Hot tips for finding your first job
All good things must come to an end, and so it is inevitable that at some point after five (or more!) years at university there comes a time when one must actually be a vet.
With that in mind it is important that you put a good step forward in what can be a daunting process of interviewing for a job. The employment game is played by different rules to vet school interviews so read on to get some hot tips on how to have an inbox overflowing with job offers.
Really think about where you want to work.
Sounds obvious but stay with me, many people hunt down jobs using valuable and reputable sources like Vet Record Jobs and indeed that’s good, but don’t forget to touch base with any practices you’ve spent time at for EMS and don’t be afraid to directly approach a practice that isn’t advertising. It costs them money to advertise with recruiters and listings, and many businesses may be slow to update their website. If you know somewhere based on their reputation, teamwork or simply because of their location just get in touch, they’ll often be impressed by your confidence.
Make your CV different.
Not just different for each job you’re after, such as bumping up relevant experience based on the business or stressing just a little bit more how much you enjoy what they’re offering, but also make it different from your peers. Maybe use pie charts to show your EMS experience, maybe play with the page layout so you’re not relying on the standard microsoft templates or possibly slip a joke into the hobbies section (also useful to find out later that they’ve read the full CV when they bring it up). Just make sure any personalisations are correct. I’ve seen applications to corporate practice lists about how much the applicant wants to work in independent practice - either a mistake or poor research. Either way, it's not impressive. References are best left as “available on request” so you can give your referees a heads up to expect a phone call.
Ask around and be prepared to be asked about.
The veterinary world is a small one (and even more so for farm and equine). Everyone knows everyone or if they don’t they may know someone who does. If you can - reach out to someone you may know at the practice or neighbouring practices to find out more about the job and team. Even if your contact can’t help you directly I’ve found out plenty by being put in touch with others happy to chat off the record. This can also impress the practice you’re applying to by showing you’re serious about the application, or for those practices that may be a little optimistic with the job adverts (particularly with hours they expect people to work). This can lead to a more frank and honest discussion. It should go without saying that prospective colleagues may not be forthright in person when you visit for an interview and the classic “blink twice if you can’t speak freely” approach doesn’t always work so leaving a business card and asking for a catch up later may be more sensible.
Don’t bother with a covering letter, or at least not a long one.
Some recruiters may disagree with me but a formal covering letter is not an efficient use of your efforts. Instead just tweak your CV (see earlier) and write all you need to in a concise and short intro when you send in your CV. Right now it’s a sellers market and potential employers will learn far more about you if they give you a ring.
In an interview, be ready to ask questions.
An interview is as much about getting to know them and the team as it is the other way round. Good questions include:
What qualities do you believe makes this practice special?
If it’s a corporate, ask how that’s gone and has it affected team dynamics? What changes do they believe will occur in the next months and years?
If it’s an independent, how do they see that changing and what does it mean to them?
Why are they looking to hire? This is an important red flag if they’re looking to replace a 10 year qualified vet with a new graduate
How will you as a new graduate be supported?
What are their clients like?
Supporting new graduates is very important.
Sadly though, it means different things to different people. To some it means having a cup of tea every so often and a catch up, to others it means treating them like anyone else and sending them off on special CPD to get them up to speed. What it should really mean is a proper planned and managed introduction to get you feeling confident in both your clinical skills and your integration with the working team. Everyone has to start somewhere and knowing what to do in theory and then working out a real treatment plan for a real client with a real sick animal is quite different. One vet surmised it as the difference between being in the passenger seat and being the driver, you can both see the traffic and road conditions but only one of you has to make the quick decisions and has their name on the insurance paperwork. So ask what they would do to support you, press them on the details, find out if they’ve supported new graduates before and how that went.
If they make you an offer, don’t rush.
Congratulations for being offered a position, but never commit to anything until you understand everything. It can be very flattering to be given an offer and if you’ve spent your students days sitting in your overdraft then any contract can look tempting, but politely ask for some time and spend it discussing with your peers, family or anyone who can think of questions you haven’t asked yourself.
Read the contract fully.
Anything you think is ambiguous, get it in writing exactly what it means. OOH is often a vague one, is their listed figure an elusive target or a maximum? What compensation will you get for working more on call?
After all that, good luck! At time of writing the demand for vets is very high so make sure you start your career at the right place for you. Remember to look at the whole package, not just the headline and don’t stress - that’s what finals are for.
Seth Kennard - JAVS editor 2017-19