I have addressed the topic of “burning bridges” in a person’s Animal Health or Veterinary career on multiple occasions. And while I am going to touch upon that topic once again in this article, my overriding focus is “building bridges” instead. However, let us touch upon “burning bridges” first. Below are some examples of destructive professional behavior: “Ghosting” an employer in a variety of situations, including an interview, the offer of employment, or your first day of work. Taking credit for achievements that are not actually yours. Assigning blame to someone else for your shortcomings ..read more

As a recruiter and search consultant for more than 26 years, I know how easy it is to get into a “career rut.” However, before a person finds themselves in such a position, they’ve usually succumbed to something called “career drifting.” The problem is that some people don’t even realize that they’re “drifting” in their Animal Health or Veterinary career, and by the time they do, they’ve wasted precious time. This is time that they could have been using to move forward and grow their career instead of moving steadily into a “career rut.” So let’s address the topic of “drifting” and how you can ..read more

There are few things in life that are potentially as stressful as changing jobs. In fact, it is generally agreed upon that there are three such things: Getting married Having a baby Moving Pity the people who have done all three and also did so while changing jobs, because it has happened. Those people lived through their transitions, in many cases better for it—and that’s the theme of this article. Because while the prospect of switching jobs might be scary or stressful, the reality of the situation is that embracing change can be good for you in the long run. 11 Ways Embracing Change is Go ..read more

I have written about this before, but I am addressing it again because it remains critical to the success of a person’s professional life: career growth and advancement require a strategic and proactive approach. And this is certainly true of the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. One way that you can be proactive—and by extension, more successful—is by positioning yourself as a passive candidate in your Animal Health or Veterinary career. This means that even if you are not actively looking for a new position, you can be ready to take advantage of one if it becomes available or ..read more

Last month, I wrote an article titled, “How to Get a New Veterinarian Job to Help Grow Your Career in 2024.” As an executive recruiter and search consultant for the past 25+ years, I possess a certain amount of expertise in terms of landing a new veterinarian job. However, I also recognize that getting a new job is NOT the only way to grow your Animal Health or Veterinary career. There are, of course, other avenues and strategies that you can use to experience such growth, regardless of whether or not you explore other employment opportunities in the year ahead. Grow Your Animal Health Career ..read more

With less than one month left in the year, the job market for veterinarians in 2024 remains highly favorable, and candidates continue to hold significant leverage in most hiring situations. As has been the case in the past, this situation particularly benefits the top 5% to 10% of candidates who are considered the best in the field. Once again, the unemployment rate in the Veterinary profession was nearly non-existent in 2023. Then, in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual data on the job market. According to the BLS, veterinarian jobs are expected to grow 20% between t ..read more

I have written before about how to make a lasting impression as a job candidate in the hiring process. But what about the face-to-face interview specifically? I have also discussed how to answer the question, “Why should we hire you?” However, what does an interviewer (or interviewers) first notice about you before the interview even begins? The answer may surprise you: they notice a lot! The moment you walk into the interview room (or appear on the screen if it is an online interview or video interview), the interviewer begins forming initial perceptions about you. From your appearance to you ..read more

The face-to-face interview is one of the most important stages of the recruiting and hiring process. That’s because it represents the opportunity for both the job candidate and the employer to make the best possible impression upon each other. And yes, both the candidate and the people who are interviewing the candidate should strive to “put their best foot forward” and make a favorable impression. This is especially the case in a candidate-driven market like the one that we’re currently experiencing. And even though candidates today hold the majority of the leverage in hiring situations, you ..read more

There are a couple of things that I probably do not have to tell you. First, the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession can be stressful at times, especially the latter. Second, the phrase “work-life balance” has been prevalent during the past several years, especially in regard to the workforce and workplace and in terms of what job candidates and employees want. However, I am writing this article to suggest that attaining “work-life balance” may NOT be the ultimate goal. Instead, the goal may be to achieve “work-life integration.” Work-life Balance vs. Work-Life Integration The Ani ..read more

The title of this article is a question that I have heard from a few candidates during the past year or so. As you might imagine, there is a good reason why someone would ask that question. The reason is that we are in a candidate-driven market. This is especially the case in the Veterinary profession, even more so when it comes to veterinarians. There are more veterinarian job openings than there are qualified candidates in the job market to fill them. So once again: “Why do I need a recruiter if there are so many jobs?” As an executive recruiter and Veterinary recruiter for more than 25 year ..read more