Standing out from the crowd – getting that job you want and deserve!

Competition for great positions in dentistry is rampant!  With the start of the New Year many people feel it is time to make changes and begin looking for a new job.  This year there is the added problem of the recession, increasing the number of people looking for work and decreasing the number of opportunities available.  Employers with great positions are obviously becoming a lot more selective in their choices of who they appoint, they are being careful with their money and they also know they have a larger pool of candidates to pick from than usual.  In short, the job of the recruiter and job seeker has become more challenging.

We are currently receiving a colossal and I mean colossal amount of CVs, some really quite amazing and some pretty mediocre. Your CV is your calling card, your way of saying: ‘Hey I have a great deal to offer you as an employee, you must hire me!’  It represents you, it’s the first thing we see and, yes I know its an old cliche however, first impressions count.

In reality, it takes just a quick glance, three seconds in fact, for someone to evaluate you when you meet for the first time. In this short time the other person forms an opinion about you based on your appearance, your body language, your demeanour, your mannerisms, and how you are dressed. However, if your CV is not up to a good standard you may not even get to meet the potential employer.
I have been reading the fantastic book ‘Think and Grow Rich’ by Napoleon Hill and came across some great advice on how to get the job you want. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is reading this.

In fact whoever comments on this blog will go into the draw to win a copy of this fantastic book.

Here is my  simple, effective and quick synopsis for the job hunter.

CV – Put some love into it! Tell us about yourself, what are your strengths, what are your interests, breathe some personality into your CV, it’s what gets you in the door!
Once you get the interview -Dress for success – How should you dress when you attend an interview? Dressing conservatively is always the safest route, but you should also try and do a little investigating of your prospective employer so that what you wear to the interview makes you look as though you fit in with the organization. If you overdress (which is rare but can happen) or under-dress (the more likely scenario), the potential employer may feel that you don’t care enough about the job.

Once in the interview – Ask questions – Employers love love love potential candidates who ask questions, don’t be afraid to ask questions, it means you are interested in the company, the position and most importantly the people that work there.

Do your research – If the potential employer has a website READ IT! Get to know the people, the way they do things before you walk in the door, it will most definitely impress them.

A few examples of questions to ask:

What are the dental practices strengths and weaknesses?

What is the practices plan for the next 5 years?

What are the day to day responsibilities of the role?

Could you describe your management style, and the type of employee who would fit in well here?

What is the practice’s policy on training, seminars and courses?

I hope this has helped those of you seeking work and that I have given some insight to what can help you get that job you want, and the job that you deserve!

Kelly Haggett

Dental Angels Recruitment

http://www.dentalangels.co.uk

http://www.acorndentaltraining.co.uk

Clinical Photography as an Ethical Marketing Tool

As a professional clinical photographer, pictures are an important; recently I’ve been browsing various medical and dental journals, looking at the quality of the photography used in both editorial and advertising context. I am amazed by the way comparison pictures of before and after treatment, frequently bear no relationship to the workmanship or product being displayed.

So many cosmetic surgery clinics advertising in the back of colour supplements use poor quality images for their before treatment shots and significantly better ones after completion. The rationale for including a comparison picture is to show improvement, it therefore, seems counterproductive to use a before photograph that has been taken under totally different conditions to that of the after image. In the commercial world exaggeration and manipulation is acceptable but as ethical profession-als, your patients expect and deserve to be treated, with honesty and integrity.
Cosmetic dentistry, should improve the patient’s appearance and self esteem; by using a poor quality photograph as your baseline, credibility is challenged, and any improvement is based on unreliable evidence, not on the demonstration of your professional skill.

Photography is influenced by lighting, focus, composition and background, therefore consistency in these areas is vital, wherever, comparison is important. The power of good photography should never be underestimated and obtaining it may involve employing a professional or alternatively investing in high quality, specific, photographic training for both yourself and your valued staff. Presenting your work in a credible way, rein-forces your ethical standards, and provides you and your practice with a powerful sales and communication tool.
Author: Mike Samuels, Registered Medical illustration Practitioner and Member of the Institute of Medical Illustrators
Head of Medical Illustration Royal Free & UCL Medical School (1997-2006)
Head of Medical Photography St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College (1990 – 1997)
http://www.medicalphotographer.co.uk
info@medicalphotographer.co.uk
contact numbers: 01635 41806 landline      07818242086 mobile

Is Social Media Marketing Right For Your Practice?

In the last 2 years the way that individuals and organisations have communicated using the internet has changed as much as in the previous 15, this is due to the rise in social media and social networking.  Sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Linkedin, Youtube and Twitter, have revolutionised the way people interact and do business. As such, the big question on everyone’s lips is what will work for my business.  As an online marketing agency we are asked the same question time after time from our client’s “What should we be doing to maximise the opportunities out there?”

The answer, unfortunately, is not simple.  What would work for one practice with one particular target market will not necessarily work for another, the key is understanding what is appropriate and what is inappropriate.  What you do not want to do is jump on the bandwagon before understanding some of the pros and cons:

The pros of social media marketing

• You can reach new patients that more traditional marketing methods may miss. You never know who will direct a friend to your blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed or social bookmark post, so your potential for reeling in new leads is unlimited.
• Social media marketing is cost-efficient in comparison with other marketing methods, even if you hire a dedicated team or outsource your social media content needs.
• You can learn how to improve your products and treatments. By encouraging open communication through public comments, you can learn what you can do to make your service better.
• You can build brand loyalty. Not only can you use social media to build your brand, you can use it to demonstrate your personality, interact with customers and show them that you care, which, in turn, breeds loyalty. Social media marketing can also boost your reputation and build relationships.

The cons of social media marketing

• Social media marketing can place high demands on your time. Content must be created, edited, approved and published; comments must be responded to and sites and pages must be maintained.
• Social media marketing places high demands on your talent. It can be difficult to constantly come up with innovative exciting content that interests a variety of readers and, without relevance, your efforts will be wasted.
• Your return on investment is delayed. Social media marketing can work to build relationships and brand loyalty, but it takes time and dedication. Social media marketing efforts are not likely to earn immense popularity overnight, so you must be willing to be in it for the long haul if you decide to launch a social media marketing campaign.

As you can see, social media marketing can bring many benefits and increased profits to any practice with an online presence, but it comes with caveats. If you’re considering launching a social media marketing campaign, make sure you understand all the pros and cons and have a robust plan in place. With proper planning you’ll increase your chances for social media success, broaden your practice’s horizons and be ready to tackle and unfortunate eventualities.

To understand more about social media marketing and to work out what would be appropriate for your practice feel free to get in contact with us at Base Creative: Online Marketing and Web Design Specialists.

Written by :

Edward Marno : Base Creative : www.basecreative.eu : edward.marno@basecreative.eu

Boring Periodontal Disease

Is Periodontal Disease Really Boring?
How can the whole dental team get involved in the care of a Periodontal Patient?

Written by Dr Dhru Shah and the team at www.dentinaltubules.com

“The presence of plaque bacteria and the development of a mature bacterial community will lead to development of periodontal disease in a susceptible host” – this statement can sound long and boring, especially when viewed academically. But if it is considered more practically, then all it says is that plaque can cause periodontal disease.
So in this brief article we will discuss , the risk factors of perio disease briefly and what role every member of the dental team has in involving them-selves in the care of a periodontal patient.
So let’s look at this with a few simple questions:

1: Does plaque always cause periodontal disease ?

No not always. It is the identified cause but there is periodontal disease that develops in patients who have the best plaque control in the world But plaque is the cause in most cases
2: What other risk factors have been identified ?

Smoking Systemic disease such as diabetes Genetics maybe
3: Do systemic factors have a role to play?

Smoking does have a role poorly controlled diabetes will have more severe periodontal disease and also respond poorly to treatment There is an association with cardiovascular disease, but cause and effect has not been quantified.
4: What is the role of each member of the dental team in managing a periodontal patient?
Dentist
 Monitor/screen patients for the presence of periodontal diseases including the use of relevant radiographs to make a diagnosis and institute a treatment plan with defined therapeutic goals.
 Refer patients who require specialist care (see link for referral guidelines http://www.bsperio.org.uk/members/referral.htm )
 Initiate smoking cessation advice and also referral to specialist cessation if patient wishes.

 Assess and manage any medical factors as appropriate.
Dental Hygienist
 Focus on patient’s oral hygiene and plaque control and provide instructions on how to optimise plaque control.
 Initiate supragingival scaling and full mouth debridement as prescribed by the dentist.
 Plaque scores at every visit to provide a quantitative method and targets for the patient.
 Continue with smoking cessation advice.
Dental Nurse
 Dental Surgery Assistants can play a very active role in ensuring patient’s oral hygiene is kept to the optimal. They have options of providing oral hygiene demo, discussing with the patient and reviewing oral hygiene at regular visits.
 Dental Nurses can now be trained on oral hygiene courses and diplomas which would free up the Dentist’s and Hygienist’s time to focus on the treatment and cessation aspects.
 Calming and relaxing patients during the surgery time.
A good oral hygiene programme that can be initiated is outlined in this link http://www.dentinaltubules.com/node/78
Dental Receptionist
 Getting to know patients and ensure that they have the right appointments at the right times is important. A smooth running practice calms anxious patients.
 Talking to the patients in the waiting room and helping them remain calm and relaxed before their appointment.
 Sometimes , patients feel more relaxed talking to the reception staff and may reveal information and facts that may be useful to the dentist.

So there you have it, the dental team can make a real team effort in the care of periodontal patient. 

Recruiting the Perfect Team Member

Recruiting in any capacity is a timely process and potential employers can spend a huge amount of time and resources on trying to find that ‘perfect’ person.  Interestingly enough there are statistics out there  that state that 80% of candidates hired, are taken on board for their skills, yet 80% of those taken on are then fired for their personality.

For any employers looking to hire, I would recommend that you always look at a candidates personality, commitment and drive before you look at anything else. These are things that are inherent in us, yet skills and training can be taught and grown at any stage.  This is also true for the Dental Industry. To be able to work as a Dentist, Nurse or Hygienist we need to learn, to develop our knowledge and take exams. To an extent we are already vetted as to whether we can succeed in our chosen profession. This in mind, we need to look more deeply at a person.

I used to work for another recruitment company where we would sit down with each and every candidate and go through their history, it is fascinating what you can learn about someone and how good they would be in your institution.  If someone has overcome adversity and difficulty in their life, they should not be chastised for this, the likely hood is they are more willing to work hard and get back on their feet and prove themselves. See what you can learn about someone before you hire them purely on skills, you will be amazed at what you can take away from this, and how this initial rapport can lead to a much more successful and comfortable business relationship. You can then look at skills and growing them and adapting them to what it is that you may require from an employee.

 Alexandra Kremer – Dental Angels

Hello world!

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!