INDUSTRY STATS
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Veterinary Technician positions are at a 15% growth rate, which is faster than average. With that said, there are currently 114,400 jobs in the market right now. The total number of jobs is expected to increase by 17,100 to 131,500 in the period of 2020-30.
What’s more, the median annual wage for the Veterinary Technician jobs was $36,260 in May 2020. The lowest 10% earned less than $25,520, and the highest 10% more than $52,410.
Our conclusion? The Veterinary Technician job market is wide open for candidates.
Top veterinary technician sections that make the best resume
- Header
- Professional summary
- Experience (with numbers and results)
- Relevant skills
- Education
- Certifications
How to write a Veterinary Technician resume experience section
Veterinary technician resume experience: checklist
- Use either chronological or reverse-chronological format when listing your previous jobs;
- Mention only relevant positions that add value to your resume;
- Briefly state the challenges you’ve faced and how you’ve overcome them;
- Highlight the results from your efforts (for bonus points, add numbers, percentage rates, etc.);
- Forget about buzzwords! Use power verbs instead.
Use the examples below to build your own experience section!
- Provide treatment and care for animals including vaccination, examination, performance of medical treatments (i.e. bandaging, nail clipping, ear cleaning etc.), and assist with euthanasia.
- Observe pre and post-surgery animals for any difficulty with anesthesia. Medicate animals as directed.
- Proficient in drawing blood, placing I.V. catheters and taking x-rays.
- Produce radio-graphs, collect and analyze samples.
- Monitor the health of the animals on an ongoing basis and rapidly identify any health problems or conditions (medical or behavioral).
- Maintain inventory of medications and treatment supplies.
- prepared animals for procedures, scrubbing, ensuring correct equipment was available, etc
- restrained horses for pre-race medications and chiropractic appointments
- performed certain procedures such as blood draws, IV injections, mass removals, and castrations under the supervision of Dr. David McCoy
- Acted as interim technician supervisor when needed by directing the flow of the hospital for 10+ technicians and 5 DVMs, as well as helping develop the monthly technician work schedule
- Maintained detailed medical records, inputted patient charges, and prepared medication for clients
- Performed proper animal restraint/handling, vaccine administration, venipuncture, ultrasound guided cystocentesis, IV catheter placement, ear/skin cytology, fecal flotations, doppler blood pressure readings, and digital radiography
- Assisted in elective and non-elective surgical procedures: patient preparation, anesthesia monitoring, intra-op care, dental prophylaxis & charting, and full mouth digital dental radiography
- Monitored hospitalized patients undergoing fluid therapy and/or observation while providing any requested treatments
- Educated clients on numerous topics, from the importance of preventative care to long-term treatment of chronic diseases to surgery discharge instructions
- Assisted with training newly hired employees to become skilled veterinary technicians
- Maintain detailed medical records, input charges, and prepare medication for clients
- Educate clients on various topics, from the importance of preventative care to surgical discharge instructions
- Train newly hired technicians in standard operating procedures of the hospital
- Perform animal restraint/handling, vaccine administration, venipuncture, IV catheter placement and digital radiography
- Disinfect and sterilize equipment and instruments via an autoclave
- Assist in elective and non-elective surgical procedures - patient preparation, anesthesia monitoring, intra-op care and recovery
- Perform dental prophylaxis, dental charting, and full mouth digital dental radiographs
- Calculate and administer fluids and medications
- Monitor hospitalized patients undergoing fluid therapy and/or observation
- Team lead for the surgery department working closely with surgeons in all aspects of surgeries.
- Worked in the rehabilitation department with post surgical, geriatric and obese patients striving to increase the functions of their joints and muscles to improve the quality of life using several modalities including underwater treadmill and laser therapy.
- Performed radiographs on all orthopedic surgical patients
- First University to become a Hospital Level I Facility from VECCS
- Worked with Residents, DVM, and Veterinary Technician personnel
- Documented and worked directly with rare infectious cases that demanded reporting to CDC
- Successfully maintained patient care and reported changes to DVM staff and referrals for specialists during patient transfers in four story veterinary teaching hospital
- Expanded technical skills to reduce DVM workload
- Moved from Emergency to Surgical Nurse when pursued for that role from supervisory staff
- Point personnel for all controlled substances log and back supply stock and perfected on site data in DEA log books
- Point personnel of weekly inventory needs and documentation of all shipments for Racine campus
- Took on additional shifts when needed at all three locations for ER & Surgery
- Held supervisory codes for on site Pixis
- Trained new staff of assistants and technicians
- Client customer service, emergent and non-emergent.
- Monitor anesthesia and surgery preparation.
- Injections: SQ, IM, IV, and catheterization.
- Being able to manage high stress environments.
- Fear Free Certified.
- Answered multiple line phone system for busy 24 hour emergency hospital responded to questions regarding pricing, services and processing financial transactions for clients.
- Pitched in with laundry duties, including washing, drying and folding towels during busy periods. Ensuring consistent workflow as well as organized and restocked supplies and pet food.
- Conducted initial Triage exams on pets, took vital signs & recognized if emergency care is needed, collected and documented animal information such as weight, temperature, heart rate and lung sounds.
- Initiated & certified in emergency interventions such as resuscitative oxygen procedures and external cardiac massage, administered and applied treatments, drugs, oxygen therapy and medications as well as Documented and tracked all treatment activities.
- Scrubbed, counted and packed surgical instruments & drapes into surgi-packs for autoclave sterilization, monitored patient vital signs during surgical procedures, and notified veterinarian of changes in stability.
- Restrained and stabilized animals during examination and treatment to safeguard against accidental injuries & prepared and labeled medications and informed client of administration techniques.
- Assisted veterinarian with examining animals, treatment and prepared animals for surgery, including clipping, scrubbing, and disinfecting operative site.
- Performed venipunctures, restrained and managed scared and active animals, cleaned and disinfected kennels and common areas to reduce spread of illness from infected animals.
- Assisted the preparation & completion of all surgical procedures according to doctors’ requests & clinic protocols.
- Checked patients into rooms which included: obtaining information such as history & vitals, transcribing said information into the computer, & relaying it to the doctor.
- Educated clients about various diseases & vaccinations prior to drawing up & administering shots.
- Mastered client communication & customer service i.e. scheduled appointments, provided callbacks/follow-ups, & explained estimates.
- Operated various computer programs to enter patient charges, fill prescriptions, create labels, & create estimates.
- Advise customers on basic needs and procedures for their pet family member.
- Monitored post op care of animals.
- On-call emergency needs for overnight guests.
- Detailed notes of daily interactions with customers.
- Key duties included anesthetic monitoring, taking radiographs, preparing and running lab work, bandaging, assisting the vet
- Continuously working in a high stakes environment while being calm and confident preforming tasks under pressure
- Worked together with my colleagues to develop the Standard Operating Procedures for the clinic
- Experienced with answering phone calls, emails and other administrative tasks while helping reception everyday
- Provide administrative and diagnostic support
- Manage 5 calendars and an average of 400 appointments a week
- Prepare client correspondence
- Maintain and update medical records into electronic document management system
- Operation and maintenance of lab diagnostic equipment
- Provided administrative and diagnostic support
- Managed 4 calendars and an average of 300 appointments a week
- Prepared client correspondence
- Maintained and updated medical records into electronic document management system
- Operated and performed maintenance on lab diagnostic equipment
- Implemented and increased accuracy of state mandated controlled drug logs and reported dispensed drug logs to the state
- Monitored inventory daily and provide weekly report of required supplies for purchase
- Answered phones in a professional manner, provided answers when possible and transferred calls or took messages when necessary
- Scheduled and managed 3 calendars and an average of 200 appointments a week
- Maintained and updated medical records into electronic document management system
- Filed physical medical records appropriately
- Operated and performed maintenance on lab diagnostic equipment
- Increased proficiency and accuracy of state mandated controlled drug logs and reported dispensed drug logs to the state
- Monitored inventory daily and provided weekly report of required supplies for purchase
PRO TIP
Make sure to relate your experience to your job description, but never lie. That’s not tolerated and will show up in the face-to-face interview later on.
Action verbs for your veterinary technician resume
Recommended Reads:
Veterinary technician resume: The skills section!
How to write a strong veterinary technician resume skills section?
- Make sure to include all types of skills - soft, hard, technical;
- Focus on skills that show your expertise in the field;
- Check the job description for keywords and make sure to add them to your resume – this will help you pass ATS;
- Leave room for discussion – elaborate on some of your strongest skills in other sections of your resume
Top skills for your veterinary technician resume
Calabrio
ADP Workforce
Google Product Suite
HIPAA
PCI Compliance
Lab Tech
AU680
ADVIA2120i
Qbench
Communication
Compassion
Patience
Flexibility, adaptability, and emotional stability
Proactive, ethical, and responsible nature
Honesty
Team-player
Strong work ethic
Time management
PRO TIP
Add a Talent Section to your resume, where you can pick your top 3 soft skills and describe how you used them to complete a project or balance departmental communication.
Veterinary technician resume header: Tips, red flags, and best practices
Checklist for your veterinary technician resume header
- Your name and surname in a legible and larger resume font
- The job title you’re applying for or your current job title as a subheading to your name
- Link to your portfolio or online profile, such as LinkedIn
- Address (City and State for the US; just your city for rest of the world)
- Email address
- Headshot (required or welcomed in the EU; not required and sometimes frowned upon in the US)
Stick to popular email providers such as Gmail or Outlook. And use these professional formats to create your username:
- first.last@gmail.com
- last.first@gmail.com
- firstlast@gmail.com
- f.last@gmail.com
- first.l@gmail.com
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
Some companies, states, and countries have policies about identifying information like photos on your Veterinary Technician resume. Be sure to check all the relevant rules before submitting yours. If you’re in doubt, you can always try contacting the company’s HR department to ask for their policy.
A career summary for your veterinary technician resume
Things to include in your veterinary technician resume summary:
- Your total years of experience in the industry;
- 2-3 of your most remarkable achievements so far;
- How your experience relates to the position you’re applying for;
- A very brief description of your strengths.
Resume summary formula:
PRO TIP
You’re not going to get hired simply because of a good summary or objective. However, your recruiter can bump you up in front of similarly experienced candidates who didn’t demonstrate such passion and drive.
Recommended reads:
Veterinary technician resume: the education section
Things to include in your resume's education section:
- Your highest education degree – including course, year of graduation, institution;
- Awards received as part of your education;
- Extracurricular activities that have helped you gain relevant skills;
- Certifications that have helped you master new skills and increase your expertise;
- Entry-level applicants only: relevant courses and projects.
Top certifications for your veterinary technician resume
Vet Recommended Dog Care For A Happy, Healthy Dog & Puppy
Dog care for dog owners with licensed veterinary technician + best animal pet health tips for your dog & puppy
Become a Pharmacy Technician
A Video Study Guide for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam
Approach to hemorrhagic shock in small animals (veterinary)
Everything you need to know about diagnosis and treatment of severe hemorrhagic shock in small animals.
Mastering Veterinary Calculations
Important Veterinary Calculations you should master before graduation
Approach to hypokalemia in dogs and cats (veterinary)
Everything you need to know to diagnose and treat potassium disorders in dogs and cats
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you hold a certain major and a minor, your majors should be mentioned first.
Choosing the right format for your veterinary technician resume
In general, there are three basic formats for your resume:
- Reverse-chronological resume format;
- Functional skills-based resume format;
- Combination (or Hybrid) resume format.
Some things to consider when choosing the right format for your Veterinary Technician resume include the stage of your career, whether you have all the right skills required for the job or are looking for an industry change, and what field you’re looking to grow in.
The reverse-chronological resume format is the most common one. It lets you describe your most recent job and then move backward. This makes it great for people who have around or less than 10 years of experience and are looking to highlight only their work-related skills and qualities.
If you’re just starting your career journey and reverse-chronological resumes sound too demanding, go for the functional resume format. It’s ideal for showcasing your strengths, personal qualities, skills, education, and the courses you’ve taken, without putting too much pressure on experience and expertise.
Don’t worry if neither of these sounds suitable for you – the hybrid or combination resume format will surely match your needs. It’s similar to the reverse-chronological, but with a catchy twist. Combination or hybrid resumes are great for showcasing both your experience and work-related skills and your personal qualities. Add a “What my day looks like” section for enhancing the jaw-dropping experience!
Here are some more things worth remembering when it comes to formatting your Veterinary Technician resume:
- Choose standard 1-inch resume margins;
- Go for traditional resume fonts sized 10-12p;
- Match the length of your Veterinary Technician resume with your experience – choose a one-page template if you have less than 10 years of experience, and be careful with two-page templates – use them only when applying for executive positions;
- Save your resume in PDF to avoid formatting issues and potential unauthorized editing.
Tired of getting rejected? Check out this article on how to craft a resume that stands out!
Recommended reads:
PRO TIP
If you feel that you don’t have high chances in a particular company, due to lack of relevant experience, then you can still consider using a creative layout. That might help you get noticed and invited for an interview, as most of the other applicants will have boring resume designs.
Other sections suitable for your veterinary technician resume
Depending on the position and the industry, you can spice your resume up by adding some more sections. They will help the recruiter get a glimpse of who you are as a person, besides all your job-related skills and qualities.
Here are some examples:
How to add creativity to your veterinary technician resume
Gone are the days when creative resumes were frowned upon by recruiters!
What’s more, the right amount of creativity will make recruiters remember you and want to learn more about who you are – both as an individual and as a professional.
There are two ways to build a creative resume - add creative sections or go for a more creative design approach in general. Go for whatever suits you, the position, and the industry most!
What makes a great veterinary technician resume: key takeaways
- Choose a resume layout that sends the right message across and fits your current career situation;
- Create a resume header that shows your desired job title, and easy to find contact numbers;
- Be specific about your experience, accomplishments and future goals in your summary;
- Feature detailed metrics and specific examples that show the impact you made in your previous roles when describing your experience;
- List soft skills backed by examples;
- Add all of your technical skills and certifications that you have and match the job description;
- Show off a dash of personality in your resume that will demonstrate your culture fit and the right mix of hard and soft skills.
