Adventures in Interviewing With an Aging Hygienist

O.K.  I’ve been trying to find work for a while, as a dental hygienist.  Dentistry is slow, and I’m currently working 2 part-time jobs.  

Over the past few months I’ve had some interviews.   What I’m convinced of it that I’m encountering some job discrimination.

This thinking began after I had been sending resumes--usually on Craig’s List, as that is where dentists like to advertise.  They’re usually frugal, and Craig’s List is free.  Well, it turns out that I would have very few hits on my job applications, even though I had great experience.

I spiffed up my resume recently.  I did away with the actual dates that I had worked in various dental offices.  Therefore, I did not broadcast  that I had been in the business for a while.  Since I didn’t advertise I had 21 years as a dental hygienist, one would not assume that I would be  at least in my mid-40’s,let alone my 50’s.

So, now I have been receiving more call backs;.and I have had 3 interviews in three months.  I also had a working interview that got cancelled, as the office hired someone the third day of working interviews. 

The first interview turned out to be a dental mill, where patients were seen every 30 minutes for dental cleaning.  This proved to be a turn-off for me, as I don’t think quality can be achieved in this amount of time.  The clincher came as I was invited in by the much younger interviewer.  She actually gave me a look and a snub that said “what are you doing here, you old thing”!  The interview proved to be short and to the point with this woman arguing about the quality that they gave their patients and “I think we’re done here”, with  some nastiness in her voice.

The second office was one that I would have loved to work in.  They blew my cover right off the bat by asking for my driver’s license;  so that they could remember who the candidates were-- Right!

The third interviewer asked me questions like: “Do you want to work a lot of hours, or do you want to work part-time”.  He also asked me if I would like to work as a temp.  He was telling me that I was not on the “A” list.

I also had a phone interview a week ago.  I was Q and A’d about how much time every dental hygiene procedure would take me.  But, she opened with “well, I guess you would prefer to see 8 to 10 patients per day rather than 10 to 15  That was after I had told her I had 21 years of experience.

I think I’m going to look into doing something completely different.  When I am up against a plethora of 20 to 30 something hygienists; why am I wasting my time?

 Too bad I can’t make a living as a poet!  At least I can make a life as a poet!  Here is a poem from my eBook, Stranger in a Strange Skin.

Peace!

Joan

I Dreamed a Dream. . .

I have always upheld

The great American Dream

Where you can be whoever

You want to be

I am aware that I was held back

By my shyness, cowardice

Or fear of failing

I still think that one

Has to believe in their dream

I know many of us won’t make it

However, it is imperative we try

We must trust what’s in our hearts

And empower these desires

If we never try

We have already failed