Careers

Working as a vet is a very rewarding career with great job satisfaction; however you will need to prepare for a lot of hard work, responsibility and stress. It is important to remember that as well as treating the animal the owner often needs a great deal of support so good communication skills are essential. There are several avenues to pursue from general practice to the army to laboratory work! Many vets choose to specialise in their career however most vets begin in general practice.

Work Experience

This is very important when thinking about being a vet. Whilst at school you should aim to do work experience in a variety of vets involving small animals (such as cats and dogs), farm and equine. This is important to learn what is involved being a vet as it can be very different to how you imagine. Aim to do work experience on a variety of farms including pigs, cows and sheep to learn more about the farming industry. It can be beneficial to do some work experience in an abattoir too as it can really make your application stand out. Although not very glamorous it is a very important part of the veterinary industry.

Work experience gives you the opportunity to work with different animals in different situations and get a feel for what is involved. Whilst at university the majority of your holidays will be taken up with work experience which is normally unpaid so a great deal of dedication is necessary.