In December we hosted Surrey Vet School’s Final Year Careers day; a day full of career support, inspiration and networking to help Surrey’s Final Years make their next career steps. New connections were fostered, values aligned, roles shared employers showcased, pathways discovered, and plenty of pizza eaten! Prior to the day, we asked the VSGD and Spoonholders communities what their top tips were for transitioning into new graduate life, and here’s what they had to say… “Practice the phrase "I'm not sure, but I will ask my colleague who has a particular interest in these sorts of cases." It ..read more

We wanted to have fewer square pegs in round holes when it came to careers. We wanted to encourage salary transparency. We wanted to feature organisations that showcased the humans behind the job ad.s What have we learned from two years as a recruitment platform for the veterinary profession? Well, firstly only with thanks to our over 200 “Stay, Go and Diversify” clients, and combined viewing figures from our community of almost 40,000 hits. We are super proud that so many of you have chosen us to showcase your organisation and opportunities. With your help, we were the first to  Ensure ..read more

We loved hosting our second session with Conservation Careers with those that have made the career switch to conservation from all walks of life, not just veterinary! I think it is easy to forget as veterinary professionals how “close” we already are to being able to make that switch with our veterinary passports Science ✅ Communication skills ✅ Knowledge of animals ✅ Project management skills ✅ AND so much more! We have compiled these top 10 snippet pieces of career-switching advice from the session. You can watch back the whole shebang here too and why not check out our Pathfinder Progr ..read more

If you are thinking about diversifying but are not sure where to start, well, you wouldn’t be the first one to feel confused or overwhelmed. We frequently get asked “how to diversify”, “where do you start?” and a few “I’m struggling to work this out - help!” type messages. It can be pretty daunting to think about how to work out what you want, and then, how to achieve it. So VSGD founder Ebony has compiled a list of practical steps to help you create a strategy for success. 1. First things first, you cannot just WANT to diversify. Running away from something you in practice or any other job fo ..read more

By Holly Sutton I remember the day we were told to go home; I was staying in a caravan in Essex for my equine IMR. Less horse-y than most, part of me was relieved to be going home to my own bed for a while. In the 6 months leading up to this event, I’d lived out of my smart car and a suitcase and was longing to be in one place for a while. Ironically, a lockdown wasn’t what I had in mind.   Everything was unknown for so many of us, and we were learning as we went along. Us new grads were preparing ourselves for a myriad of emotions that the first few clinical years as a graduate ar ..read more

  By Alena Gadoury & Joanna Aitken of VSGD Downunder Dr Jocelyn Birch-Baker is bridging the gap and has found a successful way to have a thriving business that is also a mother-friendly veterinary practice. “New systems and values need to be put into place so that we can all achieve our goal of being” Keep reading to learn more… VSGD - DU Mental Health & Mindfulness Q&A with Dr Jocelyn Birch-Baker What is your background, and why did you diversify to create “Smooth Operating Vets” By the time I graduated from the University of Queensland in 1983, 50% of vet graduates were wome ..read more

By Lacey Pitcher Neurodiversity seems to be a word that is becoming more noticeable over the past year or so, but to me it's an umbrella of labels I’ve been aware of for as long as I can remember. As a society and profession we seem to like a label. It helps us know what to say or even what best to google, but what if, instead of labels we looked at skills? Neurodiversity quite simply means that my brain functions differently to others. Not less. In understanding those differences and harnessing their power we can achieve brilliant things. After all, if we all saw the world from the same pers ..read more

By Ben Sullivan from IMV Imaging Prepare yourself for some tough love You desperately want some new equipment for your practice. You have asked your manager many, many times, but they don’t seem to listen, and you still do not have the new equipment. It’s so frustrating! Well, you were warned, and the problem may not be your manager, it could actually be you… Put yourself in your manager’s position. You are probably one of many in the practice or region who is constantly asking them for capital to spend on new equipment. To really make an impression and be more effective, think like a busin ..read more

  By Lacey Pitcher Image source: Mark Tegethoff, Unsplash With shortages across the country in various roles, I’ve been reflecting more recently like so many on my own work patterns. I’ve been working nights for over half of my career and it certainly works well for me, most of the time. Like anything there are pros and cons but I often get frustrated with some of the misconceptions, so I thought I’d go through them. So what brought me here? Well, as a freshly graduated RVN I fell into a head nurse role. One I hadn’t wanted but had been overjoyed that someone saw potential in me. In trut ..read more

By Joleen at Zaman Interview Mistakes You Might Not Realise You’re Making The interview stage of the hiring process can be tricky, to say the least. You’re trying to make a good impression and highlight yourself in the best way possible, but things don’t always go as you’ve planned them. Slip ups can happen. A lot of the time, you’re not even aware that those things are happening.  Eliminate interview mistakes before the interview starts Even if the employer decides to not make an offer of employment to you and even if you decide that the job is not the right position for you, it’s still ..read more