If you’re trying to establish how to find a job as a dentist, the first few steps on your road to finding a job are to get educated, trained, and licensed. Dentists must have an active license to practice dentistry in every state that they operate. If you are potentially moving to a new location to practice or working in multiple states, you need a license in all of those states.
You can get a job in a state before being licensed there, as many people are hired with the condition that they must gain licensure for the specific location of work before their first day. You will, however, need to prove to each state that you understand and can abide by their particular dental requirements.
If you have the license and the skills for dentistry, then it is about finding the right job. In addition to luck, there are four main methods for getting a career as a dentist, regardless of your location worldwide: networking, specialized job boards, online postings, and traditional in-person inquiries.
For many industries, getting the right job can be about who you know. There are different ways to network, especially for dentists willing to embrace technology.
Attending training events or conferences, even online, can expose a candidate to a wide range of people from different companies. Connecting to people in the same field on a personal level can often lead to them recommending you for an open position at their place of work, should one come up.
Networking doesn’t always produce results immediately, but understanding that investing time in quality connections will improve your chances at a quality job can make a difference in your results.
Not all job fairs are equal, which makes reviewing the companies at each job fair wise before heading off with your CV in hand. Search for job fairs in your desired work area and attend for opportunities or organizations you find interesting. Even if the organization isn’t hiring for the specific job you want, making an impression can often shortlist you for future opportunities.
The dental community has its job boards maintained by different organizations that post positions exclusively for the dental field. Check national organizations or companies that provide dental accreditation to see if they have a job board available.
Many dentistry positions get posted alongside other job industries on the various online job boards. If a recruiting company finds candidates for a dental practice, they may use general boards to post open positions instead of specialized areas. Use job alerts for the terms dentist, dentistry, dental partner, or any type of dental job name you could imagine accepting.
In-person inquiries used to be a standard recommendation for finding a job as a dentist. However, there are many reasons that in-person inquiries might not be the best option.
Stopping by before checking ahead may mean you show up at the wrong time for the clinic. Calling ahead ensures that the location is taking applications, and they may even provide you with the best time to come by and chat with the practice owner or partners.