Dental Office Interview

Who:
The person I chose to interview was my mom. She is a medical secretary at a dental office. The profession I would like to get into is dental hygiene, so I thought since she is in the office everyday she would be a great interviewee.

Summary of my interview:
-The most important vocational skills-
"I deal with alot of people everyday. of every race, age and religion... everyone needs their teeth cleaned! So you have to be friendly and understanding to different peoples different needs. When people come in they are sometimes scared and anxious so you will have to be clam and confident in order to sooth them. You have to be a real people person!"

-The importance of generic skills such as written communication, interpersonal communication, math, use of computers, and problem solving and decision-making.-
"Listening inattentively is a MUST for this job. You have to be able to listen to the dentist and understand exactly what he wants you to do. People skills are important. learning to following instructions exactly the way they are given.

-The things you should do outside of college to increase your chances of getting hired after you graduate-
"Volunteer work is a great asset to have when applying to any job really. But mostly if you want to get into a dental office, volunteer with young kids and older people. As well as you can try and get into a dental office and watch for a day to get to know the doctors and other hygienists."

My Thoughts
After interviewing my mom, I had a greater understanding of how the office is run. She gave me great ideas on how to succeed in getting a job at an office. This summer i now plan on volunteering in a nursing home to get experience with older people. I also spent the morning with her at her office today and got at look at what i will be doing as a career!