internet job service.
Plus, any industry job bank is always a better option. Whatever is the national/state version of the AMA in dentistry, go to their job bank listings.
And, if you’re at a local school, check out where their alumni are working. You already have an opening by saying you went to the same school.

It’s been good reading over this thread. I find it changes quickly what employers expect in this whole process. It’s wise to keep your finger on the pulse (something I have not been very good at!). I will add that certainly getting you resume out there now is a good move and keep on it as soon as you graduate. There’s some momentum then (maybe from the sense of achievement?) but it can deplete quickly when you venture into the job market. I personally find it daunting.

What about some personal visits to places you’d like to work and dropping in your resume? In the Dental industry they might like that face-to-face impression. I once delivered my application for a job personally because it was not far from where I lived. I got interviewed on the spot and offered the position later that day. It wasn’t a great job or anything but it came after a long time out of work so it was encouraging to be hired so readily.

Best wishes on your hunt Beka!

Jersey, you made me think of how different job hunting is from one industry to another. When I was jobless I had so many people giving me advice and some of it was so wrong for my field. One person said that a one page resume was out dated and I needed a multi-page portfolio of everything I’ve worked on an accomplished. I asked around in my industry and everyone laughed and said “I would never read a resume that long. It should never be over a page unless you’ve been in the industry for a while, and even then two pages is enough.” That’s why there’s so much misleading advice out there!

Beka, does your school have career counseling or anything that is specifically directed towards students in your program? They can problem give you tips that apply to your industry. Fwiw, I think handing in resumes face-to-face is probably the way to go, since you said everyone knows everyone else and I’m assuming most practices are small and privately owned.

My brother is graduating with a degree in Business Sciences or something like that this year so he helped me out with my resume. People are attracted to white space, so separate lines, especially different subjects. For the subject line, (ex References, Experience) make it bold/italics and in a larger size then other words. Sorry I can’t be much help!

What about online job hunting resources, like “Monster”? What kind of experiences have you guys had with those sites?

It’s a spam pool-you will get spammed emails from companies like vector etc. However worth a try.

Instead I would use the internet to look up the company info on who you applying to and use their online resources to submit. But I would give monster a miss unless to find what they are looking for We are going to only looking online but do not use a carrier like that and instead accept appies through our website

Beka-since it’s a ‘who knows who’ industry-have you tried applying in person in offices? I would go that route-make friends, network and show up. Even call and say ‘I’m done my degree, lets chat about what I can offer’ type approach Health care is like that too-and once your in the door your good I’d think personal visits and job fairs would be the place to go

I would not agree about the when/where of a job being more important than what you did there.

For sure. For us, though, of course we want to know you had skills but when we’re thinning the pack we’re really looking at where you worked and for how long. However to be taken with a grain of salt since we’re alberta and health care…we’re looking for people who are breathing and that’s almost it-it is an employees market here so my experience may not apply. We do have tonnes of applicants and search through but still different

That is excellent experience under the heading of transferable skills. Any dental practice knows it’s essential to be able to work well one-on-one, product and safety standards and codes, how to research laws: all really good and applicable. To me that says you can deal with varied and nervous patients, or even office manage the sales reps and equipment standards.

I definitely agree with the others who say stick to the preferred methods of your particular industry. All fields are not the same. You can also call dental practices out of your county who are not prospective employers and ask them what job search services they use, or what method of approach is their favorite. If they know you are not seeking a job there, someone like the office manager may be very forthcoming with advice on how to approach practices in your neighborhood in a way that they would welcome.

And didn’t you pay your school for a Placement Office and Guidance Counselor as part of your tuition fee? Alumni are good advisors/employers too.

BTW, I just shaved my resume with help from editor friends from 3 pages to 2. I cut a lot of redundancies, but Expanded my detailed computer skills. I happen to be able to use programs and speak some software languages for creating collateral material that made some coworkers’ eyes glaze over. So if I want to work with Photoshop, for example, I needed to say I already had. Not everyone in my generation can.

I’ve worked in retail for the past 7 years, which would appear entirely unrelated, but the majority of my retail experience has been desk/phone work providing customer service on a one-by-one basis to expectant mothers, I’ve also conducted seminars for groups in-store. I can educate them on baby products, safety standards, and I’ve kept up to date with local laws (for example: car seat regulations). So, it’s definitely more than ringing out customers day in, day out. I guess I should find a way to word my work experience to play up the education component.

Totally!! It doesn’t matter that it’s not dental.

Customer service-handling difficult customers, fixing their problems, creating a returning customer from an angry one, communication skills-especially with people of different backgrounds and ESL, multi tasking, detail oriented, problem solving, initative, projects….All skills are transferable and if you learned them or used them-throw ’em on there
AND review your resume before job interviews

I definitely agree with the others who say stick to the preferred methods of your particular industry. All fields are not the same. You can also call dental practices out of your county who are not prospective employers and ask them what job search services they use, or what method of approach is their favorite. If they know you are not seeking a job there, someone like the office manager may be very forthcoming with advice on how to approach practices in your neighborhood in a way that they would welcome.

And didn’t you pay your school for a Placement Office and Guidance Counselor as part of your tuition fee? Alumni are good advisors/employers too.

I don’t know if your a mom or not RP but you would make an excellent one! Your advice is always so…perfect!!! I throw my hands up in ditto! Great advice!

Well, at least you wrote something and sometimes writing something and then tweaking and revising helps the writer’s block. Let us know what your advisor says. It’s been ages since I did a resume.