You need to plan your search for employment. There are a number of things you need to be aware of before your search begins. You need to assess your skills, research what types of organisations you’d like to work for, be prepared to create  your own job if need be, and be aware of your worth in the market place. Preparation is the key to success!

Quite often your application with be culled at this time. If you’re competing with several other candidates, you want to make sure you have a resume that is clear, concise, visually stimulating and easy to read.

There are several things you should and shouldn’t do while being interviewed. If you’ve been granted an interview, you only have a short time to sell yourself to your prospective employer. Read our top ten do’s and don’ts to ensure you give yourself the best chance possible during your interview!

When talking through career history, it is important to talk about the following points:

Assuming that your resume has been written well, you prepared for your interview and performed well during your interviews, you may find yourself in a position to negotiate salary details with a prospective employer. There are several things to keep in mind when negotiating a salary.

Do not leave the interview until you know what happens next and when it is likely to happen. Not only does this show you are interested and but also confident and motivated.

If you get the impression that the interview is not going very well and you are either not interested in the role or you feel the interview has discounted you, don’t let your discouragement or disinterest show.

Lastly, and most importantly, call your Consultant immediately after the interview to explain how the interview went.

Even if you don’t get the position, treat the interview as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself the following questions:

Applying for Work

When it comes to job hunting, it is critically important that you have identified your skills and can clearly and persuasively articulate these skills to prospective employers. Surprisingly, large numbers of candidates do not have a clear understanding of what they have to offer and are sabotaging their job-hunting efforts as a result.

A ‘self-assessment’ is an important preparatory step for any job seeker. It is a process of actively reflecting on yourself and your experiences to identify core skills, goals, knowledge, attributes and motivations. It is a healthy and worthwhile activity that will greatly improve your prospects of getting a job (more importantly, the right one) and making sound career decisions. Even if you already have a good idea of your skills, it is worth taking the time to do a focused self-assessment. The benefits of such an exercise include:

• Drawing your attention to previously unrecognised skills
• Improving your job applications and interview performance
• Increasing your confidence and self awareness

The evidence

Telling a potential employer you have skill ‘X’ is not enough. Remember that you have to back up your claims by giving evidence to demonstrate your skills. This evidence can be in the form of concrete examples of achievements or experiences. Part of your self-assessment should involve collecting this ‘material evidence’ which supports your claims.

Keep it up

Self-assessment is not a one-off exercise: You should undertake it regularly, as your skills and experiences will grow and evolve as you do. The process can serve as a great reminder of where you’ve come from and how much you can learn through experience.

How to self-assess

Break your life into its various components, such as work, secondary school study, university study, and personal life.

Look at each area and consider what it involves, taking note of significant experiences. Aspects to consider include: responsibility, time management, communication skills and team work. Consider the capacities utilised or developed in the different areas.

Think about how these experiences and capacities could be applied to the industry and positions you are interested in. It is important not to discredit relevant skills due to modesty or uncertainty.

Write down each skill you can identify, and alongside it note how the skill is transferable to a workplace. Become familiar with this list so that you are well versed in the applicability of your skills when applying for jobs and attending job interviews.

Remember...

Self-assessment can be a difficult process, so don’t be surprised if you find it unsettling. It can feel confronting and daunting, especially if it highlights skills you are yet to acquire. Remember that a self-assessment is all about empowering you and is for your benefit.

What type of organisation would you like to work in?

Organisations come in all shapes and sizes, have difference cultures, and specialise in different parts of the dental and medical fields. If you’re more suited to large organisations like hospitals, learning institutions or health funds, don’t waste your time focusing on a small business. If you prefer a particular specialty, circulate your resume to these types of practices. If you can show you can produce results and contribute to their business, employers may design a position for you.

Know your worth in the marketplace

You don’t want to under or over value your worth. There are several ways that you an research salary. Start by looking at other job ads, speaking to industry bodies, Recruitment Consultant’s and colleagues. There may be other factors which influence your pay such as locations, the size of the practice, what the practice charges, and if you’re a clinician, how many patients you see per day, and the resources you use.

Resume Preparation

Your resume is the most important document you can use to sell yourself. It is a marketing tool that defines who you are and why an employer cannot move forward without you. It is a screening device for employers and recruitment consultants and the quality of your document will determine whether you are screened in or out. It is the difference between being invited to interview and receiving the dreaded rejection letter.

Your resume is your most valuable career management document. It demands valuable time spent preparing and updating regularly. Resumes should be written concisely, presented clearly and sell your skills and abilities while confidently stating what you can bring to an organisation. Always remember resumes are a Work-In -Progress (WIP) and require updating on a regular basis. Formats can vary and the information changes as your career develops. From the employer's perspective, it needs to clearly and concisely show why they should hire you.

Be unique...

Every single resume is unique to the person writing it in terms of the content and layout, and ideally, every single resume you send should also be unique to each application you make. You should try to tailor your resume to the position that you are applying for by including the relevant skills and experience you have that are required for the desired role.

Be honest...

Never lie on your resume. If the lie works, and you are successful in gaining an interview, your lie is sure to be discovered during the selection process. You should never include anything in your resume that you cannot justify or comfortably explain.

Presentation, presentation, presentation

Although it is obviously the content of your resume that will eventually gain you an interview, you should also take extreme care as to the presentation. You want it to be easy for the reader to follow and understand. The initial impact and visual appearance of your resume can make a big difference in how much time the reader will give to your resume.

Try to keep it clear and concise

Avoid squeezing too much information onto one page. If your resume contains great information, but appears crowded and difficult to follow, the reader may just dismiss it without giving it the attention you deserve

Use a clear and reader friendly font such as Arial or Calibri.

Ensure stated dates are correct and be sure to include month and year of employment!

Use indentations and bullet points to format your resume.

Don’t make it too short, or too long. The length of your resume will depend very much on the years of experience you have had. A one-page resume would only suffice for a junior position; on the other hand, an eight-page resume could be viewed as "waffle". Don’t "pad" out your resume with nothing of substance, but be sure to include all relevant details.

Always include your achievements in previous positions. A potential employee wants to know the difference you would make to their organisation.

Check for spelling and grammatical errors. Don’t just rely on Spell Check. It is a good idea to have someone else cast an eye over your resume to check for errors. Errors in a resume show a lack of attention to detail, which will often count against your application.

If emailing your resume, you should ensure that it is saved in a common format, such as Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat.

Content

The content of your resume is ultimately what will gain you an interview, as it explains your skills and experience. The content of your resume is extremely important and will differ for everyone. As a general guide we recommend you include the following:

Front Page:
• Your name and contact details
• Objective
• Education, training and qualifications
• Computer / technology skills
• Language skills if appropriate to the role applied for

Following pages:
• Separate each job clearly and include the following:
• Employer
• Position Title
• Dates of employment, including the months
• Responsibilities
• Achievements
• Reasons for leaving

Submitting your Resume Online

Most applications happen online these days. Sometimes a covering email can be better than a covering letter. Stating your objective and contact details gives the reader the opportunity to see this information without opening any attachments.  

Interviews Do's and Don'ts

There are several things you should and shouldn’t do while being interviewed. If you’ve been granted an interview, you only have a short time to sell yourself to your prospective employer. Read our top ten do’s and don’ts to ensure you give yourself the best chance possible during your interview!

Interview Do’s and Don’ts Do’s:

Do’s:

• Be early for the interview- if you’re going to be late, call and let   them know. They may take this as a sign that your time   management is poor, or you have a habit of running late for work
• Practice makes perfect- Interviews can be highly stressful   situation to be in. Research the company, be prepared and think   about how you will respond to important questions. When   answering a question, you need to communicate yourself in a clear   and concise manner.
• Be positive- employers are looking at you wondering what value   you can add to their business. Sounding uncertain or negative can   be off putting.
• Be self assured- know your worth and be confident about your   contribution to the business
• Have all original documents with you- have original or certified   documents with you. Fraudulent information is submitted on   resume more often than you think!
• Prepare for key questions- sometimes interview questions can   appear ambiguous or broad. The interviewer will be looking for key   phrases in your response. Have your answers prepared before you   attend the interview.
• Give one to two minute responses- don’t waffle! Keep the relevant   points and time your responses.
• Be courteous to everyone you meet. If you are rude to fellow   workers this will get back to the interviewer- it’s not uncommon for   the receptionist to engage you in conversation. Quite often in small   business, it comes down to personal connection when making a   hiring decision. You don’t want your prospective employer hearing   from other staff members that you were rude or dismissive to other   staff members.
• Keep eye contact- don’t look at the floor or ceiling when answering   your questions. Be direct and engage your interviewer
• Sell your skills- know what you can bring to the practice or   organisation. You may have transferable skills from another role or   industry that apply to the position you’re applying for.  

Don’ts:

• Arrive unprepared- make sure you have an up to date and accurate   resume, your certificates, diploma or degree, and have prepared for   the interview. Failure to research the company may result in an   inability to answer or ask intelligent questions
• Wear the wrong clothes- wear professional attire. You have one   opportunity to make an impression. Don’t blow it!
• Talk too much- keep conversation to relevant topics and do not   disclose any personal information not relevant to the position. You   have no idea what the interviewer’s background is, or what they’re   looking for in a candidate.
• Have mobile phone on- Turn off your phone! If you do accidentally   leave your phone on do not answer it if it rings, regardless of how   relaxed the think the interviewer is. Once it has stopped ringing turn   off or onto silent.
• Smoke before the interview- some practices or organisations may   have a no smoking policy. You may fail before evening opening your   mouth.
• Chew gum- this can be seen as a sign of disrespect. Put gum in   the bin before entering the building.
• Over-emphasis on money – interested only in remuneration- while   remuneration is important, it may not always come up at the first   interview. You need to focus on your contribution to the business,   not what they can do for you.
• Lack of career planning – no purpose or goals or foresight- you   need to have some idea of where your career is headed. By giving   answers like ‘I don’t really know what I want to do’ may be   construed  as you are just passing the time while something better   comes along.
• Lack of interest and enthusiasm – passive and indifferent- if you   don’t really want the job, or are sick of doing what you’re doing, it will   show at the interview. If you’re not really interested, you shouldn’t be   there in the first place.
• Avoid overuse of words like; like, and, an this, you know, umm-
• Negative comments about previous employers- it’s never a good   idea to make negative comments about previous employers. During   your career, more likely than not, you will work somewhere that for   whatever reason, just doesn’t work out. Be professional at all times.   If you have had a bad experience, prepare for the question.  

Interview Questions

When talking through your career history, it is important to talk about the following points:

• Outline of each company you have worked for
• Outline of each role you have had
• Skills/ Software packages used
• Outline of team: the level, the personalities, the difficulties, the size
• Reasons for leaving
• Likes / dislikes of each role and organisation, but be careful not to   be personal as this is perceived as unprofessional
• Any other interests relevant to the role in question, e.g., languages /   personal background / interest

Questions relevant to the position you are interviewing for:

• Why do you want to work here?
• How do you feel you can help or add value to our   practice/organisation?
• What do you expect in this position that you were not getting in your   past positions? • Are there any questions you would like to ask   about the practice/organisation?
• Are you considering any other positions?
• How do you think you would fit in with our practice? Why?
• What do you know about our practice?

Questions about your current or previous position:

• How did / do you like working at … (last practice)? Why?
• In your last position, how much of the work did you do on your own,   and how much as part of a team? Which did you enjoy more?
• In your last / current position what has been your level of autonomy   in decision making
• Why do you want to leave your present practice?
• Does your present employer know you are planning to leave?
• What did you like best about your last / present position?

Questions about yourself:

• Are you considering other positions at this time? How does this one   compare with them?
• What do you feel is your greatest strength?
• What are some of your weaknesses / areas for development?
• What else do you think I should know about you?
• What are your financial needs? What is the minimum salary you   would accept? What salary do you feel you are worth? What is your   salary history?
• What are you looking for in a position?
• Do you enjoy working independently or as a member of a team?
• How would you describe your personality? • How would you   describe your ideal manager?

Questions about your past:

• What have you done to improve yourself during the last year?
• Tell me about your greatest achievement / disappointment in life
• What are some of the more difficult problems you have encountered   in your past positions? How did you solve them?

Questions about your future:

• What are your short / long range goals?
• How long would you expect to stay with us?

Tip: when asked the question ‘tell me about yourself’, try to answer this from a professional aspect. Talk about your career, professional goals, things you have studied, or would like to learn more about.

Tip: the question about discussing weaknesses can be difficult to answer. You don’t want to highlight your weak points but you also need to know what they are, know your limitations or where further training may be required for the role. One strategy is to discuss in the third person e.g. my previous employer may have said that I ‘xyz’. Then go on to discuss how you overcame that weakness, or are taking steps to overcome the weakness. No one is perfect!

Salary Negotiation

Before you start talking pay (and salary negotiations) with a prospective employer, you need to find out how much the job (and you) are worth. You will need to take the time to research salaries so you are prepared to get what you're worth and a job offer that's realistic and reasonable.

Once you know what you should be earning, how do you go about getting it? Start by being very patient. When interviewing for a new position, do your best not to bring up salary until the employer makes you an offer. If you're asked what your salary requirements are, say that they are open based upon the position and the overall compensation package. Or tell the employer you'd like to know more about the responsibilities and the challenges of the job prior to discussing salary. Another option is to give the employer a salary range based upon the salary research you've done up front. Once you've received the offer you don't need to accept (or reject) it right away. A simple "I need to think it over" can get you an increase in the original offer.

If you feel they are paying under market rate, a "no" can bring you a better offer too. Be careful though, if you do definitely need that new job there's a risk that the employer may accept your declining the position and move on to the next candidate. You also need to keep in mind the salary is a competitive tool. If they have more than candidate they like, it may influence decision making process.

Casual vs Permanent

When negotiating a salary, you need to aware of exactly what’s on offer. With some types of positions, it can be common place to work in more than one practice. You need to be sure of your employee status. Are you casual or permanent? There should be a 20% increase in your hourly rate if you are casual. This is to compensate you sick leave and annual leave. You need to make sure you are remunerated correctly and receive all the benefits you are owed.

Working on Commission

If you using an ABN or ACN, there are a number of issues you need to be aware of. Firstly, there is no point in a high commission rate, if you’re earning 50% of nothing. Have a daily rate in mind so if they ask what commission you would like, quote the rate but also what expect to earn in a dollar value. You will also need to be privy to what they charge, view the appointment book for the previous 3 months, and find out how they are marketing their business.

Depending on how they invoice their patients, you may have to charge the principle GST. Health care professionals are GST exempt, provided the invoice the patient direct. If you are invoicing the principle, you will need to charge GST once you earn over $75K.  

What Happens Next

Do not leave the interview until you know what happens next and when it is likely to happen. Not only does this show you are interested and motivated, it may also enable you to get that essential information for the next stage. Who will you be seeing, what is their name and position title, how do they fit into the selection process.

Interview Closure

If you get the impression that the interview is not going very well and you have already been discounted, don’t let your discouragement show. Once in a while an interviewer who is genuinely interested in your possibilities may intend to discourage you in order to test your reaction.

If you are interested in the position, make sure you tell this to the interviewer.

Most importantly thank the interviewer for the time spent with you.

After the Interview

Lastly, and most importantly, call your Consultant immediately after the interview to explain what happened. The Consultant will want to speak with you before the interviewer calls.

Relax – the interview is over and you have done your best!

Learning from the Interview

Even if you don’t get the position you can treat the interview as a learning opportunity. Ask yourself the following questions:

• How did it go? • What went well?
• How does the role /company fit with your interests and career   aspirations • What did not go well?
• What was difficult?
• What did I learn?
• What will I do differently next time?
• How can I follow up?