Never has it been so hard for me to get a job...

[Duke'sMommy]

I am getting so frusterated with finding a job at a vet office. Never in my life have I had to work so hard to get a job. Ive been really lucky with the jobs Ive worked as Ive always know someone to get it. Right now Im looking for a job at a vet office just as a receptionist, in sept 2009 Ill be going to school to become a vet assistant. For now I just want to get a foot in the door and slowly start seeing how everything works. The problem is everyone wants experience but I cant get experience unless some gives me a chance.

I dont even know what to do to get experience. I could thought about voluntareering my time for abit. But with working 2 jobs already (full time and part time) I just dont have enough hours in a day to do that.

I really want to leave my job Im at because of th dorr knob I work with but the only way Ill take a pay cut is if its into something Ill enjoy.

Ahhhhhh, Im so close to just giving up and accepting that once Im into school Ill have a better chance to get a position. I applied at my own vet but they just hired a new girl to train and needed someone who could just jump right in to everything. But the girl who does the hiring is keeping me on file and bringing me in as soon as they cant. Thats probably not for months.....

Sorry for the rant, sometimes you just need to get it out instead of taking it out on someone.....

 

[GlassOnion]

You have to do one of three things:

A) Shadow the vet in your free time, including weekends.
B) Apply as a kennel worker and work your way up the ladder.
C) Know someone in the clinic and get a job.

I did C, then B. I knew the vet (or, rather, the vet graduated from the same college I did).

The vet knew I was pre-vet, and knew how hard it was to find vet jobs so she hired me. I worked in kennels for three weeks and in the down time I'd go out into the clinic and find someone doing something and go "I don't know how to do that, can you teach me?" and one day I was just scheduled to work as a technician.

But that's pretty much the three options that anyone who wants to work in a vet clinic has to do to get their first vet job.



But yah I'm WELL aware of getting 'well, we're looking for someone with experience, sorry' thing. I applied to EVERY SINGLE vet clinic in my college town and the next town over, and surrounding areas. 43 clinics in total (yes, 43. The fact that there's a vet school in the area is probably responsible for that).

Didn't get anything. Got a few interviews and a few calls but soon as they found out I had no experience, I was out.

So that April, before I went home for the summer, I drew up a letter explaining my situation and asking for a chance to shadow at various vet clinics around my home town. Shadow, not even get a job. I just wanted the experience however I could get it. So I typed up 24 individual letters curtailed to the information I could find about the clinics (from their websites and what not) to show interest and got 5 interviews out of that. I finally chose (and chose well) the vet clinic I worked in for 3 years because the vets were all Aggies and I knew they could tell me about the vet school and what not.

The great part was that I didn't even know I was going to get paid. I thought she had just accepted my offer to shadow her but then she laid down a W-2 form and said that everyone's time has value.


But that may be what you have to do. It's hard to get in sometimes, but so very worth it.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

Thanks for some advice. Im going to really have sit down and figure out whats more important right now. Working the part time job or getting experience. This is going to be hard. I might just have to start giving up my free saturday and head down to the humane society and just start there as a dog walker. But again, thanks for the insight.....

 

[a.baker]

Thats some good advice Glassonion! I have never tried to get a job at a vet except once and that was for cleaning.

But in general I know how you feel with trying to find a job Dukesmommy . It is so hard and they are so rare. People even want experience in no brainer jobs that even someone who doesn't speak English could just pick up and do. Than with all these places going out of business and down sizing there are even more people looking for jobs with less work out there than ever before. It is extremely frustrating.

But hang in there; the right job is soon to come. Just think; maybe a better offer of a job is right around the corner! You never know. Keep your chin up and high hopes! I wish you luck!

 

[GlassOnion]

head down to the humane society and just start there as a dog walker. But again, thanks for the insight.....

I wouldn't do it at the Humane Society. I would look for a vet. Most vets will take on volunteers or at least allow someone to shadow them.

Reason I say not the Humane Society is that you won't get any experience watching the dogs get restrained, dealing with patients, watching surgeries, watching them prep for said surgeries, etc etc and so forth.

They're not looking for experience in walking dogs. Anyone can do that. They want you to know a bit about what's going on. Which is why they never 'promoted' me until I had been around for 3 weeks and could do most any role in the clinic already.

Edit: Another thing they're looking for is: can you handle it? Can you handle the stress, the management of the cases, the having to be in three areas at once, not now, but 5 minutes ago?

And perhaps most importantly, and the reason the turnover rate is very high, can you handle the emotional impact and the gory bits? A lot of people find they simply can't handle the bodily fluids that come with the territory and they quit. Or they become too emotionally attached to a case and don't properly set themselves apart from it and are a wreck for a few days. You can't be a wreck, or at least not at work. You have to shove it to the side and carry on. That one's gone, but there's 4 more going the same way too that need you to focus.

Edit2: I will say this though. You don't have to become completely emotionally detached. It's not like that. One of the vets I work for chokes up a little every time she has to euthanize an animal. I always thought it was weird that a normally talkative, empathetic vet is so quiet during a euthanasia. Part of it is of course out of protocol but another part is that she's trying to restrain herself. If she has to talk you can definitely hear her voice quiver.

 

[Duke'sMommy]

Good point. I just figured that until I was atleast enrolled in school they wouldnt want me to be shadowing. But Im going to take your advice and make a stop by my own vet first, and see if I can get in there. They atleast know me so thats a plus.

 

[GipsyQueen]

Have you thought about an internship? Its usually unpaid, yes, but it gives you expirence. Often people who do an internship anywhere have, if the did a good job and fit in well, a good chance on getting a job there. I got a job offer right after my first internship and I didn't take it, now Im thinking I should have because, like you Im working 2 jobs - one unpaid and the other on minimum wage and going to school. I got my paid job through an internship though, because they saw, that even at 17 I had gotten expirence which set me apart from the others.

 

[a.baker]

Ugh! I don't know about where you live but here colleges used to be $5000 a semester at these universities and are now raising to $9000 a semester. I have no idea for the jump in price. Research your college price as well as everything else too.

My husband went to a technology school and because that was what it was it cost more a semester there than it does at Michigan State for the same schooling. His school also doesn't look as good on his resume. Even though my husband is seriously a computer wiz on all sorts.

Also now a days everyone is looking at bachelors and not so much associates. I don't know if that puts you in this boat or not....

After my husbands grants he got for school his schooling still cost $39,000 for just an associates degree. And he got a good amount for school too. Not trying to discourage you but thats kinda where things are heading out there.

My husband said if he had to do over again he would of gotten his bachelors and went to a different school. He also said if he had the time he would of done all the mentoring and extras that he could of. Everything extra stands out.

So make sure the school you pick and everything else is what you want. Be careful of the details. Also look at the outcome of the job market for what your going for too.

Good luck and I wish you the best. I hope it all works out for you! Look into grants and such too.