Community Team

Improving your well-being is more complex than 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 Professional Wellbeing (and wouldn’t we all like to justify our own annual spa retreats), 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 mental and physical directions? Here are some essential first steps…

Veterinary nursing is indeed a calling, and the passion and care that you, as a Veterinary Technician or Nurse, display, always on the front line of veterinary care, is admired by us all. No practice can deliver gold-standard veterinary care without your compassion, commitment, experience, expertise, and knowledge. While the personal rewards are to be cherished, the reality is that we all have to live in an ever-expensive world. But once you step up a few rungs, your income will start to meet your lifestyle expectations. Although trends are changing, entry and early-year salary levels will remain modest for the foreseeable future.  So to get ahead with your situation and finances, you need to level up…literally. It’s time to work your way rapidly up through the ranks. Let your experience, expertise, and ability “self-negotiate” career advancement. The accompanying salary increases will enable you to experience the reality and comfort of financial stability in balance with your remarkably satisfying work. So to help you take that next step up or three, we asked leading Vet Nurses and Technicians worldwide who have achieved personal, professional, and financial success to share their advice on accelerating your career. And here it is…

If you have ever considered a transition to Relief or Locum medicine, you’re not alone. An increasing number of veterinarians are looking to locum relief work as a way to maximize flexibility and quality of life, while also earning a lucrative income. Relief medicine appeals to a wide variety of veterinary professionals, from parents wanting more time with their children to young vets seeking time for travel and adventure and more. Before making a transition to Relief or Locum medicine, you should understand what working as a relief vet actually entails. How will your days flow, and what will be expected of you? So, to help you out, this is what a day in the life of a Locum Relief Vet really looks like…from a Locum Relief Vet who walks the walk every day…

As a Veterinarian, Vet Nurse, Technician, or Veterinary Team Member, you probably don’t get told this enough; we are deeply grateful that you care so passionately about our pets and animals, and their family members. You are generous and empathetic, and your many years of study and your practical experience make you an expert that we trust. And as a caregiver, you are uniquely rewarded each and every day. But you also know vulnerability, occasional helplessness, and that there will inevitably be a small number of failures, even if they are often out of your control. So, if you are finding that your days are not as sparkly as they once were, that kittens don’t make you smile quite as often, or that a senior dog still vigorously wagging their tail doesn’t make you feel as warm inside as it once used to, you may well have Compassion Fatigue. Emotional and physical exhaustion that can often lead to a diminished sense of satisfaction in both work and life generally. Here are some practical tips to help you maintain your passion for your profession…Exploring these suggestions may help you return to being vigorously passionate about your profession…

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*. Lately, even more so with the recent pandemic, rising trends in pet ownership and growing consumer interest in high-quality veterinary care. And nearly all forecasts indicate that this customer 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 to “test the market”, the smart thing to do first is to have “that chat” with your current boss. Here are the seven key steps you need to guide you towards achieving a mutually successful outcome…

So, you’ve worked hard and earned your certification. Congratulations, you are now a qualified Veterinarian, Veterinary Nurse or Veterinary Technician. But now, a whole new challenge lies ahead – continuing your momentum and success as you start this next stage of your career as a working Veterinary Professional! Making the transition from student to practicing in-the-real is an exciting time, but it can also be understandably daunting. During your first year of employment especially, a great support network is invaluable. Helpful colleagues, accessible professional resources, and some mindful self-care will not only kick-start your career but will also support your mental and physical health during a potentially stressful time. So, to help you feel more grounded, calm, and in control of your journey, here are a few early veterinary career tips that we sourced from Veterinary Professionals like you who have “been there, done that” and not just survived, but thrived…

You already know that working as a veterinary professional is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. In fact, a 2020 study found that veterinarians, nurses, and veterinary technicians achieve much of their job satisfaction not from their paycheck, but from their pride in their work and the knowledge that they are making a positive contribution to the lives of others. The joy of saving a critically injured pet or discovering a treatable illness before it’s “too late” pushes veterinary professionals like you to give your job everything you have. However, it can be a real effort to keep your spirits up when you are constantly pushed to your limits and when the challenging days outnumber the good days. Occasional frustrations are inevitable, but frequent issues can quickly turn your dream job into a nightmare. So how do you know when it’s time to move on from a job that is no longer a good fit? Here are some significant hints…

Whether you’re a fresh-out-of-university graduate Vet, an experienced Emergency Veterinary Surgeon with decades of expertise, or a Vet Nurse or Technician with oodles of practical knowledge, when it comes time to make your next career step, your Resume must include these 6 critical elements. Just like any form of advertising, you only have about three seconds to engage your audience and get them to explore further, so your Resume has a lot of work to do in a very short time. Including these 6 key components will help you clarify your approach, ensure that you focus on your key skills and accomplishments, and craft a CV that will make sure you stand out from the crowd…

Veterinary professionals are naturally type-A empathetic individuals, aspiring to make life better for both pets and pet parents by providing excellent care. So yes, achieving a work-life balance that allows you to thrive is every veterinary professional’s goal, but many don’t notice that things are off-kilter until it is nearly too late. It’s time for an Intervention. We approached veterinarians, veterinary nurses, veterinary technicians, and hospital managers from our global community for their advice and their practical, tactical tips to get you started on re-establishing your own work-life balance. Here are their 7 top tips…