Most people realize that when it comes to finding employment, having a great resume is essential. A lot of great, experienced and capable candidates won’t even make it to the interview stage if their resume is underwhelming. To ensure that you get the opportunity to shine in person, you need yours to be on point.
Whether you are responding to a ‘veterinarian wanted’ advertisement, or you simply want to brush up on your resume so that you can apply for a new veterinary job, here are our top tips for improving your veterinarian resume.
State your objective
An objective is a great thing to have on any resume as it tells your potential employer, at a glance, two crucial things about you. These are:
What position you are best suited for
What level of responsibility you are looking for
It also acts as a neat introduction to the rest of your resume. Keep your objective short, sweet and directly to the point. Any more than three lines and you are doing it wrong.
Don’t get caught up listing your responsibilities
Any good employer will be able to tell from your previous job titles what your responsibilities will have entailed. However, what they won’t know is what you have managed to achieve during your time working for your previous employers. Therefore, use the space under your job title to make bullet-point statements about your achievements. Don’t oversell yourself, but don’t sell yourself short either. If you saved your previous practice money, implemented a new technology or received any awards for your work, make sure you let your prospective employer know.
Tailor your resume to the job that you are applying for
Many people, including veterinarians, have a basic resume that they use for applying for jobs. However, to make your resume stand out from the others and to ensure that you are meeting the requirements of the employer it is essential that you tailor yours to the job that you are applying for. If they are looking for specific training, skills or experience and you have this, make sure that you include these details, even if it is at the expense of something else that is less essential to the role that you are putting yourself forward for.
Share details of any further education and training you have received
Veterinary medicine is continuing to evolve rapidly with many of the new tools, techniques and equipment used designed to improve patient experience. This means faster, more accurate diagnosis of problems, and more effective, safer treatments. If you can show that you are committed to furthering your education and training your potential employer will see this is a mark of your dedication to your profession. You may also have skills and knowledge that could be a valuable asset to the practice.
Add some of your personal style
There is every chance that your potential employer will have to sift through a large number of resumes. If you can creatively work a little of your personality into your resume, it will stand out a little from the others. Most people do this through design, using a color theme and ensuring that there is plenty of white space so that their resume doesn’t look overcrowded and confusing. Just remember, there is a fine line between professional and personable.
Pay attention to detail
Spelling, wording and punctuation are all essential for a resume to appear polished and professional. However, a simple spellcheck on your computer may not necessarily pick up all of the errors so make sure you read it in your head and aloud to be certain that it all makes sense. Better still, get someone with a fresh set of eyes to check it too – chances are they will pick up on something that you have missed.
Keep it under two pages
This can be a struggle if you are a veterinarian with a lot of education, training and experience and a great deal to offer, but again, this is where tailoring your resume comes into its own. By shaping your resume so that it fits the needs of the job that you are applying for, you can remove a lot of the non-essential components and keep it under a couple of pages.
If you would like more advice on how to brush up your veterinarian resume, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced and professional team.
