Erica Zamora Reyes

Looking to enter a new career? Have you thought about getting a career in the dental field? If you’re a compassionate person who loves to work with others and care for their needs than a career in dentistry might be for you. As a dental assistant, you’re the dental support to dentists and dental specialists, as you prep and attend to the patients’ needs before any other dental professional sees them. So what does a dental assistant do?

As a dental assistant, you are a health care support to dental professionals. You will perform many tasks that range from taking x-rays to record keeping and providing patient care from start to finish, meaning before the dentist sees and treats the patient. You can provide chair-side support in dental procedures and exams the dentist is conducting. Depending on the state and certification and licenses you have and are required, you can perform more functions.

Dental assisting has been ranked #25 for the Best Health Care Support basis on many factors which makes the position appealing to current and prospective professionals. Why is ranked number 25, here’s a list of elements that makes it possible.

• Flexibility
• Professional Growth & Development
• Average Stress Levels & Rewarding

These three factors contribute to the balance and what makes it top position within the healthcare support professions. If you want to know detailed information about how these three factors, read our post about Why Dental Assisting is Top Job! to find out more.

At The Core Foundation, we offer both an onsite and online training program in Dental Assisting. For our on-site dental assisting program, you can expect

• 12-week program
• Both schooling and hands-on training with the instructor
• Internship opportunity within one of our two dental clinics in Salt Lake City
• It’s affordable, fast, and fun

If you find that onsite doesn’t work for you, not to worry, WE’VE GONE ONLINE! That’s right take us anywhere (as long as there’s an internet connection). Study at your own pace, time and in the best learning environment for you. With our online course, you will have six months to complete the program including the externship hours.

If you are interested in learning more about our programs, please contact Kathy Mitchell at [email protected] or check out our courses.

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Are you thinking about pursuing a career in dental assisting but are unsure of going forth with it? Don’t worry, we understand; we’ve all experienced some hesitation when selecting a career. Maybe it’s the uncertainty of what the outcome will be if we start the journey, will we be able to find a position soon? Or is it the fear of taking the first step towards a career? We can often see ourselves asking a circle of questions. Some we may know the answers to while others are left unanswered.

Unanswered questions can often leave doubt which leaves us stuck at square one. It’s common to think medical positions are the route to go into getting a position after studying since everyone needs some medical attention. However, before making such a hasty decision, you want to look at all the numbers to be able to calculate the risk. In a time where the job market is constantly shifting, you want to be able to figure the risks of pursuing that specific career.

In this case, is dental assisting a profession that will pay off? There is a lot to consider from what the position itself requires to where you plan on practicing. We’ve done a brief outlook of what you can expect as a dental assistant.  

Dental Assisting

Dental assistants are the helping hands of dentists who help prepare patients for treatment and calm their nerves. They are the first dental professionals who greet and care for the needs of their patients. Dental assistants perform various tasks depending on their licenses and certifications, but you can usually find them assisting dentists during procedures, taking oral x-ray exams, and maintaining patient records.

Did you know according to US News, “Dental Assistants rank #21 in Best Health Care Support Jobs.” They hold an average score of 6 when it comes to the job market and job growth. The prospects of the future growth of more dental assisting positions are likely, meaning you already see a higher chance of finding a position. Although, you might want to consider other factors, in the next section take a look at what the job market growth is.

Outlook as a Dental Assistant

Job Growth

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there is the employment of dental assistants that is “projected to grow 19 percent from 2016 to 2026.” That is 3% less of the projected growth for other healthcare support positions which are to grow during the same period. The given growth is determined on the need to meet a demand for preventative dental services which are being associated with general health. As more studies come out with links to how oral health and overall health are related, there will be an increase of patients looking to have their teeth treated.

Median Wage

The annual median wage for a dental assistant in 2017 was $37,630. However, as you show know, depending on the branches you work in the salary will vary. For example, if you work in the government branch, you are looking at a median wage salary of $41,480 which is higher than the average for working at a dental clinic with a private practitioner which is $37,620 (the Bureau of Labor Statistics).

You also have to consider the hours you can work. In 2016, “nearly 1 in 3 assistants worked part-time,” that is not to say you can’t work full-time because you can. There is a diverse range of hourly wage one can earn. The median hourly wage is $18.09 while the lowest is $12.58 and top 90 percentile wage is $25.54 (Occupational Employment Statistics, Bureau of Labor Statistics). These numbers can vary based on the branch of where you work whether it’s for private clinics, government, or education, it can affect how much earn in addition to your experience and location.  

If we look at the state of Utah, the annual mean wage is $30,270 which is less than its surrounding state neighbors (Occupational Employment Statistics). The state of Utah has 3.3 % of job growth which is the highest in the U.S. along with an increase of 3.7% of private sector job growth (Department of Workforce Services). What does that mean? Since March 2017 and March 2018, Utah’s economy is booming as more jobs are being added from private sectors including health services as the third sector to be adding jobs. It means there are more opportunities for individuals to find employment as the state’s economy grows.   

Education

In a time where the growth rate for dental assistants is increasing and where more health services are adding jobs to the economy of Utah, jumping into a dental career can have you questioning whether by the time you graduate you will be able to find a position. Dental assisting doesn’t require years of schooling, on average it can range from a couple of months to 2 years, depending on whether you are pursuing certification or a degree.

Most programs now offer more than just classroom teaching but a hands-on experience for you to be able to apply the concepts, protocols, and methods used while assisting. Although there are some states which don’t require students to complete an academic program, you can get ahead of the competition by becoming certified to start working as a dental assistant.

At The Core Foundation, we offer a dental assisting program both onsite and offline. For our onsite dental assisting program it’s an accelerated program of 12-weeks where you will gain the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to work in a dental office. We’re committed to preparing our students to work confidently and maximize their understanding through hands-on training and dental office experience to land the job. For our online program, you will be given six months to complete the program on your own time and pace. You don’t want to miss out on our exclusive discount for our program, find out more about our discount click here.

To enroll in our Dental Assisting Program, click here for more information and to know what they are saying.

We know there can be hesitation when choosing a profession that requires us to go back to school. However, in a job market where the is constant shifts we have to do our research to know the risks of what we can expect in the coming years. Please note, our post is a brief outlook for a more thorough look, you’ll need to research it further.

Habits, whether they are good or bad, we all have them. Sometimes we can find ourselves letting go of old habits to make way for new ones. So what do habits have to do with success? A lot of how we do things depends on our habits. Sometimes our habits can hinder our productivity and approaches to completing and achieving our tasks and success.

If we want to succeed and become the person we want, it’s often about reflecting on what you can do to improve rather than adding more to your list things to do. There are certain habits we can give up to help us achieve our success which hinders our productivity, approach, and growth at a personal and professional level. What are some habits we can give up? Below we have listed ten habits you can give up to begin achieving your goals in small steps.

#1 Multitasking

Multitasking is a skill we often admire and consider a necessary ability. However, it’s a skill we shouldn’t be too proud of since it hinders our productivity and focus. Multitasking decreases our productivity as we spend more time switching from one task to another. We tend to limit ourselves when multitasking because we are not dedicating time to focus on a specific task entirely.

#2 Being a Perfectionist

Perfection is something we can strive for but never reach since nothing is perfect. In our efforts to strive for perfection, we can often leave things unfinished, dissatisfied, and with stress. Being a perfectionist leaves us worrying about the smaller details which can detract from the bigger picture, not to mention the ability to see how the more minor details come together to tie everything. We focus on controlling factors we can’t always control and shouldn’t control 100% of the time. We can’t fear to fail; otherwise, we reduce our ability to proceed forward.  

#3 Aiming for Productivity All Day

Imagine what we could get done if we are productive all day? A whole lot, that’s for sure. However, you can’t be productive and focused all day. We all have times throughout the day where we are the most productive which depend on the individual. Some people are more productive in the morning while some are in the afternoon and others are considered night owls, and we need to find what times throughout the day work best for you to focus your time and energy will help you accomplish more.  

#4 Fixed Mindset

Although talents and intelligence are factors in being successful, it isn’t the only thing we should focus our mind on. Aside from having those traits, you need to put the hard work to move forward and to achieve your goals. Hard work can come in various forms from acquiring new skills, knowledge and changing your perception.  

#5 Finding a Reason to Start

A common trap we fall into thinking there is a perfect time to pursue a goal ours. That’s not always the case, and we can’t sit around waiting for that moment. Sometimes we have to take the gamble and begin pursuing our goal. You, of course, want to analyze the risks but you want to make the first step towards that direction. Otherwise, you remain stagnant.

#6 Being Negative and Stressing Out

Stress is something that’s consistent in our life, the level of stress we have can differ, but we need to learn how to cope with it in the best possible form. Since stress can affect us both physically and mentally, we want to find ways where we can deal and ease some of the tension and negative feelings that come from the stress we are experiencing. When we let the pressure get to us, we can find it hard to be productive and motivated.

#7 Not Asking for Feedback, Advice, or Questions

Being closed off to any form of feedback, advice or just asking questions can keep you from acquiring new perceptions and how to improve your craft. We understand that it’s not easy to ask, but if we decide to remain silent limits our abilities to grow and reach potential.

#8 Having a Short-term Mindset

Although we need to think about short-term goals, it shouldn’t be the mindset we strive for in attempting to pursue our goals. On the contrary, we need to distinguish the difference between long and short terms. If you are continually achieving small goals what is the long-term goal you are hoping to meet. There should be a big picture along with the smaller figures.

#9 Surrounding Yourself with Negative People

Negative people can have an effect on you that is destructive to your growth and mindset. How? When you decide to surround yourself with negative people, they become toxic since they can begin to focus on the wrong side of the situation. Having others pinpoint the bad outcomes, we can start to lose sight of what we are trying to achieve and become wrapped in their negativity which keeps us limited, unmotivated, and stagnant.

#10 Putting Your Health to the Side

Your health is something that shouldn’t be played with nor disregarded. It is easy to push our well-being aside for others or to complete a task, but it’s not worth it. The effects of bad health habits take a while to show up which can often lead to a problem. When it comes to your health, you want to focus on having a quality sleep which allows you have a full rest, healthy diet with all the nutrients your body needs to function at its full potential, and physical activity to keep your muscles, and joints functioning not mention a healthy heart.

If you are wanting to succeed in your career or pursue a lifelong goal, start by reflecting on the habits you have to see how you can improve or give up to achieve your start to your success. There is always room to grow and develop, we have to be open to the possibility of obtaining it.    

Have you ever thought about getting another career? The idea of having two jobs might be lingering in your mind, I mean we see and read about successful people who are prospering in two careers. So, why can’t we, am I right? Two professions doesn’t only mean more income, but it opens new possibilities for you to grow as a person, develop and improve new skills, and for personal fulfillment.

When we think of the possibility of getting a new career, we can often find ourselves asking whether we should make that leap and how we can pursue such a change. One thing we need to acknowledge is that getting another career may require us to do more than just making the decision. There are more factors to consider in choosing another career and how to pursue it. Before proceeding into the steps, you should take to get a second job, learn why it wouldn’t be a bad idea.  

Why should you get another career?

That is the question. We can’t deny the increase in income will be one visible changes. However, it shouldn’t the deciding and motive for us getting another career. I mentioned before a career can open new possibilities both professionally and personally and develop and hone your skills. With an ever-changing and competitive job marketing, having two professions wouldn’t be a bad idea especially now when part-time positions are more common than full-time.

Not only would you be creating a stable financial ground with two careers, but you can also build overlapping foundations that benefit both positions by letting you apply concepts from one industry to the next or enabling you better understand your job. For example, let us say a financial analyst decides to get another career as a business advisor, both of these careers have overlapping foundations. The foundation of the two professions can be used to further career goals and help understand how both positions work individually and together regarding the financial and marketing aspect of a business. Besides creating a foundation, you can network among other industry circles.

Networking as you know is a significant part of your profession, not only can you meet and discuss with other professionals in your area of expertise, but you can broaden your network to different industries. Building long-lasting relationships with others outside your networking circle enable you to share ideas, thoughts, discussion on industry topics or help you find solutions to some of the challenges you face in your career. You won’t be limiting yourself to one area of specific knowledge or ideas; on the contrary, you’ll have more opportunities to broaden your understanding which leads to you developing more skills.

A second career often means learning a new set of skills, some which we already have but need to hone or develop to become good at our profession. Having two careers doesn’t mean slacking on one, it means you have to be good at both. Successful people don’t have two jobs to have the pleasure of saying they have two professions. They have them because it’s what they want to be doing and because they are good at it. The same concept applies when we take the step of acquiring a new profession. Two positions in different industries can help us assess the skills we need to clean up on and which ones we need to make us do our job effectively and better. Whether it is hard or soft skills, there is always room for improvement, and when you have two careers, you have to set time to improve on your craft.

How can you pursue a second career?

It would be great to decide on a new profession and then begin, however, in most cases it’s not always as easy as that. Just like your first career, you have to start from the bottom and work your way up. Before you do that, you want to do your research.

   Research:

   We mentioned earlier on that we live in a time where the job market is shifting. The constant shifts and competitiveness of the market can make it difficult to decide where we should proceed. Research is essential in this case. Discover what your interests are, what you would like to do, and what is the current and future job market for the profession you want to pursue. Figure out if it is a career that will continue to grow or decline.

   Training & Education:

   Depending on the profession you choose, will you be required to take courses or go back to school? You have to consider what steps you need to make to get your foot through the door whether it’s through getting a new degree, taking a couple of courses, volunteering, or interning. Now, we are given more opportunities when going back to school which allows you to keep our current profession. If your second career requires some schooling or training, you can now do it online or through night classes. Again, you want to research the small steps you need to get your second career.

   Networking:

   Go on LinkedIn and contact an influencer or respected professional in the area of expertise you wish to enter. Introduce yourself and see if they can answer some questions for you about the position that the internet can’t provide you with. Often getting an inside look at what it is like to work from the job can grant you with the best research and understanding of whether the position is for you. Besides a professional within the field has current challenges they face in their industry and the job market. Always be willing to reach out and ask for some assistance.

Getting another profession in a time where shifts in the job market are occurring is an excellent way of ensuring you have a plan A or plan B. Of course, you want to be good at both professions, not just one, remember the idea of having two careers is to keep both current and active not passive. But before you make your decision, do your research.  If you could have another profession, what steps would you take to achieve your goal?

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Everyone has a hobby they enjoy doing in their spare time. A hobby can be a pass time or a passion we love partaking in when we aren’t occupied with work or other responsibilities. In an age where the word “freelancer” and “entrepreneur” is used to define your profession, we can often find ourselves wondering about whether we can convert our hobby into a job.

Should we make the big leap of turning our hobby, our passion, into a full-time career? Whether you love gardening, taking photographs, knitting, or sewing, you probably prefer to spend less time working to make more time to do what you enjoy. Maybe you can spend more time on your hobby and earn a living from your passion. Is it possible? Should we make the big leap?

Before we go quitting our job to pursue our hobby, there are many factors we have to consider when making this decision. Some of which we tend to disregard when the idea comes to our mind. Find out what we should consider as we think of the possibility of how we can make a hobby into a career.

Factors to Consider

Quitting your job to pursue your hobby seems like a great idea because it means less time working and more time with your passion, not to mention there is the possibility you can make a living. However, that’s not always the case. Sometimes, it is not as easy as a transition from one career to the next. Research is a vital component to understanding whether converting a hobby to a profession is the right move or not. Here’s a list of what to account for:

1. Does your hobby stand alone or do you have to incorporate it into an existing profession? What do we mean? Some hobbies as you know can easily stand alone as a position such as taking photographs transfers to become a photographer. But there are hobbies which aren’t so easy to transfer, for example, someone who likes to study plants and learn about them cannot easily make that into a profession. They have to find a way in which they can incorporate what they love into an existing career. They can go back to school and get a degree to become a botanist. We have to know the possibility of whether our hobby is a valid move to be a career and income source. One of the ways you can learn of job perspectives is by looking at the elements you can turn about your hobby into a career.    
2. Understand Financial Aspects:  We briefly mentioned this in number one and it’s one that we need to account for in a career transition. Money may not be a priority for others, while for the rest of us we have to make ends meet. We have to ask ourselves will our hobby turn a paycheck? If so, will that paycheck be a source of income we can live off? You have to consider all the risks you will be taking if you’re quitting your current position or investing money into your hobby. You have to know all the logistics – is it marketable.
3. Understand your limitations, capabilities, and yourself. Are you willing to be persistent in making your hobby into your career? Making the conversion will take time, and we are not talking about a couple of months, it can take up to a year or more to get your career going if you are planning to be a freelancer or even longer if you plan on becoming an entrepreneur. The actions of making it a reality require you to be persistent not to mention you have to be willing to sell yourself. Marketing is such a crucial part of putting yourself out there and the work you do. Keep in mind when you are turning your hobby into a career, aside from doing everything else you have to be continually marketing yourself.
4. Will you still enjoy it? We have to remember why we do our hobby. Sometimes we can get wrapped up in wanting to make it a profession we forget why we did it in the first place. It matters because not only are you trying to make a shift, you will be making a change in why you do it. Aside from your hobby being something love to do and your passion, you will have to answer to your boss or clients since they will be the ones hiring you. For those who do creative hobbies, doing your craft hobbies is excellent when you are in control. But when you are working for others, they have an idea of what they want and expect. It’s a valid question to ask because what if later down in the line you start to dislike doing what you once loved?

Our hobby or hobbies can bring us joy, relaxation, or amusement, so before making the transition, you want to make sure you’ve thought it over thoroughly. Get all the logistics you can about the market of your hobby, how others have done it, the risks, and whether it is the right career transition for you. The more thorough you, the more likely you are to know an estimation if it will result and what you can expect. But the question is should you make your hobby into a career? Share with us what you think in the comments below.

Follow The Core Foundation’s Facebook page for blog updates, fun posts, and news about our programs and training facility. Check out where Rafael is in his training.

Looking to start a new career as a dental assistant? Now you can, in only 12 short weeks can you get the knowledge and experience you need to kickstart your career as a dental assistant. At The Core Foundation, we have gone online with our dental assisting course! Enroll at any time, anywhere to begin your career at your own pace.

The Core Foundation is a training and development facility where we strive to prepare our graduates for success in the dental field. In addition to being a training facility, we are a dental and surgical clinic which allows us to provide our students with expanded clinical experience and immersion into a real-time setting dental clinical.  

Dental Assisting Course

In our accelerated program, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and experience you need to work confidently in a dental office among other dental assistants and assisting dentists. We’re committed to preparing our students to maximize their knowledge by applying it to hands-on training and experience, in addition to, improving their communication skills to land the job.

Our course is both onsite and online. Onsite class sessions will vary, so you want to check when the next registration date is. For our online course, you can apply at any time for only $2,497. Once you’ve registered, you have 6 months to complete the course.

If you missed our onsite registration date but want to start your career now, you can enroll in our online course today! Contact Kathy Mitchell, our student liaison, at [email protected]  for more information, a tour, or to begin your registration process.   

Let’s get real with Rafael, as he embarks on his journey towards becoming a dental assistant. Who’s Rafael?! Rafael Gardea is our student who has enrolled in our WORK-LEARN-EARN PROGRAM with our dental offices, The Center of Dental Professionals. He will be getting the hands-on experience of working alongside our dental assistants and providers while studying online with The Core Foundation and getting paid for his services and studies.

For the next 12 weeks, join Rafael as he takes us through his experiences of studying dental concepts and methods and applying it to his training onsite at our dental clinics. Each week we will be going live to discover his challenges, successes, and what he’s getting from this experience. Not to mention, we will be quizzing him! Wanting to be a dentist, Rafael decided to start early in his dental career as he paves his way through dental assisting.

So, what do you need to know about the Work-Learn-Earn program?  

It’s a program where The Center of Dental Professionals partners up with The Core Foundation to provide a student with the opportunity to train and study at the same time while committing to continue to work for a year after training. Within this program, our dental clinic is committed to paying for the student’s tuition and training to become a dental assistant.

It grants the student the chance to study without having to pay for tuition in exchange for a year worth of work. The student will be able to get the hands-on training they need to apply the material they learn from their online course, plus gain additional work experience where they’ll continue to improve their craft and knowledge of an ever-changing industry. They will be able to have access to the instruct but, also, have various mentors who will teach them the ropes of working with providers and patients. This program is a perfect experience for someone who is interested in getting the best of both hands-on learning and independent study. It’s the chance to take control of how you want to learn, at what pace, and where you’re allowed to be curious.

What can a program like this offer a dental clinic?  

Well, a Work-Learn-Earn Program is no different than a company work-learn program where they pay for their employee to attend school to learn new skills they can apply to their position. It’s been done before in other companies; we are just bringing this concept into the dental clinic environment and running with it. Unlike the typical work-learn program you might have heard of, our Work-Learn-Earn Program is designed to train students with no experience to become a dental assistant. During this program, we foster their learning, curiosity, and encouraging them to learn as they work as we provide them with resources and tools to succeed in their studies and career.

In a program like this, dental clinics offer more than just resources; they gain employees who are committed to their education and caring for patients. There won’t be any students coming in searching for hours to complete; they’ll be a member of your dental team who is serious about their work and your clinic. They will become a valued member of your team who will help you flourish and provide their service to providers and patients allowing you to save time in looking for a replacement and having to train them. Not only will you exchange learning opportunity and work with a student, but you will also gain a team member who will most likely be willing to return when looking for a part-time position or remain with your clinic.

Don’t miss out on the chance of becoming part of Work-Learn-Earn Program. You too can start your dental career now. Just check out Rafael as he goes through his 12-week training sessions. Follow us on Facebook @TheCoreFoundation for more Real Life with Rafael videos. Check out what he’s done so far, this past week.