Whether you are looking to kickstart your veterinary career with your first vet job, or are a seasoned professional with a few years of experience under your belt, when it comes to job-hunting, it is well worth giving a bit of thought as to how to write a veterinary CV.
Jam-packed with compelling language and real-life examples, your CV should make you stand out from the crowd and entice an employer to find out a bit more about you. So where should you begin? Read on for our ten top tips for writing a veterinary CV, to help ensure that yours is at the top of the pile.
1. Tailor your veterinary CV to the role
Creating one CV covering everything is a great starting point. However you should tailor this generic version of your CV to the role that you are applying for. Read the job description carefully and make sure that you highlight the skills that a particular employer is looking for. Researching the veterinary practice will also help you to personalise your CV and demonstrate genuine interest in the position.
2. Less is more
When it comes to writing a veterinary CV, quality not quantity is the name of the game, and you should aim for a maximum of two A4 pages. Employers are often time-poor, and you need to grab their attention on the first page.
3. Prioritise your personal statement
Your personal statement is the most important part of your veterinary CV. It is your opportunity to shine a light on what you will bring to the role. It needs to be concise, and you should aim for one paragraph of 150 words maximum. The rest of your CV will elaborate on your personal statement, providing evidence of the skills outlined.
4. No photos needed
A photo is not necessary. In fact it may even bias an employer’s opinion of you and not always for the better. The fact is, any employer who wants to know what you look like can probably find out with a quick Google search (most vets will be on their practice website, if nothing else), or by checking out your socials.
With this in mind, check that your social media profile is consistent with the image you would like to project. Anything that you would prefer an employer not to see? Check your privacy settings, or even better remove the post in question.
5. Your employment history should be complete
When documenting your employment history, you should start with your current role and work backwards. Avoid leaving gaps – if you had time out, explain why. Whether it’s your physical health, your mental health, a summer of travel……. Whatever the reason, unexplained time off Is almost always more worrying for a prospective employer.
You should also explain your work history and give it context, as a list of veterinary practices is not that helpful on its own. For example, saying ‘12 vet small animal practice, including sole charge of a branch clinic, out of hours duties and mentoring colleagues’, is more informative than a practice name with no explanation.
6. Locums: summarise your skills
If you are a veterinary locum, fitting all your roles onto a concisely-worded CV can be a challenge. Employers don’t need to know every last position that you have held though. A summary is ideal with a focus on your skills and what you have learned.
You might want to highlight that you have a great ability to work with a team at short notice, you are good at creating a rapport with colleagues who do not know you, or you are confident when working sole charge.
7. Include your hobbies
Do you list hobbies or not? On balance the answer is yes, but again make sure it is relevant. Does the job ask for a good team player? Tell them about your love of hockey, membership of the local orchestra, or captaincy of the local football team.
By all means tell prospective employers what makes you tick, just remember to stay on topic.
8. Be able to back up everything you write
Make sure that you can back up everything that you write on your CV. If you say you are a team player, have an example up your sleeve. Great leadership skills? Be prepared for the ‘tell me about a time when you demonstrated good leadership’ question at interview.
Remember that it’s one thing listing all the buzzwords, but it’s another being able to demonstrate these skills. You should also be wary of saying you are hard-working, reliable, caring, love animals…. employers take all these as a given.
9. Get the basics right
You have crafted the perfect veterinary CV, highlighting your key skills with inspiring examples to back this up. It’s concise and tailored to the role in question.
Before you send it off, make sure you check the spelling, punctuation and grammar. No matter how fantastic you are as a veterinary surgeon or veterinary nurse, if you haven’t taken the time to get the basics right, it will instantly create the wrong impression. After all, attention to detail is pretty important for veterinary professionals.
10. Ask for a second opinion
Getting a second opinion on your CV is always worthwhile. Whether it is from a veterinary colleague, someone outside of the profession or one of our experts at JHP Recruitment , a second pair of eyes is invaluable.
And remember, you may need several versions before you get a veterinary CV that really hits the mark, but the time invested will pay dividends.
So what are you waiting for? Send us your CV today, to get your job hunting journey started.