Excerpted from an Access article by
Roberta G. Hoskins, RDH, BHSE

Part 4:
Resumes

The clinical dental hygienist should stick to the resume style most comfortable to him or her. In general, the simpler, the better. Your resume should contain:

Heading - Your heading should contain your name, full address, telephone number, and email address, if you have one.

Education - List your education, including school attended, city and state, and degree and date received in reverse chronological order; that is, the most recent first. It is not necessary to include high school, although it may be included if you need to “flesh out” your resume. You should list any other college degrees you have earned, even if they are not related to oral health care.

Professional Experience - List your previous employers, also in reverse chronological order, including addresses, phone numbers, and dates of employment. It is not necessary to include the exact duties of each position, nor should you include reasons for leaving employers. Once again, these issues are more appropriately discussed during a personal interview. You may or may not choose to include positions you have held outside the oral health care field. You should not, however, negate the value of unrelated work experience. Every job held tells something about your worth as an employee, including responsibility and interpersonal skills.

References - It is my opinion that it pays to have two references, including phone numbers, listed at the end of a resume. “References available upon request” goes without saying, and seems an uninspired way to end a positive resume documenting your exceptional skills. Choose references other than previous employers. Do not include family members or friends. A community leader, pastor, community service coordinator, or teacher would be a good choice. It is a courtesy to ask permission to use someone as a reference. You might also ask for a letter of reference, and hand-carry it to the intervie.

Your resume for a clinical dental hygiene position should be one page only. Newly licensed dental hygienists and those with little or no experience may feel they need additional information to make their resume complete. You can use categories such as “Licensure,” listing your state licenses; “Professional Associations,” or “Community Service.” Do not list hobbies, special interests, or personal information such as marital status or children. Any information of a personal nature is not appropriate, and may in fact work against you.
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Part 1 Preparing For the Search
Part 2 Where to Look
Part 3 Cover Letters
Part 4 Resumes
Part 5 Walking in the Door
Part 6 Finding a Good Fit
Part 7 Good Luck!


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