Right now, students are contemplating what career path they should embark upon. At the same time, there are many older adults who are considering changing their current careers. It is never an easy thing to do, either finding a job that suits you or changing a long career. The ultimate objective for anybody is finding a position that is in demand and pays well.
In today’s ultra competitive, globalized economy, one of the most in-demand, high-paid jobs is in dental hygiene. That’s right. You could earn an approximate $25 hourly wage cleaning people’s teeth. Whether you’re right out of high school or you’ve been stuck in the same job for 15 years, all you have to do is enroll in a dental hygiene continuing education program. By doing this, you will learn the basics of dental hygiene, earn a certificate and work your way to a new career.
Here are five ways to get the most out of a dental hygiene continuing education program:
#1: Join Various Dental Groups in Your Area
When you’re just starting out in getting a dental education, it is always better to have support by surrounding yourself with individuals in the same position as you are. Once you enroll in a dental hygiene continuing education course, you should also check out a wide array of student and professional organizations as well as joining social media groups.
#2: Take Advantage of Staff & Materials
For the next 18 months, you’ll be spending a large chunk of change on tuition.
Since you are doling out thousands of dollars, you must take advantage of every tidbit available to you. Everything from picking the brain of staff to utilizing all of the materials in laboratories, you want to maximize your studies and gain an advantage over your industry peers.
#3: Focus on Specific Aspects of Dental Hygiene
One way to stand out from the influx of new graduates is to hone in on specific aspects of dental hygiene. Depending on what you want to do with your dental hygiene certification, you could broaden your horizons by focusing on new technologies, new treatments and new methods of oral care.
This is always a great way to be different from your fellow professionals.
#4: Maximize Your Internship
During your continuing education program, you will be required to take on an internship. In other words, you’ll be working with a professional dental practice for as long as a month without pay.
This provides you with a great opportunity: you gain experience, you learn the tricks of the trade and you perhaps can garner an employment position with the office. Whatever the case, you should always maximize your internship in any way you can.
#5: Always Pay Attention to Industry Updates
Like any other career, you will always have to keep yourself up-to-date on any changes within the industry. This could range from new government regulations to the latest technological innovations that can complement your skillset.
Signing up for magazine subscriptions, reading industry blogs, joining professional associations and attending dental conferences are just some of the ways of paying attention to new changes.
You have likely seen several new dental offices pop up in your area. Or, you may have noticed older dentists retiring and selling their practices to the new generation of dental professionals – a changing of the guard, if you will.
No matter what happens in the economy, there is generally a strong demand among consumers for dental hygiene and oral care. This is a safe, secure and strong job to have. You could only be 18 or you could be 35. It doesn’t matter. Dental hygiene offers a wealth of opportunities. Are you going to take it? You should fight like tooth and nail to get it.
