In today’s dental world, finding the right work-home is crucial to your professional growth and your job satisfaction. Many dental professionals have started taking on temporary positions in various offices, allowing them to determine what they want and don’t want in a work environment. Professionals who work in various dental offices are provided the opportunity to explore practice styles, cultures, and specialties, allowing them to not only gain experience but to decide what is the best fit for them long-term. Here are some ways that temporary positions can serve as a pathway to finding your ideal dental work-home and lasting career gains.
Different Practice Types
In today’s dental world, there are private practices, corporate practices, specialty practices and multi-specialty practices. Taking temporary positions in these various types of practices allows you to explore and experience the many paths your dental career could take. Depending on the type of practice you are working in, the patient demographic will be varied, the style of operation will vary and team dynamics will vary. Being afforded the opportunity to experience these different settings helps determine which environment best aligns with your personality, values and principles, as well as your personal and professional goals.
Developing Skills and Career Growth
Working in temporary roles in various environments allows you the opportunity to add skills to your resume. The broader your skillset, the greater asset you are to a practice. Temping in different practices you will see and use different practice management software systems, use different technology, learn new procedures using new materials and new equipment. Learning how to flow with the changes in different offices allows you to think on your feet and adapt to situations much more easily. It makes you proficient in many different ways and increases your value to a potential long-term hire opportunity.
Working with different teams will help build interpersonal skills as well. Every team has its own dynamic and style, and learning how to interact with team members in different environments fosters adaptability and builds communication skills. This is invaluable, as it makes you an asset in any office you eventually choose to settle in.
Professional Networking
Connecting with dental professionals in various offices creates a network that can open opportunities in the future. You will meet dentists, hygienists, dental assistants and administrative staff in every practice you temp in. Creating lasting relationships with these professionals can provide future career opportunities, provide a network you can go to for advice, and, at the very least, provide you with valuable references.
Office Culture-Finding the Right Fit
Feeling supported and comfortable is a crucial aspect of long-term job satisfaction. Temporary positions allow you to experience different types of office culture and how they nurture the growth of the team. This is such an advantage of working in a temporary role because it allows you to know if the culture is the right fit for you prior to taking a long-term position. You can assess how well team members communicate, how supportive the environment is, and the office’s approach to patient care.
Working in various temporary roles you will see that all teams have a unique culture. Some teams are highly collaborative, and some teams work very independently. Highly collaborative teams have morning huddles and lots of team meetings to communicate and make decisions together. Seeing how collaborative teams work and how independent teams work allows you to see which feels more comfortable to you and which aligns most with your style and values. Understanding what makes a good cultural fit for you is invaluable when searching for a permanent position.
Defining Career Goals
Temporary roles give you the flexibility to explore and experiment with your career path without the pressure of long-term commitment. Perhaps you’ve considered specializing or working in a different role within the dental field, such as moving from assisting to hygiene or from general dentistry to a specialty.
By working temporarily in various roles, you can try out these different paths and see how they feel in practice. You might find that you’re more interested in patient interaction and want to pursue hygiene, or you might discover that you enjoy the administrative side and wish to move into management. Temporary positions give you the freedom to test these roles, helping you decide on a long-term direction for your career.
Potential for Permanent Hire
In today’s dental world full of turnover, many dental offices use temporary roles to determine if someone is a good fit for the practice and team culture prior to permanently hiring. If you and the practice feel like it is the right fit, it could lead to a permanent position. Having the opportunity to experience the team culture, show your skillset and know the expectations of the role helps you know if it is the right position for you, and you will have a realistic understanding of what the job entails. The employer also can observe the same things of you and determine if you are a fit for a permanent role as well.
Conclusion
Working in temporary positions within the dental field can offer you the experience, skills, and clarity needed to find the best office to thrive in. The flexibility of temporary work provides the chance to explore different office types, build a broad skill set, and find the right team culture, making it an invaluable step for anyone in the dental industry looking for a fulfilling career. So, whether you’re just starting out or considering a change, taking on a temporary role may be the perfect way to find your ideal dental office.
Sherri Merritt
Dental Consultant & Trainer
