Dental Nurse Interview

The thought of a job interview can be unnerving and stressful. You might be worried about rejection or stumbling over the right words to say; however, you can take the pressure off yourself by viewing it as an opportunity to show your potential employer what you can offer their dental practice instead. The key factor is good preparation.

With this in mind, let’s take a look at a few tips to help you feel confident and ready to stand out from the crowd at your next interview.

First impressions

As with any job interview, first impressions are crucial. In fact, research shows that many employers have made their minds up within the first 7 minutes of meeting a candidate. So make a great first impression by dressing smart, arriving early, showing enthusiasm, being polite, and making good eye contact throughout your interview.

Highlight your personal strengths 

No doubt you’ll have many questions about what the dental practice has to offer you, such as the rate of pay or amount of holidays allowed, but try and focus more on what you have to offer them instead. Take the time to prove to your interviewer why you are the best candidate for the job. Demonstrate what skills, knowledge, and experience you’ll bring to the role.

Behavioural questions

Although very rewarding, dental nursing can at times be stressful and fast paced. This being the case, your employer will want to know how you handle pressure. To find out how you’d react in these circumstances, they’ll use behavioural questions. It helps to be prepared for this beforehand by writing down examples of times in the past that you’ve kept a level head and performed remarkably well despite being in a stressful situation.

Demonstrate people skills

Remember, a large part of dental nursing is having a good chair-side manner. Dental practices are known to cause anxiety to many people, so it’s important you can put patients at ease throughout their treatment. Show your interviewer you have good people skills by communicating well and being friendly, and don’t forget to highlight that aspect of your personality in your answers.

Know why you want the job

A common question asked in an interview is “Why do you want to work with us?” Employers want to know that you’re interested in the job they’re offering. So think ahead and make sure you’ve got a better answer than “the pay is good” or “it’s close to home.” It’s helpful to do your research on the practice online, pick out a few points that impressed you about their values, and highlight those.

Questions to ask

Often the interviewer will ask if you have any questions for them. Being prepared for this is important and will set you apart from other candidates because it shows that you’re actively thinking about the role and are serious about the position. Also, asking questions demonstrates enthusiasm and commitment. Good examples of questions to ask include:

•  What opportunities for career development and further qualifications will be provided?
•  What training and support will be given to you in this role?

We know that competition for dental nursing roles can be strong, but here at the Dental Nursing Academy, in addition to providing practical and theory based skills, we’ll also help you prepare for your next interview, using many of the tips listed above. So if you’re ready to stand out from the crowd and land your dream dental nursing job, contact us on 020 3875 0569 today for more information.

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