Veterinary Assistant Resume Examples & Job Description

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Structure of a veterinary assistant resume

Veterinary assistants are critical to a functioning veterinary clinic and help to provide vital healthcare to our furry friends.

Candidates looking for a job as a vet’s assistant will need to show hiring managers and recruiters that they have the right skills and experience for the role. That includes knowledge of animal science and veterinary medicine, as well as a strong mix of technical and interpersonal skills.

The structure of your resume will usually depend on the resume format you choose. There are three resume formats you can choose from:

Chronological

The most popular format; focuses on employment history.

Functional

Good for candidates who want to show off their skills instead of experience. Entry-level candidates can use this format to make up for their lack of experience.

Combination

Good for applicants who want to show off a balance of experiences and skills.

Regardless of the type of resume format you choose, your resume should feature these sections:

• Resume header
• Summary/objective
• Skills
• Work history
• Education

Resume header

The resume header section is the first section of your resume and presents your contact information:

• Name
• Phone number
• Location (city and state)
• Email address

If you have lots of work experience and accomplishments, you can also include a link to professional networking sites – any links that provide the hiring manager with more information about your experience in animal hospitals or vet’s offices.

Resume summary or objective

The resume summary provides a rundown of your best skills and experiences. This section is usually two to three sentences long that aims to hook the recruiter and encourage them to keep reading your resume.

In this section, you should highlight useful skills, certifications or experience that fit what the job is looking for, and show that you can provide exemplary animal care.

If you don’t have a lot of work experience as a veterinary assistant, then you can use a resume objective. A resume objective sums up your career ambitions instead of your achievements. Briefly explain your intentions for the role and list skills that show you’re the right candidate.

Resume skills

Depending on the type of resume format you choose, the skills section might be the most dominant part of your resume. A functional resume will showcase skills instead of experience to make up for a lack of experience.  Your resume skills section should contain a mixture of both hard skills and soft skills.

Hard skills are role-specific and learned through training, with hiring managers usually expecting candidates to have these skills before applying. Soft skills such as communication and interpersonal abilities are transferable across many different industries and help to support candidates as they fulfill their primary responsibilities.

If you can’t think of the right assistant skills for your vet assistant resume, then consider including these bullet points for the best resume:

• Animal restraint
• Time management
• First aid
• Administrative tasks
• Sterilizing for surgical procedures
• Conducting X-rays
• Communication skills
• Knowledge of animal health
• Preparing exam rooms
• Use of veterinary technology
• Analyzing lab work and laboratory tests
• Microsoft Office
• Collecting urine samples via catheters
• Comforting animals in kennels
• Relaying information to pet owners
• Supporting the delivery of vaccines

Work history

Your work experience section will vary in length and depth depending on your experience. List your work history in reverse chronological order, starting from the most recent experience. This ensures that you provide the hiring manager with the most up-to-date information about your skills and experience.

Include your previous employer’s company name, location and the dates you worked there. Focus on featuring a few bullet points for each job, highlighting your top duties and achievements at the job.

Education

To become a veterinary assistant, you will need a high school diploma or an equivalent qualification. You should also how that you’ve completed a veterinary assistant program or completed formal training under the supervision of a veterinary technician or fully qualified vet.

If you went to college, then list your degree at the top of this section, alongside any notable achievements such as making the dean’s list or graduating with honors.

Do’s and don’ts for a veterinary assistant resume

Do:

• Use a resume template. Our resume templates offer a variety of employer-ready designs you can use to structure your resume.
• Study the job description. This will help you use the right keywords (e.g., skills and requirements) to help tailor your resume. This also helps you navigate applicant tracking systems (ATS) that employers use to scan resumes for these keywords.
• Use a resume builder that gives you job-specific suggestions to help create a resume with the right format and professional font that targets the job you want.

Don’t:

• Make your sentences too long. Stick to concise phrases and bullet points that recruiters can easily scan.
• List your high school GPA – your skills and work experiences are more important.
• Include employment information from over ten years ago that isn’t relevant to the role.

Need more suggestions? Have a look at our guide on how to make a resume.