Edited 2021

Did you know the average person who looks at your resume will only take six seconds to scan it? It's a dismally short amount of time to make a stunning first impression. So, before you submit your resume to DentalStaffing.org, here’s our ultimate checklist of the information most people hiring in Dentistry are really looking for.

1.  Design: Keep it Concise and Clear

Resume design is the biggest part of making a great first impression. In those six seconds, your Dental resume is communicating to your recruiter what kind of employee you will be. Are you efficient, well-organized, and tidy? Do you go above and beyond the average expectation? Or are you scraping by with the bare minimum?

Here are four data points most recruiters are instantly drawn to: 

• Your Name
• Professional Experience
• Accomplishments
• Education

Remember to use a legible font, and clean colors. Limit your paragraphs to 5-6 lines and bulleted lists to no more than five or six points. We know you want to tell your potential employers what a great person you are, but overly wordy resumes have been proven to be a hindrance. 

Make sure you're choosing your words carefully, and with your target audience in mind. Who do you want to work for? Write your resume just for them. Recruiters will be most interested in your two previous jobs and cramming lots of unimportant information into your dental resume will only lead to confusion and difficult readability. Details for positions held over 15 years ago aren't important.

Write your resume in the first person, but don't use filler words (the, an, a, etc.). The fewer unnecessary words and descriptors you have, the cleaner your Dentist resume will look.

2.  Title, Summary, & Skills: Be Specific

Every resume should have a brief summary at the top of the first page, including the title of the position you are best suited for, followed by your experience level, areas of expertise, and notable skills. Here's an example of a professional, direct Dentist resume summary:

Exceptionally skilled and personable Pediatric Dentist with 7+ years of experience providing top-quality care to over 3,000 clients, ages 1-18. Broad background with specific interest in preventative and esthetic dentistry. 

3.  Professional Experience: Highlight Your Relevant Skills

In this section of your Dental resume, you’ll want to outline your career history in reverse-chronological order. Under each job title and date range of employment, include a very brief paragraph or bulleted list of day-to-day duties and achievements, or major contributions. 

Use this section to highlight any unique experience within the field, as well as any soft skills or future goals you are interested in pursuing that may be useful in your next desired position. 

4.  Achievements: Don’t Be Shy

This is one of the most difficult parts of a Dental resume to piece together, but it is also one of the most crucial. Achievements are a way to set yourself apart from your competition. Listing your achievements (as well as the direct results) will be an important way to show a hiring manager why they should interview you and not the next applicant. List any major projects you took part in, and what measurable results came from those projects or achievements. 

Here's an example of a way to highlight an achievement:

Responsible for implementing a patient counseling program, which reduced the number of recurring issue visits by 35%

5.  Education & Training: Mention Honors

This is the most straightforward section of a Dentist resume. List your degrees and certifications and include your institute’s name and location. Be sure to mention honors, awards, scholarships, and scholastic achievements in this section. 

6.  Extras: Only If There’s Room

It's a good idea to keep your resume to one page, but if you have a place to put it, a Personal section is a great way for a potential employer to get to know who you are outside of Dentistry. In this section of your Dental resume, you can include some of your passions, volunteerism, community activities, proficiencies (in computers, design, etc.), special awards, or anything else that differentiates you from other applicants. 

Read the Article under Resources in the category: Hiring Blogs:

-What Should a Dental Professional Include on their Resume?

-Dental Staff Professionals: Why you should post your profile on Dental Staffing

-Dental Professionals: Your Resume Says a Lot About You

If you follow these simple tips, you will be well on your way to making a stunning first impression -- in six seconds or less! And don’t forget to develop your Profile and upload that Resume to ~ DentalStaffing.org.

~
“Always to be best, and
to be distinguished from the rest.”
- Homer