Veterinary Technician Resume: Examples & Tips
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Veterinary technicians assist in providing care to unwell or injured animals, handling routine checkups as well as emergency nursing under a veterinarian’s guidance. Tasks for this job include health checks, laboratory tests, and assisting during surgeries.
To create a resume that tells employers you’re the right choice for a veterinary technician position, use these expert resume tips and examples.
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Veterinary technician example (text version)
Name: ANDY JONES
Address: City, State, Zip Code
Phone: 000-000-0000
E-Mail: email@email.com
PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY
Highly successful Veterinary Technician with significant expertise in anesthesia, surgery, and pathology in large animals. Proven history of building strong rapport with owners to provide seamless pet care and foster exceptional service.
WORK HISTORY
Veterinary Technician
08/2016 to Current
Company Name, City, State
- Collected specimens from patients for laboratory analysis for parasites, blood analysis and culture.
- Prepared surgical instrument packs and drapes for use in sterile environments by processing in autoclave under high pressure and high temperature conditions.
- Conducted preliminary patient workups including gathering patient history information, description of symptoms from owner, and documenting presenting condition.
Veterinary Technician
08/2013 to 07/2015
Company Name, City, State
- Triaged incoming patients to determine treatment needs and urgency of care.
- Greeted pet owners and performed intakes to go over array of available services, outline costs and determine special needs of animal while in care.
- Performed dental extractions with no periosteal elevation, no tooth resectioning, and no bone resectioning.
Veterinary Receptionist
03/2008 to 12/2012
Company Name, City, State
- Cleaned and disinfected exam areas, equipment and kennels to prevent spread of disease, control odors and maintain healthy environment.
- Answered owners’ animal health questions and educated on healthy animal care practices.
- Maintained office and waiting room, keeping common areas clean and tidy
SKILLS
- Oral and topical medication administration
- Nail trimming
- Veterinary office administration
- Medication administration
- Lab operations
- Safety and compliance
- Surgical procedures and support
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Science : Veterinary Medicine (Pre-Veterinarian)
City, State
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Veterinary Technician Resume FAQ
1. What skills should you emphasize for a veterinary technician position?
- Animal care
- Knowledge of medical conditions and treatments
- Conducting examinations and diagnostic procedures
- Maintaining supplies and equipment
- Records management
- Laboratory procedures and diagnostic imaging
- Taking vital signs and collecting samples
- Administering medications, drugs, and vaccines
- Animal care education
- Maintaining veterinary environment and equipment
- Team player
- Excellent communication skills
- Detail-oriented
- Customer service
- Sound judgment
- Reliability
2. How do you customize a resume for a veterinary technician position?
Every vet tech position has different requirements, so make sure your resume reflects those requirements. Create different versions of your document for each job, singling out skills and experiences that fit what the job needs. For example, if a job posting lists “monthly flea/tick and heartworm preventative medicine,” include your knowledge of these medications in your skills section, or feature an entry in your work history that shows your experience with this task. Our article How to Create a Targeted Resume provides more pointers on customizing your resume.
3. How can I create a work history section if this is my first job?
The answer is you don’t — that is, if you don’t have professional experience to feature, focus instead on your skills and training, as well as extracurricular activities or internships (such as interning or volunteering at a pet shop or animal shelter) that show you have the right attributes for veterinary work. Use a functional format for your resume that emphasizes these qualifications.
4. What format should I use for my resume if I have more work experience?
If you can point to many years of veterinary work, go with a chronological format, which features an extensive work history section where you can detail past achievements and responsibilities. If you have less work experience, you might want to consider a combination format, which has a more balanced mix of job-related skills and accomplishments.
5. What are some employers looking for veterinary technicians?
- Veterinary clinics
- Animal shelters
- Zoological parks
- Pet stores
- Boarding kennels
- Veterinary hospitals
- Stables
To find job postings for this position, and get tips on how to carry out a successful job search, visit our job search resource center.
Do’s and Don’ts for Your Resume
- DO feature plenty of soft skills. Though it’s important to feature practical skills, your soft skills — the personal traits that tell employers how well you interact with others and approach work — are just as important. Feature abilities such as time management, ability to learn quickly, a problem-solving approach and attention to detail in your skills section, and show how you use them in your work accomplishments. For more in-demand soft skills, see our Top Resume Skills page.
- DO make sure your resume isn’t too long. On average, employers take less than 10 seconds to skim a resume. Follow these tips to create a concise, to-the-point resume:
• Highlight only your last 10 years of work history.
• Avoid trying to cram text in by reducing your font size or margins — instead, use punchy bullet points and phrases that aren’t more than one-line long.
• Eliminate all information that doesn’t directly relate to the position you want — don’t go into all your tasks from previous jobs. - DO review your resume before sending it in. Veterinary work requires precision — make sure your resume is also precise. Re-read your document a few times before you send it in, and confirm that it’s clear of spelling or grammatical errors. Double-check your skills and work history sections, making sure they fit with the job you’re applying to. If you use our Resume Builder, our built-in tools can review your resume for you.
- DON’T use passive language to describe your achievements. When writing your resume, avoid using wishy-washy phrases like “was responsible for” and “tasked with” to describe your work achievements. Instead, use energetic action verbs such as “managed,” “oversaw,” “implemented,” “coordinated,” or “performed.” It’s better to write “Performed diagnostic tests on 20 animals per day” than “Tasked with running diagnostic tests on 20 animals per day.”
- DON’T forget to use the right keywords. Employers will give a thumbs-up to resumes that have the right keywords. Take note of terms and phrases used in the job description that describe prime requirements for the role, such as “triage urgent cases” or “self-starter qualities.” Come up with skills and experiences of your own that fit these keywords, and use them throughout your resume. For example, you could list “self-starter” as a soft skill, or feature a previous work responsibility involving triage care. Visit our page How to Use Keywords Effectively for more tips.
- DON’T forget to quantify your accomplishments and achievements. Saying you’re good at something is one thing — showing just how well you’re good at it is better. Apply numbers to your work experiences and accomplishments, to give them the right context. For instance, instead of saying “Tended to medical care of large dogs and feral cats,” quantify the statement: “Tended to medical care of 30+ large dogs and feral cats each day.”
Top 4 Characteristics of a Best-in-Class Veterinary Technician Resume
Summary
Use a few short sentences to explain your top experiences and skills, featuring abilities that are key for veterinary work, such as knowledge of animal behavior and physiology, pre- and post-op care, and administrative expertise. For example: “Efficient veterinary technician experienced in performing diagnostic tests and X-rays. Provides compassionate care for pets of all types.”
Skills
Feature skills that fit what the description of your potential job calls for. Your skills can be separated into two categories: professional skills (e.g., “surgical procedures” or “administering medications, vaccines and treatments”) and soft skills, such as “reliability,” “attention to detail,” “team player,” or “excellent communication skills.”
Work History
Put the focus on top work responsibilities and accomplishments, rather than everyday tasks. For example: “Dispensed pharmaceuticals and managed laboratory procedures for 50+ patients a week,” or “Maintained 500+ client records, regularly communicating with clients regarding treatment plans and appointments.”
Education
Include your highest academic credential (e.g., high school diploma or college degree), as well as any advanced training or courses you’ve had in areas such as veterinary technology (e.g., a Veterinary Technology certification or associate degree).
Cover letter examples for the next step in your veterinary career
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Veterinary Technician Resume Example
Kellie is a Certified Professional Resume Writer with extensive experience in digital media. She is passionate about helping job seekers navigate their careers. She earned a B.A. in English and writing from Temple University.
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