5 Tricky Questions You May Hear During a Dental Hygienist Job Interview
Congratulations for getting to the next level of the hiring process. Having a nicely presented resume that can grab the attention of your potential employer is not enough to make it through the finish line. You still need to show yourself up confidently for the initial interview.
Dental hygiene job interview can be the most stressful and nerve-wracking part of the hiring process. Some applicants can even go blocked out when facing tough questions. While feeling nervous is just normal especially for first-timer, it helps a lot if you have already prepared answers to some possible questions in advance.
Below are some common yet very tricky questions that you may encounter during your job interview.
1. What are your strengths?
This is the best time for you to brag about your strengths. But be careful not to overdo it and make yourself sound very boastful. Focus more on the strengths and qualities that can help you become a better dental hygienist.
2. What are your weaknesses?
Don't feel embarrassed about mentioning your weaknesses. When citing some of your weaknesses, make sure to follow them up with an explanation on how you can overcome them and turn them into strengths instead. And remember not to mention any weakness that can affect your job as a dental hygienist.
3. How do you know that you are under stress and how do you handle it?
To check your self-awareness, the interviewer may ask you questions similar to this. The most effective way to answer this question is to cite some instances or things that trigger stress or make you feel too stressed, what signs that occur that can help you know when you are getting stress and when you need to step back, what do you do to alleviate it, and how it can affect your performance at work and in your life in general.
4. What part of being a dental hygienist that interests you most?
When giving an answer to this question, focus more on the most essential part of the job of a typical dental hygienist.
Being a dental hygienist puts you in a great position where you can teach people especially children about the importance of oral health and gives you more opportunity to help them know and understand the most effective oral hygiene strategies. And then mention some things that you have done in the past that are related to being a hygienist.
5. Why should I hire you?
This is perhaps the most common and traditional interview question you may ever hear from an interviewer. Though this seems like a very simple and nonsense question, your answer to this can either break or make your entire application.
Before going to an interview, make sure to research the company first. You can check their website, social media pages, online reviews, or perhaps ask around for some helpful info. Check what their needs may be and what they usually require from their employees. In this way, you can be able to give a truthful and upbeat answer.
The best way to answer this question is to cite some needs of the dental office and then mention at least two strengths you have that can help them meet such needs. Letting them know how you can help them solve their problem is more interesting and effective than just talking about your strengths. Also, mention some unique qualities of the dental practice that make you interested in joining their team.
Need to prepare for your working interview? If so, get ready with your dental tools like your dental loupes and headlight. With the help of precision instruments such as the Schultz Optical loupes, you can be able to show your potential employer that you can be one of the best and most reliable dental hygienists in town.