My First Job in Dental AI Started with a Lie👀

Why I Lied on My Job Application, and Ended Up Building My Dream Role in Health Tech

The first time I applied for a job in public dental health tech innovation, I felt like a fraud.

I was obsessed with the idea of combining AI and healthcare, especially for underserved communities… but I didn’t have the “official” background yet.

I hadn’t built an AI model from scratch.

I hadn’t worked in dental public health professionally.

But I knew I could, and I knew why I wanted to.

So I stretched the truth.

I said I was already building an AI tool. (I wasn’t, but I started that night.)

I said I’d worked in a lab. (True, as a volunteer, once a week.. for 3 hours.)

I said I understood dental workflows. (Not entirely, but I learned fast.)

And somehow… I got the job.

I almost didn’t apply. I had the tab open for 3 days before submitting.

💻 Within 2 months, I built my first AI prototype for non-verbal patients.

I researched. I failed. I rewrote everything.

I stayed up past 2am watching Python tutorials and reading public health reports.

I became the person I had claimed to be.

I’m not proud of the lying part😅but I am proud that I backed it up with action.

And I’ve realized: sometimes you have to apply as the future you, not the version that’s still waiting for permission

This job changed how I see myself forever.

🧠 Let’s talk about it:

Have you ever stretched the truth because you knew you could rise to the challenge?

Do you think this is ever okay, or is it crossing a line?

👇 I’m curious what others think! especially if you’re just starting your career

#fyp #education #jobadvice #career #jobapplication