Job hunting

 So I've been quite preoccupied lately with job hunting. My public dental contract is ending soon and I am not looking to renew it. The upside of a public job is that the hours are fixed, work ends when the shift ends and the pay is acceptable but stable. However, with this kind of job comes a lot of red tape, to some extend, lack of clinical freedom. Because you work in a big organisation, you have to abide by the rules set from higher up. In the past, this job has been very kind to me, I was able to do what I wanted clinically within the scope of practice that was available. Now, understandably due to blown out waiting lists from COVID shutdowns, they are getting very restrictive about what kinds of procedures we can perform and the dentistry is being much more tightly controlled. I absolutely see the reason for this from a managerial and organisational perspective but I am feeling pressured to perform the kind of dentistry that I feel is not in the best interest of my patients. Therefore I am looking for an alternative. I will feel bad leaving at a time when things are chaotic and help is needed but I also do need to work within my own moral and ethical bounds. Plus, I'm probably more of a hinderance than a help to shortening waiting lists for more reasons that one.

I wanted to reflect on a few points that I've noted in the short period I've been job hunting. It may help some younger dentists who are on the search and it may also help me in the future if I am looking for another job down the line:

-Be picky: A job is hopefully a long term commitment and you need to be happy that the choice you have made is the right one. If you settle for working in a place that doesn't fulfill your requirements, every day may be a struggle. Really, the market should decide which jobs are good or not. People won't leave good jobs often, so you may find a bulk of the jobs available at any one time may be bad places to work. On the other hand, good places to work will be busy and may be looking to expand so they will advertise from time to time. This point is absolutely crucial for a new graduate dentist. Your first job is the most influential thing in deciding the trajectory of your career. A supportive, full scope practice can springboard you towards greatness whereas a demanding, moneymaking practice can earn you money but may hinder your professional development. For me, I need to know that a practice is run ethically, for the interest of their patient's health, gives clinical freedom, provides feedback on where you can improve, and has a clinical lead that can mentor you through new procedures and techniques that will make your life easier.

-Find out what the practice does and if they can support you in the kind of work you want to do: If you want to learn something e.g implants, ortho, endo, surgery. Make sure that there is someone in the practice that is willing to sit with you, plan cases and hold your hand throughout your first few procedures. This is very rare but if you want to expand your scope, this is the best way to do it.

-Don't be afraid to contact them and check the place out: Some of the ads are quite ambiguous, some have no location, some won't give much information about the scope of the practice or the remuneration. You can get some further information from the practice website but these are often not updated and similarly vague. Remember the website is designed to attract patients not dentists. If in doubt, and the ad was piqued your interest, call or email the practice for some more information. You have nothing to lose but your time.

-Word of mouth is powerful. You will meet other dentists at courses or through colleagues, don't be afraid to put your name forward and say you're looking for a job if you find someone you think aligns with you. Some practice owners will be on the lookout for a new associate but some won't say anything unless asked. If they say they aren't looking for a dentist at the moment, you may also be at the back of their mind when they are looking in the future.

-Make sure they are aligned with your philosophy: Just because they offer a procedure, doesn't mean that they will do things the way that you will. e.g a practice that offers orthodontic treatment may only offer aligners and you may want to learn fixed ortho or you may want to learn orthopedics and early intervention orthodontics and they may only offer traditional orthodontics. A practice that claims to be cosmetically based may pump out crowns and veneers but may not be attracting the kind of patient that you like to see. A practice that places implants may not have a mentor that is well versed in soft and hard tissue augmentation which is essential for more difficult cases.

-Check the commute and parking: A simple point but important. If you're going to be working there, make sure the travel won't drive you crazy and take large chunks out of your day. Travelling for a great job is fine, but make sure the commute fits within your life schedule.

-Be honest: This is optional for some people. For me, I need the practice to understand what I'm like a practitioner, what I'm good at and what I'm not. They will appreciate the honesty and hopefully will reflect it in kind. It is an absolute waste of time to pretend to be something you're not and if they're actually looking for the dentist you're trying to appear as, you may both be bitterly disappointed in a few months time.

-Don't be afraid to turn an offer down if it's not right: If the place isn't right for you, it isn't right. Don't be afraid to look for the right place. It IS a big decision. On the flipside, if you end up working at a practice that isn't right for you, don't be afraid to move on. It will do more harm than good.

-Don't try the shotgun approach: When I was graduating from dental school, I sent out a crappy, generic cover letter and and CV to hundreds of practices, essentially every one that was advertising over a few month period. I only had one or two responses from corporates that didn't really go anywhere. The temptation as a new graduate is to accept any old job that comes along but really, a better approach is to carefully consider every ad, see if it is right for you and contact them with a well thought out CV and personalised cover letter or better yet give them a call or walk into the building and say hi. A picture paints a thousand words so a phone call or an in person meeting will paint many thousands more.

-Write down questions to ask prior to meeting them: I am always horribly underprepared for every interview I sit down in. There always comes a point where they ask me if I have any questions and it is always a no. If there is anything you are curious about, any gaps in your mental picture of the place, ask it. Ask what their scope of dentistry is, ask about their equipment, ask about their support staff training etc. You are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. If you truly believe you are a good clinician and a valuable resource, you need to ask all the questions to make sure this place is the right one for you.