In my last post I published my thoughts about working interviews, and I may have skipped a step – the interview.

Some offices offer working interviews right away and do not require a traditional interview. Some dental offices will even schedule a working interview without a phone call. Both scenarios should be red flags as a dentist would not be invited into a quality practice without a thorough vetting process. It may also be a good idea to pause before accepting a position without a working interview and certainly hit the brakes before signing a contract without having first worked in the practice for a day or two.

When interviewing you should be prepared to answer a few questions. Here is a list of what to expect:

When did you graduate?

Yep, it’s listed on your CV and you would think that the dentist would read your CV before scheduling an interview. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In fact, I interviewed for an opening in an office in Orange County where I sat down, was asked when I graduated and was dismissed because the dentist was not interested in hiring a new graduate – what a wonderful waste of time.

What type of dentistry do you like to do?

In my opinion, a ridiculous question for a new graduate because we do not have enough experience in every aspect of our profession. Most of us (at least I hope), like everything that we do and as we age will slowly begin to decrease our scope of practice in one area while increasing our skill set in another. Some of the senior doctors hiring young graduates seem to have forgotten what it was like when they first obtained their license.

Where do you live?

The dentist is trying to find out how long your commute would be if you accepted a position in her office.The hiring dentist knows that a long commute may not be sustainable. So, if you are willing to commute to work, or just need a place to get started, consider saying that you live with your parents and are willing to move (even if that’s not true).

Of course you should be prepared to discuss your clinical experiences, your comfort level with various procedures (think endodontics and oral surgery), and what percentage of production, collections, or daily guarantee you are expecting.