ADVICE: GRADUATES IN SEARCH OF JOBS SHOULD BEGIN WITH A SMILE
Countless High School and College graduates begin flooding into Michigan’s highly competitive job market this month looking for employment. But could the secret to success in job interviews be a simple smile? CareerBuilder.com advises, “A first impression is made by job applicants in the first 27 seconds of the interview. Further, how the interviewee looks has everything to do with the first impression they make.” Dr. Christine Tenaglia, DDS, a Okemos-area dentist specializing in general and cosmetic dentistry, says she has noticed an increase in young graduates seeking brighter, better teeth. “It all begins with your smile. It’s the first thing a person notices about you when you meet them – even before you shake their hand,” says Tenaglia. “A smile can put a job interviewer at ease and display a sense of warmth and, most importantly, confidence and self-esteem. A smile can immediately set you apart from other applicants.” Making an impression in a job interview is about more than just power ties and hairstyles. Tenaglia offers gift certificates and discounts for parents and family friends who wish to purchase teeth whitening or smile makeovers for their high school or college graduates. “It’s a gift that will last a long time and is a real investment in a graduate’s future,” she says. Significant whitening techniques can be completed in a single office visit. Zoom Whitening, Laser Dentistry, Veneers, and tooth-colored fillings are among the many treatment options available. The high-tech smile makeover procedures are performed in Tenaglia’s facility at Okemos and Bennett roads – a gleaming, contemporary facility more like a spa than traditional dental offices. Visitors are offered flat screen televisions, high-speed internet and paraffin wax dips for their hands. “My husband and I were always trying to think of a unique gift to take to the many graduation parties we get invited to,” said Audrey Wilson, of East Lansing. “Whitening is a thoughtful and useful idea.” Tenaglia, 40, has maintained a private practice in the Lansing area since 1993. Patients travel to her practice from all over Michigan, including college towns such as Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Mount Pleasant and Kalamazoo.