For those that work at Vet Clinics, Daycares or Training Facilities:

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#1
I'm trying to apply to various dog related jobs and I wanted to know if you all could help me. What are things I should push that would put me in a better running?

I have no paid work experience with vets or training or dogs but a lot of personal experience and self taught knowledge. But it's hard to get that to translate through a resume which I'm already really really bad at coming up with.

I work at a pharmacy as a tech and have been there for almost six years so I figure that's a decent start (at least for the vet clinics) but I just am having so much trouble figuring out how to word a resume and what skills to push.

Help?
 

CharlieDog

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#2
Any cleaning experience you have will help. Any bathing experience, grooming usually isn't done by daycares just bathing, here anyway. List books you may have read about body language and dog interaction, training books, possibly your clicker training experience with Trav.
 
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#3
Ok, another stupid question, should I when I list my 'Skills' on the resume put them in list order (bullet points) or more of a paragraph type?

HATE RESUMES
 

Beanie

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#5
I would emphasize your customer service experience as well. My years of working face to face with the general public has always been a huge asset no matter which job I've applied for, even if all the job will include is inter-office relationships, because they can generally assume that I'm not a terrible ($%^# to deal with if I've managed to work with the public for a long time and never gotten fired for being a jerk to people...

My skills are listed in a bullet point format, but grouped. So like art programs are grouped together, video programs are together, radio specific programs are grouped together, coding languages are group together... yeah.
 

Toller_08

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#6
I'd done a lot of house/pet-sitting for people so I put that on my resume, but it still lacked in any dog experience type stuff regardless. It was hard to include all of my dog experience and knowledge in a resume alone, since none of it really pertained to jobs, and so I created a cover letter which helped explain different things. Even if they didn't ask for a cover letter I included it with my resume when I applied for different jobs anyway. Not sure if that's a normal or good thing to do, but I started getting a lot more phone calls after that and finally found a dog related job that I don't mind.

Good luck! Wish I had some more helpful advice. :)
 
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#7
Another stupid question, what exactly is a Cover Letter? Could you explain a bit more what you put on yours Toller?

And thanks Shai! I need it because my resume just isn't coming together.

And thanks a ton Beanie! I'll stress that because out of everything I do at my job dealing with customers is what I'm the best at. I'm the one they send to always help people.
 

Toller_08

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Another stupid question, what exactly is a Cover Letter? Could you explain a bit more what you put on yours Toller?
It's a letter basically stating why you feel you would be best suited to a particular position. You provide additional information as far as experience and skills and explain why/how those skills and experiences would be beneficial to the job you're applying for. Basically, most of these points would already be on a resume, but you can further explain with a cover letter. I don't have mine with me right now to look at, but I think I just explained what all I do with my dogs as far as training goes and what I know about behaviour, nutrition, etc. and where I learned about those things. I also included my history of experience with pet sitting for other people, and I've also done a fair amount of bathing/tidying dogs I know also, so I included that. I figured every little bit had to help, and it seemed to.
 

Aleron

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#9
I've had almost nothing but dog related jobs since high school - I worked at a greenhouse one summer when I was a teen and did some babysitting - otherwise it's all been dog related :)

Many of these places are small and privately owned. I've never needed a resume to get a job at any of them. That isn't to say it won't help you or be useful in some places but around here, these places don't tend to look for resumes or have people fill out applications. They don't tend to have a lot of staff, so things are often done on a more personal basis. Often the best way to get such jobs is to know people who have them that can recommend you when a position opens up. None of the people I have worked for would hire someone based on a resume or application anyway (well except Petsmart). They tend to want to talk to you and see if they think you'll fit in. Of course, that's just here with small businesses and I'm sure it's not the case with all dog related jobs.

If you're interested in working at a grooming shop, it's not a bad time to start calling around or stopping by and asking if they are looking for bathers. A lot of shops hire an extra bather for the summer and it's a good way to get some "dog job" experience. Working in grooming you'll get experience that could help get a job at a vet's office as well. Although around here, unless you're a vet of course vet office jobs don't tend to pay better (and sometimes don't pay as well) as grooming shop jobs. Around here, registered vet techs and "vet assistants" tend to get about equal pay too. Your pharmacy work could certainly be of interest for a vet's office job. For a doggy daycare job, you're already over qualified LOL I doubt you'd have any trouble getting hired at one that had a position open.
 

CaliTerp07

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#10
Seconding the emphasis on customer service! You worked as a pharmacist--so surely you have dealt with fast paced, chaotic rushes of customers (like a day care at pick up/drop off), you've dealt with finicky people (like mommy dropping off Fifi for a weekend of boarding), and you have attention to detail (like dogs who are not allowed specific treats or have to be monitored for certain signs).

I'd put the "skills" at the bottom. Mine are just a line of comma separated values, because I didn't have space to bullet point them and keep everything to one page. I don't think the formatting matters so much though.

I struggled when creating a new resume for teaching, since I was transitioning from the business world. I ended up putting a lot of volunteer work on there, since it was more relevant. Have you ever walked or trained friends'/neighbors' dogs? Do you volunteer with traveler in any way?
 

CaliTerp07

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#11
Also, re: cover letters.

A cover letter is your chance to tie your "stretch" information together. It's a stretch to say that being behind a pharmacy counter is the same as monitoring dogs at day care, but that's the place to say something like "My experience working with stressed pharmacy customers has helped me learn to be calm under pressure and be polite with difficult customers, something that I believe would be an asset to a customer facing position like a day care attendant".
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#12
Start going to them as a client, if it's a small business, many places prefer to hire from within. Make friends and connections. I found my current job because I was both a client and a friend of the owner, we regularly get walk-ins off the street looking for a job and I'm pretty sure none of them get looked at like a client would.

Customize your resume to each place. I have a different resume for vet work or for training or for daycare work.

Personal experience can help such as Member of APDT, (insert training group here), etc. You don't have to have been paid to work with dogs to be good at it, you just need to figure out how to sell your personal experience as valid.
 

SpringerLover

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#13
I worked at the vet clinic because I was a dedicated client and I volunteered before. I was hired because they knew me well and for the fact I knew that I had done a lot of research. I don't think they've hired many, if any, non-clients.
 

CharlieDog

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Regarding Adriennes idea, we NEVER hire clients. Ever. The reality of dropping your dog off and actually working in the back with your dog is completely different. I'm not saying places don't do it, but I will say most of the ones I've talked to don't hire clients.
 

JacksonsMom

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#15
Good thread!

I was thinking about applying at a local dog boarding place that was looking for help mainly on the weekends which would be PERFECT for me being in school 45 mins away Tues-Friday.

And I think I am going to make up a resume now to have and bring in. I, too, did not know how to put my personal experiences in there. I was a pet sitter for 3 years and had the same clients for most of them, who I know would all give me good recs.
 

elegy

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#16
Yeah, we've never even called a client for an interview, though I think if we had someone really good apply we might. It's a funny line to walk.

But again stressing the customer service stuff. We have a freaking AMAZING receptionist at the vet clinic where I work who had zero pet industry experience but fantastic customer service skills. The medical stuff can be learned, but that ability to communicate with clients, deal with difficult people, multi-task, be pleasant no matter what is going on, etc.... that's harder to find.
 
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#17
You guys are awesome!

I have one typed up, just waiting for my mother to look it over. She's good at that kind of stuff.

One place I sent an email off to over the weekend that is really close to my house is hiring so please keep your fingers and toes crossed! They do day care, training and boarding.
 

*blackrose

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#18
You guys are awesome!

I have one typed up, just waiting for my mother to look it over. She's good at that kind of stuff.

One place I sent an email off to over the weekend that is really close to my house is hiring so please keep your fingers and toes crossed! They do day care, training and boarding.
Also, I know with our hiring procedure (vet clinic that offers grooming and boarding), we tend to do a working interview. Everybody whose resume seems good gets a shot at a working interview. (We'll normally have four or five people come in for one before we hire someone.) Although we care about what is on the paper, how the person actually handles being around a large volume of loud dogs with varying temperaments (some people just don't know how to handle dogs, even if they are applying to the vet school nearby) is so much more important than their "qualifications". Although some things come with time and practice, you can tell pretty quick who has dog sense and will be easy to work with and who doesn't and won't.

But yes, good luck!
 

Southpaw

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#19
Also, I know with our hiring procedure (vet clinic that offers grooming and boarding), we tend to do a working interview. Everybody whose resume seems good gets a shot at a working interview. (We'll normally have four or five people come in for one before we hire someone.) Although we care about what is on the paper, how the person actually handles being around a large volume of loud dogs with varying temperaments (some people just don't know how to handle dogs, even if they are applying to the vet school nearby) is so much more important than their "qualifications". Although some things come with time and practice, you can tell pretty quick who has dog sense and will be easy to work with and who doesn't and won't.

But yes, good luck!
This. I've gone on a number of interviews where, the first face-to-face interview is just a "hi. This is our facility. When can you come in for a working interview?" kind of thing. It's pretty common in animal related fields for them to want to see if you're actually capable of working and interacting with animals. And, of course, that you fit in with the rest of the staff.

I suck at resume/cover letter writing though. Sometimes it amazes me that I ever get called for interviews.
 

Aleron

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#20
Regarding Adriennes idea, we NEVER hire clients. Ever. The reality of dropping your dog off and actually working in the back with your dog is completely different. I'm not saying places don't do it, but I will say most of the ones I've talked to don't hire clients.
I think all of the places I worked would (or did) hire clients, if they were the right person for the job.

One place I sent an email off to over the weekend that is really close to my house is hiring so please keep your fingers and toes crossed! They do day care, training and boarding.
Good luck!!!
 

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