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:
Header
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.
Resume Summary or Objective
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.
Skills
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:
- Passion for animal care
- Knowledge of diagnostic tests
- Conducting vaccinations
- Performing dental procedures
- Spaying/neutering
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent communication skillsAttention to detail
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- Ability to work under pressure
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.
Work Experience
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.
Education
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.
