Interview tips for veterinary technicians.

Dr. Marie replied:

Hey, that's a great question! Congrats on your new career! Did you see the article I just wrote about veterinary technicians?

I have been involved in hiring a lot of vet techs and other veterinary staff. I would say that the MOST important thing I have found when I am doing an interview is that I feel that the person has a good attitude and will get along well with my staff. Don't be afraid to joke around a little and talk about non work related things like a movie you just saw or the Oscars or something like that.

A big turn off for me is when a potential job candidate speaks poorly of their previous clinic or employer. Even if you've had a bad experience, try to honor any previous employers and other vet clinics. My thought is that if they speak badly of them, they will likely speak poorly of me one day. It also makes me think that there is a possibility that the candidate has issues with authority.

This may seem whacky, but something *I* would do if I were in your shoes is to show up with a bunch of cupcakes. I would put a sign on the container saying, "Suck Up Cupcakes". If it came down to deciding between you and someone else, if you've brought cupcakes for the staff that could actually make the difference.

Then, there are common sense things like make sure that you dress nicely. I am amazed at how many people come to a job interview with ripped jeans and a t-shirt. If you wear piercings in unusual places, remove them. A job interview is not a place to make a statement.

If you are in the waiting room and there are clients there, then interact with them and their pets. I want to see a vet tech who loves interacting with people and will make my clients happy. I've met a few who are great with animals but terrified of talking with people.

Another thing you can do is do some research on the clinic. It's great to say to the manager things like, "So you guys have been in business 15 years now. That's great!", or, "I saw that your clinic just gave $2000 to the ABC fund!"...and then research to find out what the ABC fund is about.

You want to make sure that you have good references, hopefully from veterinary sources. If you don't, then if you're having trouble getting a job it may be worthwhile to volunteer at the animal shelter or something similar.

As far as knowledge goes, if you are a new grad, don't be worried that you don't know everything. I don't expect that in a new grad. But I want to see a willingness to learn. If you get a working interview where you get to work for a day and you have to put a catheter in a kitten and can't get it, don't worry. What I want to see is that you can handle the pressure ok and don't get stressed and freak out.

Hopefully those tips help. This has been an interesting question. I will likely write an article soon about the topic!

Dr. Marie.


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Dr. Marie replied:

Glad you liked it. :) I just recently published some information about sharing stuff from my site: Sharing info from AskAVetQuestion.com. If you have questions, let me know.

Dr. Marie.