What are other unemployed Hygienist doing while searching for a job in your field?

Hey to all my fellow unemployed Hygienist! What are you doing while you're out of your field?!

Are you working elsewhere out of your field?

Have you returned to school?

Are you working as an assistant? receptionist?

Have you given up hope? LOL

I myself am working retail. I've been pondering the notion of returning to school either for assisting, or furthering my hygiene education with BSc or something....

How are you filling your time?

Hello Ontario,
I've been out of school for a little over a year and a half. I've been working part time in retail since my senior year of high school, and I am SICK OF IT!!! I temp as a hygienist in a couple offices in the area. I work anywhere from 0-5 days a month. It's depressing and worrying. I've considered returning to school but I have no clue what else I would go back for... The days I don't temp or work at the mall, I pretty much sit around searching for jobs in my area... I've gone on a few interviews but am always overlooked due to a "lack of experience." It's heart breaking isn't it?? All that hard work in school, to sit around desperately searching for a job.

I just keep hoping, and hoping, and hoping...

Stressed Out in Watsontown, Pennsylvania said: Hello Ontario,
I've been out of school for a little over a year and a half. I've been working part time in retail since my senior year of high school, and I am SICK OF IT!!! I temp as a hygienist in a couple offices in the area. I work anywhere from 0-5 days a month. It's depressing and worrying. I've considered returning to school but I have no clue what else I would go back for... The days I don't temp or work at the mall, I pretty much sit around searching for jobs in my area... I've gone on a few interviews but am always overlooked due to a "lack of experience." It's heart breaking isn't it?? All that hard work in school, to sit around desperately searching for a job.

I just keep hoping, and hoping, and hoping...

This is so sad to read and it is so unfair to be told at these schools that there are "tons of jobs out there, so please hand us your tuition money and we'll pump you out" !! I would check into other professions---possibly nursing, OT, RT, etc. Check out all your options....job shadow....check out psychiatric nursing...etc....

Hi Ladies!
I was laid off from my main office about a month ago. I was fully prepared to temp as an assistant if I had to but luckily have not had to yet. Hygiene temping has been pretty consistent so far, but I'm sure it will slow down at some time. So... time to brush up on my assisting skills.

I'm glad to hear some input! I've been going crazy and sinking to into a depression over the months. I haven't touched an instrument in 14 months.

I am looking into a different career, hoping to stay in the health-care field. Assisting is an option, though I hear it's a difficult job with office politics, something I don't have patience for. So nursing seems to be in demand and it's a good field for longevity, that may be my next move. I'd enjoy getting a BSc., but will that help? Probably not if hygiene continues the way it has for the last few years. I graduated in 2007, and have just over a years practical experience. I find that now offices are looking for hygienist with 3+ years experience. In my city there aren't any jobs, and I've tried searching provincially. Most other cities prefer to hire hygienist who are local to them (for understandable reasons), but it makes job hunting much more challenging.

Edmonton you're right, they do make promises to students. I recall that there wasn't a single mention of the job market for Hygiene until we were weeks upon graduating. They want the $$$ and it's very unfortunate for those who aren't lucky enough to find a job.

My college brags in their school pamphlet that they have a 96% placement rate for all their graduates. What they don't tell people is that it's counting jobs that have nothing to do with the student's training. Adh you're right there are no jobs if you live in a rural area... Even the jobs I can find in the big metropolitan areas are only for 1 or 2 days a week. So no where near enough time to be able to live there... Hopefully the economy will turn around and everyone will be able to find a job they love...

Stressed Out in Watsontown, Pennsylvania said: My college brags in their school pamphlet that they have a 96% placement rate for all their graduates. What they don't tell people is that it's counting jobs that have nothing to do with the student's training. Adh you're right there are no jobs if you live in a rural area... Even the jobs I can find in the big metropolitan areas are only for 1 or 2 days a week. So no where near enough time to be able to live there... Hopefully the economy will turn around and everyone will be able to find a job they love...

I definitely agree...from Muncy PA....I wish that there was more dentists coming out of college willing to move to the rural areas. I have been a dental hygienist for over 10+ yrs and I am only working 2 days a week as a hygienist and have had to revert back to doing dental assisting 2 days a week just to make ends meat. Definitely frustrated too!!! Good Luck in finding a job!!!

ninardh2000 in Montgomery, Pennsylvania said: I definitely agree...from Muncy PA....I wish that there was more dentists coming out of college willing to move to the rural areas. I have been a dental hygienist for over 10+ yrs and I am only working 2 days a week as a hygienist and have had to revert back to doing dental assisting 2 days a week just to make ends meat. Definitely frustrated too!!! Good Luck in finding a job!!!

It's meet not meat.

I only work about 9-10 hours a week at my office. The office has 30 minute prophys and it is horrible!! But it is the only thing I have found since I graduated in June. I also work retail as well on the weekends. This really sucks for us...I want to go back to school..but I am already so much in debt with my school loans that I really can't afford to right now... :(

Ashley920 in Shelby twp, Michigan said: I only work about 9-10 hours a week at my office. The office has 30 minute prophys and it is horrible!! But it is the only thing I have found since I graduated in June. I also work retail as well on the weekends. This really sucks for us...I want to go back to school..but I am already so much in debt with my school loans that I really can't afford to right now... :(

Have you looked into GRANTS, etc. for education? I don't know how this actually works...research your ?'s online. Maybe by googling or even going to your local library, they may be able to point you in a direction for $$$ for re'training...maybe even go back to your HS, if you are young, to see if counselors at your old school can give you leads...it's so sad the state of DH now...and many are not listening to the exp'd DH's and even recent grad's like yourself and seeing/hearing the job situations for MANY. Let us know what you find, it may help others to move forward in a career that will have longevity and hopefully some type of retirement pkg. GL!

Well, I was a stay at home mom for a few years. I worked here and there (and have a fabulous resume) but when my husband got layed off a year ago I thought I would be able to get a clinical job fairly easily. Nothing. I managaed to get 2 days a week teaching at a university program, but no benefits (common in our profession anyway but don't get me started). I started a MSDH program to increase my chances at getting a full-time teaching position only to figure out that most colleges run with a VERY small full-time faculty and stricly limit the number of hours adjuncts can work. After trying EVERYTHING, I have finally accepted a full-time position at proprietary school. I am told that I will be black listed from ever working in acedemia again. I feel that DH has completely let me down and forced me to make a choice, against the betterment of my profession, but that will actually support my family. The ADHA tries to say how much they do for us but I have been hearing talk of improving our standing since I graduated 11 years ago. We're still fighting the dentists and hoping that we will be BA only but in the mean time there aren't even any jobs. So . . . I go off to work tomorrow to perpetuate the problem but I have insurance and I can take my 4 year old to the doctor for his medication and I won't lose my house.

adh in Sudbury, Ontario said: Hey to all my fellow unemployed Hygienist! What are you doing while you're out of your field?!

Are you working elsewhere out of your field?

Have you returned to school?

Are you working as an assistant? receptionist?

Have you given up hope? LOL

I myself am working retail. I've been pondering the notion of returning to school either for assisting, or furthering my hygiene education with BSc or something....

How are you filling your time?

I am trying to leave the country and go to a place where they dont hand out DH licenses like cracker jack trinkets

I graduated last year in dental hygiene and moved to Utah because the ex was able to convince the courts to give him joint custody. I am now in an area that is saturated with hygienists, many of whom are frantically looking for a job. I have to move out by the end of the month because I have not been able to find a permanent job, and the temp jobs here and there are not enough. Who is going to rent to me and my family if I don't have a job? I care for my children and both my parents who have Alzheimer's. I have become so distressed at not being able to support my family that I'm sure it affects how I come off in an interview. I don't have the luxury of being able to pack up and move to a part of the country/world where there is work. I do have a car that can keep us warm at least. I guess I need to think about going back to school and pursuing something else. Man! All that hard work! And for what?

You are all not alone. Ready the other forums. The job market includes legal assistants, executive assistants. I have teacher certification (alternative program) and I am not getting a job because of my age (52). When I eat in the teachers' lounge, they are always complaining about teaching. Look at the nursing forum, and it is bad there.

2.5 years laid off from Dental Hygiene in Oregon
I fight to keep my volunteer position, so I can stay current and ''involved''
After all the schooling, I don't feel like I deserve this. And yet the schools are pumping hygienist out like there's no consequence.

It's really bad.

I have abandoned hygiene...almost completely...still trying to decide if I want to renew my license for some "what if" moment. I graduated in the winter of 2009 from a hygiene mill school with $40,000 in debt, got licensed in 2010, found no job, moved to Florida for my husband's job and worked 9 months in a dental office helping the hygienists. I am not licensed in FL, but there aren't jobs here, so it doesn't matter.
I am a pursuing another career altogether in a computer related field. Oh and I only worked ONE PAID day as a hygienist and my school counts that towards their stats for gov't reporting...so this mess is going to continue. Good luck to all!

I read somewhere that 85 percent of recent law school graduates are unemployed (don't quote me on the percentage, but I know it's crazy high). It seems like we are not the only ones. My friend graduated from law in 2009 and he had to move from FL to OR to find a job. It's really tough, not just in dental hygiene.
I am a recent graduate myself and wanted to quit the program after a year because of all the talk about not finding a job from friends out there. I spoke to my instructor about my concern and she said "there are many jobs out there! Look at all the graduates, they ALL found jobs!" She didn't tell me that they ALL had PT jobs in more than one office.
Would anyone happen to know if anything can be done to put a stop on mass production of hygienists? I know my answer, but it's a shame that we are all struggling while the political millionaire in DC sips human blood and gives more duties to the DA, duties that were only for us. I would like to move to another country but isn't N. America the only place that has the DH position?

I KNOW... "Was this comment helpful? Yes(0)/No(10)

"WORKING INTERVIEWS"--be suspicious if you are called into an office after submitting a resume for a "working interview" on the pretense of possibly being hired.

It has been brought to my attention that a lot of dentists are advertising the need for a hygienist and then set up what they call "working interviews" from the resumes they've received, making the hygienist think there's a possibility of being hired. These are not actually working interviews when the hygienist shows up for work. Instead, what the dentists are doing is establishing a relationship with the hygienists they like so that they can contact them for temp work in the future--in order to bypass using a temp agency and therefore not pay the fee that agencies charge.

I graduated from a associates program in May. So far I have temped as an assistant for a periodontist in a nearby city. I am also working for my county is a program called "First Things First" which provides education and fluoride varnishes for kids 0-5 and pregnant women. Unfortunately this is only 0-3 days a month and they only pay me 17 dollars an hour due to my "inexperience". I wish I would have known that this profession was declining. Most days I feel that I wasted my time in school and wish I wasn't struggling to pay my bills. I love this profession I just wish someone would give me a chance to embrace it.

adh in Sudbury, Ontario said: Hey to all my fellow unemployed Hygienist! What are you doing while you're out of your field?!

I am filling my time by doing as much RDH temp work as possible, applying to ANY and all job openings, working my 2 part time hygiene jobs (one is as needed basis only), and applying to RN programs. I hope to become a RN and work full time as a RN or part time as a RN and RDH. Times are tough!

RE sadhygienist please renew your RDH license only because it is worth the time and effort you put into it to keep it! It is very difficult to get a RDH license back if it expires! So dont risk having to retest...renew it! I keep renewing mine and will keep renewing it even if I go into another field. Make sure to do your required CEUs each year also!

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