Know Your Worth: Recognizing Your Value for Career Success and Happiness
Isn’t it everyone’s goal to be successful and happy? Knowing your worth is key to getting there. Here are a few tips to help find happiness in life and success in your career.
Your Contributions Matter
We are all familiar with the feeling of being underappreciated. Sometimes we are expected to make things happen, know all the answers, and solve the world’s problems without a second thought. While it may seem that way, I hope you know that even though every victory may not be celebrated out loud, you are appreciated. You are valued.
Every person in the office is crucial to the practice’s success and the overall happiness of your patients and teammates. Whether you’re the admin team setting the tone for the patient’s visit over the phone or ensuring they’ll get the maximum out of their insurance benefits, a Registered Dental Hygienist establishing rapport and educating on homecare, or a Registered Dental Assistant creating relationships and supporting the doctor in treatment, each person in a dental office is vital to its success and it wouldn’t be possible without you. No matter your position, you make a difference to your patients, team, and doctor every time you walk in that door.
Finding Your Dental Home
I cannot stress enough how much finding a team and dentist who acknowledge and appreciate your hard work makes a difference. Find a group of people who share the same ideas and goals as you because, remember, we become who we surround ourselves with. Team culture is important, and being a part of a practice, you love can help make your career a long-term success.
If you are not happy with your current office, many dental practices are searching for the perfect person, and that may just be you. Leaving a job you’re not happy in might seem like a scary leap, but it could be the best decision you’ve ever made. Sometimes we have to be willing to take care of ourselves to truly find happiness and, in turn, better our lives and further our careers.
Actually Knowing Your Worth
Do research in your area to ensure you are being paid fairly. Consider not only your hourly rate but any other compensation or benefits package that is included. Sometimes in life and our careers, we must have difficult conversations, and this may just be one of those. Many of us have been in this same situation, which means there’s advice out there to help make the conversation a little easier. With a million things expected of us to make each day a success, we deserve to be paid fairly and what we are worth.
Continue Growing
Be open-minded, learn to see things from other points of view, and always strive for what is best for your team. But most importantly, do what is best for yourself. Join organizations and develop professional relationships that support you in your future goals. Thanks to AADOM, we have access to some of the most wonderful and intelligent leaders in our industry. Exchanging experiences and knowledge with these individuals, reading books listening to podcasts, and learning that being pushed outside our comfort zones is crucial for our growth. Not only professionally but personally, too.
All in all, “knowing your worth” is about being kind to yourself so that you can be kind to others, including your family, friends, and your team. You cannot look out for others if you do not take the time to invest in yourself both emotionally and professionally.
About the Author
Brooke Paul
Brooke Paul is a Practice Coordinator for Beaver Creek Dental in Knoxville, TN. She is a proud lifetime member of the American Association of Dental Office Management and was inducted as an AADOM Master in 2023.
