We asked our worldwide network of over 251,000 Veterinary Professionals a simple open-ended question “If you were fortunate enough to have two job offers where the salary, benefits and location were similar, what other things would influence your choice?” and as you can imagine the answers were wonderfully diverse. For some it was cookies at morning tea, others could be persuaded by team massages and one very creative one had to do with the artwork in the practice. However, when we started to assemble the data we quickly began to identify five streams that stood out above snacks, kneading fingers and paintbrushes…in this order of priority…
Veterinary Work+Life Balance – Making The Myth A Reality
When we say balance we aren’t talking about holding a puppy in one arm, a medical chart in the other and a capped syringe between your teeth…we’re talking about finding a Work+Life Balance that allows you to thrive in every aspect of your life. You know that you are the one really responsible for establishing your own Work+Life Balance that allows you to thrive, but many of us don’t notice that things are out of kilter until it is nearly too late. So, it’s time for an Intervention. Here are 7 practical tips from Veterinarians, Veterinary Nurses, Veterinary Technicians and Hospital Managers from our global Community. We approached them for their advice and their practical, tactical tips will get you started on re-establishing your own Work+Life Balance…
Why Practice Ownership Still Beats A Salary – A Guide For Today’s Vets
Here are a few of the many reasons veterinarians say practice ownership is not for them – I want work-life balance, I have a lot of student debt, I do not know how to run a business – sounds familiar? However, with recent advances in business processes, structuring, and technology, practice ownership is not only possible, it’s worthy of serious consideration. Here are some valuable insights for you to consider…
It’s Time to Polish Your Veterinary LinkedIn Profile
Like Liam Neeson in Taken, you have a very particular set of skills, acquired over your career, but unlike Liam, your skills make you a joy for employers and recruiters. But when they look for you on LinkedIn, as 77 percent of recruiters and employers do, you want them to find you and be impressed enough to reach out and connect. And when they do find you (and they will if you follow this advice), they will employ you…possibly not on-the-spot, but if you apply these tips, you will be well on the way to your initial interview…
How To Negotiate A Salary Review
So, unless you have been hiding under a warming blanket for the last few years, you know that your services as a Veterinary Professional are in high demand*, even in the midst of a pandemic, and that demand is only going to increase over the coming few years*…but before you head out for an innocent coffee with that recruitment consultant who has been so persuasively persistent of late, the best first step is always to have “that chat” with your current boss first…
How To Get Your First Veterinary Job in Trying Times
So, you successfully completed your studies and practical skills placements, and gained your Degree or Certification and you are actively networking and applying, and with good interest being shown…and then there is a global pandemic…impossible to plan for, but with some extra effort not completely insurmountable. Finding a practice to put your newly acquired skills to work in an entry-level role is always a challenge, and now even more so, so here are five tips to help you secure your first job as a brand new DVM, Vet Tech or Vet Nurse in these challenging times…including always wearing pants for an online interview, always…
Your Veterinary Career – Time To Hit Refresh?
Nobody really saw it coming…a pandemic…there were rumblings and mentions but it’s a shock to anyone’s system when it really happens…but once we get over that initial world-altering jolt, there is opportunity and still room for optimism…they say “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”…If you think, “well, I made my bed, so I guess now I have to lie in it,” think again – this pandemic, as awful as it is, brings with it the prospect of diversification and new veterinary career opportunities in a post-COVID-19 world. If you’re willing to research and explore new horizons with an open mind (which could be quite an adventure in its own right), you’ll find a host of interesting (and in some cases surprising) veterinary career specialties that you may not have considered that may reinvigorate your veterinary career as things begin to return to some modicum of normal, including these…
Veterinary Professionals, Heal Thyself
Improving your wellbeing is not as simple as taking a week-long holiday at a health spa, or simply getting more exercise and improving your diet. Though all of these are important to Veterinary Wellbeing (and we’d like to justify our own annual spa retreats too), stress management and mental health care require fundamental changes to our daily lives. Remember that you deserve to nurture yourself to the same degree that you look after your patients. How do you cope when you are being pulled in so many directions, mentally as well as physically? Here are some essential first steps…
Networking is the Best Medicine – 5 Ways to Boost Your Career Through Your Contacts
If the term “networking” makes you think of people in suits, all wearing “Hi, My Name Is…” labels, scanning the room for influential people to talk to, as you stand awkwardly in the corner, you are not alone. However, modern networking is actually not a painful process, and it can have significant impact on your career prospects. Here are five easy ways you can boost your veterinary career without the awkwardness of name labels!