Add Soft Skills to Enhance Your Dental Assistant Resume

Stand Out From Other Resumes With These Important Job-Winning Attributes

Writing your resume can be a daunting undertaking. It can be particularly difficult when you have just completed a dental assistant program and are seeking your first job. After all, it is difficult to impress a hiring manager when you don’t have professional experience.

You can differentiate your resume from other applicants by highlighting soft skills, which are intangibles that can add as much to your value as an employee as the skills you learn in dental assisting classes.

Detail-oriented

Dental assistants are required to follow specific rules and protocols to help dentists treat patients. They ensure that paperwork is filled out correctly, next appointments scheduled, and follow up when necessary.

Interpersonal Skills

Often, the dental assistant is the first and last person a patient sees for an appointment. In many offices, they are also the person who answers the phone. Making the patient feel comfortable is essential to building a relationship with the practice. Showing empathy is also important. The assistant should be sensitive to the emotions of those patients who don’t like – or even fear! – a visit to the dentist, or for those that are in pain or discomfort.

Organizational Skills

Because they perform a variety of responsibilities, dental assistants should possess time management and organizational skills. The ability to self-manage and prioritize is essential.

Collaboration

Effective communication with patients, dentists, hygienists, labs, administrative personnel, and patients is vital to providing the very best in dental health care. Building solid working relationships with everyone in the practice helps dental assistants do their jobs more effectively.

Prepare for a rewarding career as a dental assistant.

First Institute can help you take the first step toward an exciting new career. Our Career Services team can help you create a resume that can get you noticed by employers. We offer an accredited Dental Assistant program in Illinois at our Crystal Lake location. For more information, call 815-459-3500.