Dated 23rd Jul 2003

What is the scope and the job profile for dental assistants?

RAJU

Chennai

Dental assistants perform a variety of patient care, office, and laboratory duties. They assist dentists and help treat patients. They make patients as comfortable as possible in the dental chair, prepare them for treatment, and obtain dental records. Assistants also sterilise and disinfect instruments and equipment, prepare tray setups for dental procedures, and instruct patients on postoperative and general oral health care.

Dental assistants with office duties schedule and confirm appointments, receive patients, keep treatment records, send bills, receive payments, and order dental supplies and materials. Dental assistants should not be confused with dental hygienists, who are licensed to perform different clinical tasks.

All dental assistants work in a private dental office. A small number work with dental schools, private and government hospitals, state and local public health departments or clinics.

I would like to know something about Fortune 500 companies

BALAKRISHNAN

Chennai

You can check out the `Fortune 500' (www.fortune.com) magazine, which publishes an annual list of the 500 largest industrial corporations in the U.S. The corporations are ranked based on such metrics as revenues, profits, and market value. Essentially, the magazine lists the U.S. based corporations with the largest revenue in the past year. Fortune 500 companies are among the biggest, most profitable, and most powerful companies in America.

An interviewer once told me that since I was forced to resign from my previous employment, they didn't want to conduct an interview. Now I'm totally upset and have no job. Could you guide me in this regard?

SHALINI

Hyderabad

Without making it sound negative, concentrate on giving an objective picture of why you were forced to resign. Be honest and upfront about it. If you try and hide things, interviewers will be rather suspicious of you ever after and are likely not to give you a fair hearing. You might like to improve your communication skills too. Interviewers find it difficult to reject candidates who communicate well, even if the resignation from the last company was forced.

How does one identify their strengths and weakness and clearly state them during an interview session?

M. THIRUMAL

Vellore

Before the interview, write down all your weaknesses; be brutally honest about this, after all only you will ever see it. Then determine how you will present them in a positive light, (sometimes this is not possible, but try anyway). Do the same thing with your strengths, and describe them in very positive terms and if possible how they can compensate for your weaknesses. Your weakness should be presented as a positive strength.

Do correspondence graduates have equal employment opportunities or do regular college students have an added edge? Is classroom experience essential for teaching? How good are the job opportunities for a BCA?

VAISHNAVI

Via email

It is indeed a fact that most employers tend to favour candidates who have done a regular course. But that is not to say that correspondence students are totally overlooked. If a degree is obtained through a reputed university with good academic scores then you stand a good chance with potential employers. It will also depend on the individual's personal attributes. Generally, most interviewers do not ask whether you have done a regular course or not, since they assume it has already been mentioned in the resume.

For teaching in colleges you must have the relevant degrees / qualifications. For instance, you will have to clear the UGC-NET or SLET examination, which makes you eligible for the post of a lecturer. Otherwise a B.Ed will make you eligible for teaching in schools. You will require some classroom experience for making the grade. The mode of study may not make much of a difference here and it all depends on the recruiter.

Despite the slump in the market, the ITES field is opening up. For a BCA the career prospects include the engineering aspects of designing computer systems to preparing instructions (Programmes) to run the computer, to operating on a computer. You can also find work in data processing departments of modern industries and in areas where computers and computer-aided systems are used.

Despite having years of experience, I have been unable to land a job. What bothers me most is that I have not received any (not even a single) reply/interview call letter for the numerous applications (over 150) sent during the period of my job hunt. Where am I going wrong?

RANGANATHAN

Erode

Managers and recruiters work together to review resumes to find good matches. Not everyone who applies gets a call. If there is no immediate requirement, your information will remain in the jobs database for at least six months and will be matched against new positions that open in that timeframe. Do not just submit your resume, apply only when you know that a particular company is currently hiring for a position in the geographic area where you wish to live and work and when you have a contact name within that organisation.

It could be that your resume is not addressing the right job profile. You will have to tailor your resume differently for different jobs. If the employers do not see the skills and qualifications they are seeking, your resume will only merit a passing glance. Also after you have sent your resume follow it up with a telephone call (unless specifically mentioned otherwise). Once your resume has been submitted for consideration, you will need to make certain that your professional portfolio is completed and ready for presentation.

The FAQ column deals with career concerns addressed to The C&K Management Ltd, PO Box 2178, Secunderabad 500003, or emailed to faqs@cnkonline.com