Networking plays an important role in helping people land jobs in various professions—including the dental industry. Networking allows you to get an upper hand over the competition by connecting with people in your industry and building relationships that inevitably help you land your dream job. While networking can seem intimidating, you don’t have to be a professional schmoozer to make great connections. To learn how to network like a pro, consider these networking tips for recent dental graduates.

Attend dental conferences and networking events

This tip may seem painfully obvious; however, many people choose to forgo the numerous dental conferences and networking events that occur all over the country. While such events may seem overwhelming, they are invaluable for helping you connect with a variety of dental professionals in a short time period.

Keep in touch with classmates and teachers

The people you spend years studying and bonding with at dental school often make great connections. The wider your network, the more you’ll be able to jump on potential opportunities. For example, if a position opens at a practice your former classmate works at, staying in touch with them could help you be the first to know. In addition, practices will often contact professors at dental schools for recommendations when looking to fill open positions. As such, sending the occasional email to your past professors could end up helping you land a great job.

Utilize social media

Social media isn’t just a place to post selfies and funny memes—it’s also an incredible networking platform. Social media sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn allow you to stay connected with existing connections and form new, professional ones that you may have never gotten the chance to communicate with otherwise. To network on social media, search for pages or groups that are dedicated specifically to dental professionals or create your own to help you stay in touch with past connections.

If you’re having difficulty forming your own connections within the dental industry, consider using our connections. At Henry Schein Nationwide Dental Opportunities, we have crafted an immense network of relationships in the industry with professionals across the country to help connect recent dental graduates like you with exceptional dentist job opportunities. Over the years, we have placed hundreds of general dentists and specialists in full- and part-time positions in a wide variety of locations—all at no cost to the candidate. All you have to do is complete and submit your candidate profile today.