Are you a Dental Assistant or Hygienist that has a job right now but is thinking about making the switch to a new practice in the near future?
Or are you having success as a dental temp but a resolution for 2020 is to find a permanent position?
This is great! But may we make a suggestion? Start your job search now!
In this post we will address, why looking for a new job in the last two months of the year can:
- Increase your odds of getting hired.
- Allow for you to ask for higher pay.
- Give you more room for negotiating benefits.
So if you were considering waiting till the new year to start looking for a new job, I suggest you read on and see why you should be looking NOW!
Increase your odds of getting hired.
Let’s chat about how applying and interviewing for jobs in November and December can increase your odds of getting hired.
You may have the ability to decide when you want to look for work, however dental practices don’t have that luxury. When they need to hire they need to hire.
They cannot control when an assistant put in their notice, or their dental hygienist moves away. They just know that when a position opens up they need to fill it and fill it fast.
Unfortunately for dental practices, the last 2 months of the year are incredibly challenging to find qualified professionals because EVERYONE IS WAITING TILL AFTER THE NEW YEAR to start applying for jobs!
Meaning, when you submit your resume to a job in November and December, you are maybe 1 in 5 resumes that they receive. When you submit your resume to a job in January, you are probably 1 in 20+.
See how that works? The lower the number of applicants, the better your chances of getting the job.
Who doesn’t like those odds?
Ask for higher pay.
But how does that allow me to ask for higher pay?
Glad you asked!
When the number of applicants is low but an office needs to hire, and you are their top candidate they might not have a 2nd place option AND they are probably so exhausted from looking that they just want to get someone great staffed.
So when they make an offer, negotiate. Odds are they are more likely to give you what you are asking for in November and December than any other time of the year.
If you need tips on how to negotiate pay, read this.
Still, not convinced enough to start looking for work now?
Let me guess… You have some Paid Time Off (PTO) saved up to use for the holidays.
Let’s talk about benefits.
Most dental practices that offer benefits like Paid Time Off, retirement, paid holidays, etc., usually have a probation period. And that probation period is usually 90 days.
Which January till September that is totally fine, but when that probation period means your Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year goes unpaid that hurts your pocketbook. Even if you don’t celebrate, your office still closes and you go unpaid for 5+ days if you haven’t passed the probation period to get paid holidays.
So I don’t blame you for waiting until after January 1st, so you could use your paid Holidays and PTO.
But… those doctors set those parameters.
Meaning… they can change them.
So… Apply for the job.
Do the interviews.
Get the job offer.
And if/when they present you with paid holidays after 90 days.
Say “I would love to accept! However, I will have to set my start date for January 6th, as I can’t afford the end of the year with all those holidays unpaid.”
My guess is they will ask you to start sooner and give you those paid holidays. Awesome!
Need help in understanding how benefits work and how they increase your hourly pay, read this.
I hope this post helps you understand why looking for and accepting a position at the end of the year gives you a better chance of getting an offer while increasing your pay and benefits.
There are offices that need to hire now, so make the most of it and set up your DirectDental profile and start the New Year will one resolution already crossed off the list.