Veterinarian resume example & writing guide
- Why use this veterinarian resume example?
- How to write a great veterinarian resume
- Which key skills are relevant for a veterinarian resume?
If you’re looking to gain an awesome vet clinic or veterinarian role, then you’ve got to have a best-in-show resume. We’ll give you some advice on how to enhance your resume, along with a solid example of a veterinarian resume you can use to land your next gig. A veterinarian is a medical professional that provides healthcare to animals. They diagnose and treat illnesses, injuries, and diseases in all types of animals. Veterinarians also perform check-ups, vaccinations, surgeries, emergency care, and other related activities to ensure the health and wellness of animals.
Why use this veterinarian resume example?
Check out our example of a strong veterinarian resume for some ideas on how to develop a healthy resume to move your career ahead. It starts with a good summary that calls out a lot of important vet abilities and skills.
An impactful resume summary will include your best skills and areas of expertise in a few memorable sentences. Create a summary that matches the key requirements of the job you are applying to. For example, if the vet position is primarily for treating dogs, then you could have something like: “Dedicated and caring veterinarian with extensive expertise in addressing canis lupus familiaris healthcare. Extensive experience in delivering top-notch care for dog injuries and diseases.”
As a vet, you probably have a long list of skills and things that you have expertise in. These are all good to include on your veterinarian resume, but keep in mind that you need to fit your entire resume onto a single page or two, at most. You must be very concise with all your descriptions and make every word count.
It is common to have a list of your skills in a separate section. If you have included skill keywords in your summary or professional experience sections, then it is not necessary to have those shown again on your skills list, unless you really want to emphasize them. Remember to include skills that are critical to the job you’re applying for. Your list of skills should not be too long because an excessive list will bore the reader, and they are not likely to read all of it. They’ll just scan through it and not remember them all.
How to write a great veterinarian resume
Your professional experiences are the most important content on your resume. They demonstrate how you actually used your skills and knowledge. When you write out your job experiences, list out standard daily tasks in paragraphs for each position you have held. For example: “Led a team of veterinarians focused on bovine research, assessing and creating vaccination strategies to prevent the spread of bovine related diseases,” or “Oversaw 7/24 emergency cases and treatment plans for hospitalized pets.” Then, in a short, bulleted list showcase your major achievements.
In the veterinarian business, your academic and professional credentials are very important. In your education section, you should list your degrees in reverse chronological order, with your most recent degree first. You should also list all relevant certifications and licenses. You can include them with your education or in a separate section.
If you haven’t been in the market for a job in a while, then you may not be familiar with ATS, or applicant tracking systems. Most companies use them to automatically process large quantities of resumes very quickly. The first review of a resume is usually performed by an ATS. Your resume may be awesome, but if it’s not designed to pass an ATS review, then it will probably get trashed before a human ever sees it.
To make sure this doesn’t happen, you need to have the right keywords and phrases the employer has associated with the job. Look at the job listing and note keywords and terms within it that you can then use in your resume. Include the phrases and words exactly as they appear on the job listing. The same goes for any acronyms they have. This will ensure that your resume doesn’t get thrown out in the first phase.
Which key skills are relevant for a veterinarian resume?
Vets must have a lot of skills, education, and training. As a highly knowledgeable professional, you obviously have many impressive hard skills, but don’t forget to include some soft skills to show that you know how to work with people and animals.
Below are some outstanding skills for a veterinarian to have on their resume:
Physical examinations
Preventive care
Interpersonal communication
Leadership
Medical records and documentation
Treatment planning
Surgical procedures
Teamwork
Disease diagnosis and treatment
Vaccine and medication administration
Summary example
Resourceful and accomplished veterinary professional with extensive experience treating injuries and illnesses in domesticated animals, including performing surgery, cleaning and wrapping wounds, collecting test samples, and administering treatment plans. Skilled at managing clinic records, including laboratory documents, patient files, and medication/drug inventory. Exceptional diagnostic, treatment planning, critical thinking, and problem solving abilities. Consummate communicator with an approachable and friendly demeanor; committed to the delivery of exceptional patient care.
Employment history example
Veterinarian at ABC Animal Hospital, Cleveland, TN
2015 - 2023
Oversaw wellbeing of animals during periods of treatment, recovery, and boarding. Utilized active listening skills to understand concerns of pet owners; observed animal behavior and applied keen insight into medical history to provide diagnoses and develop treatment plans. Performed surgeries, including mass removals, dental extractions, neutering, and spaying. Obtained blood samples, inserted IV catheters, and conducted diagnostic tests. Managed drug inventory and hospital supplies; prepared technician schedules to ensure quality care and customer experience.
Key Accomplishments:
Played an instrumental role in the establishment of fast-paced, efficient walk-in small animal clinic, ensuring competent medical and surgical veterinary care.
Developed technician manuals and trained new employees to manage priorities in a high-volume setting.
Oversaw wellbeing of animals during periods of treatment, recovery, and boarding. Utilized active listening skills to understand concerns of pet owners; observed animal behavior and applied keen insight into medical history to provide diagnoses and develop treatment plans. Performed surgeries, including mass removals, dental extractions, neutering, and spaying. Obtained blood samples, inserted IV catheters, and conducted diagnostic tests. Managed drug inventory and hospital supplies; prepared technician schedules to ensure quality care and customer experience.
Key Accomplishments:
Played an instrumental role in the establishment of fast-paced, efficient walk-in small animal clinic, ensuring competent medical and surgical veterinary care.
Developed technician manuals and trained new employees to manage priorities in a high-volume setting.
Education example
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at St George's University School of Veterinary Medicine
Bachelor of Science in Biological Science at Lee University
Skills example
Veterinary Surgery & Medicine
Customer Relations
Staff Supervision & Training
Sampling/Laboratory Procedures
Medication Administration
