Veterinarian Resume Examples: Guide & Template for 2024
Showcase your experience in veterinary medicine by following a fantastic veterinarian resume example and using a resume template from ResumeHelp.
We personalize your experience.
We use cookies in our website to ensure we give you the best experience, get to know our users and deliver better marketing. For this purpose, we may share the information collected with third parties. By clicking “Allow cookies” you give us your consent to use all cookies. If you prefer to manage your cookies click on the “Manage cookies” link below.
Showcase your experience in veterinary medicine by following a fantastic veterinarian resume example and using a resume template from ResumeHelp.
The US Bureau of Labor predicts that the employment of veterinarians will grow 17% from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all jobs. Veterinarians are responsible for diagnosing health problems, administering vaccines, treating injuries, prescribing medication and so much more. Your veterinarian resume must show your expertise in veterinary medicine to make you stand out from other candidates. This includes highlighting the necessary technical skills, certifications and years of experience to land the best veterinary job. The perfect veterinary resume will demonstrate you can be trusted by pet owners for their pet care with a clear outlining of your credentials as a licensed veterinarian.
Build my resumeA veterinarian must be a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine to practice – a professional resume will make this clear. Yet, the best resume will highlight all the skills you have developed through your experience to help you stand out.
This may mean knowledge of surgical procedures, immunizations or expertise in critical care. Do you specialize in small animals or large animals? The perfect resume will highlight your specialties for hiring managers so they can judge if you will be a good fit for their animal hospital or veterinary clinic.
Whatever the resume, there are obligatory sections: header, resume summary or objective, skills, work experience and education.
For the resume format, you can choose to organize your information in three different ways. These are the chronological format which emphasizes work history, the functional format which emphasizes skills and the combination format which emphasizes both. The format of your resume will largely depend on your level of experience and particular skills. Choose a format that puts your strongest elements first.
Regardless of the veterinarian resume format you go with, you should include these resume sections structure to best showcase your abilities:
It is essential to make it convenient for the recruiter to contact you. That’s why the header always sits at the top of your resume. Include your full name, phone number and email address. It’s also a good idea to add links to any of your job networking profiles such as LinkedIn.
This section is where you feature your professional resume summary – a brief outline of your career background that is no longer than two or three sentences. Use it to highlight your specialties in animal healthcare. A resume objective, on the other hand, is a brief statement that communicates your career goals if you don’t have many years of work experience under your belt.
To land your dream veterinarian role, you must demonstrate you have the skills to perform your duties. However, it’s not just about the technical and hard skills, You’ll also need to show you have the soft skills required. Refer to the specific job description. A veterinarian resume may include some of the following skills:
Remember that each veterinary clinic or animal hospital may place different demands on its veterinarians. Check the job description to ensure you are highlighting the skills applicable to the role advertised.
In reverse chronological order, list your previous relevant experience in this section. Below each role, list your responsibilities and duties briefly, using action words to highlight your ability to perform those tasks.
List veterinary roles that show your broad skill set. Hiring managers want to see that you have experience in all aspects of veterinary practices and procedures. To this end, listing any voluntary work or internships can help add an extra element to your veterinary resume. Some employers require evidence of voluntary work, so be sure to look out for that in the job description. It is good to share quantifiable metrics related to your work experience. This gives evidence of your veterinarian skills.
If you are a fresh graduate or don’t have much experience, then you will have to make the most of the experiences gained during your time at college. In that case, the education section should come before the work experience section.
Veterinarians must complete a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree at an accredited college of veterinary medicine. State this clearly in your education section. In addition, veterinarians have to pass state exams to obtain their license as rules and regulations of veterinary practice vary from state to state. Be sure to acquire the necessary credentials and share them in this section.
Build my resumeDo:
Don’t:
Have questions? We’re here to help.
Besides the technical skills needed, veterinarians also need soft skills. Veterinarians must skillfully communicate with pet and animal owners so they can share important information like treatment plans. They must also have compassion and patience to help put animals at ease. Veterinarians can find themselves in high-pressure situations, so it’s vital to have soft skills like decision-making and dependability.
You need to emphasize that you are a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) on your resume. List the college name, years attended and degree with major and minors. Don’t forget to share your undergraduate degree, too.
You should always include a cover letter for your job application to add detail and show a personal touch. Take a look at our advice for an effective cover letter.
Couldn't find the answer you're looking for?