3 answers
Adriana
Student
Katy, Texas
1
Question
Asked
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When did you realize you truly want to pursue your career?
I'm currently a high school senior and I've had the amazing opportunity to work in an animal hospital. I've had several "wow I love this job" moments, but once you become a professional, are there cases that have really stuck out and changed you?
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3 answers
Karen Shea
Veterinary technician
6
Answers
Lake Mary, Florida
Updated
Karen’s Answer
I knew from a very young age that I wanted to work in the animal industry. It was in high school that I developed an interest in veterinary medicine. I took Latin to boost my understanding of the medical terminology (I honestly don’t recommend it unless you’re going to medical school) While the Latin class did give me a broad meaning behind the medical term it doesn’t give any context.
I took honors chemistry, biology, English , and another course that escapes me right now. These were high school courses that were taught at a college level. I opted to take the credits that I earned and apply to the course deferment option that allowed for me to get a job in an industry that I had taken elective courses in. All I had taken was typing so I got a job at a furniture store for a very short while. That job was torture. I wanted to work with animals. I applied for a job as a kennel worker and asked my boss to tailor my weekly report to school to match my elective. He was happy to do so. This, my career in the veterinary profession began. After that job, I took another at a different hospital, same role. I did everything I could to get involved with helping the vet techs and the vets, learning everything I possibly could about the technician responsibilities and procedures. I was looking forward to eventually becoming a technician so I made another move to another hospital. The vet and I were not a good fit. I can’t say how long I was there but it wasn’t long before I was looking towards my next step, veterinary technician. I applied for a position as technician at an all animal hospital that was owned and operated by a married couple. She saw horses and larger animals plus animals you can’t or don’t want to bring to the hospital. He saw the rest. I had to learn so much. We saw companion animals, horses, goats, pigs, birds, reptiles, exotics and wildlife. I reveled in it. I enjoyed the diversity in patients and the different modalities of treatment. After about 4-6 months, the head technician left and I was offered the job. This increased my responsibilities to include medication and supply stock and ordering. The veterinarians were very supportive and educational in performing their jobs. They explained what they were doing and why. I learned about diagnostics, medication management practices and surgical techniques. I performed dental procedures and uncomplicated feline neutering. It fed my passion for animals.
After 4 years, I made a decision to seek something that paid more and took a job at a bank. I feel that this was the worst decision that I’ve ever made in my entire career. I have missed working with animals so much that it hurts, especially since I currently don’t own a pet. After 6 years working with the bank, I developed some health problems that required me to take a career break. That was in 2004. I have done some pet sitting jobs and taken care of my mother after knee surgery.
Now, it’s 2016. The whole application process has changed. You have AI filtering resumes before employers even see them. I still think the best process is to apply directly with the company. I would recommend that you keep that in mind when you apply for jobs. I had a professional work up my resume and LinkedIn profile and seek jobs through the company website. I have applied for adjuster for pet insurance, remote veterinary tech, customer support for pet care companies, etc. anything that involves pets. I have already interviewed for a job as a pet sitter. The job market is saturated with pet job seekers and you need to stand out I would sign up on LinkedIn and start to build your network. Career consultants, veterinarians, vet techs, anybody in the animal field. That way you’ll build a solid foundation for references and referrals. Job references that you can call on in the event of something like my situation where you’re only professional references go back more than 22 years and you get the referrals for the people who can get you noticed like the career coaches and resume experts. I’ve been lucky enough to have found much help on LinkedIn and I’m getting more and more noticed by more than scammers. I’m getting help right now to optimize my LinkedIn profile and get my resume ATS compliant.
As for an experience that changed me, well, while I was working for the all animal vets a very large gentleman, dressed all in leather motorcycle gear. He was your typical looking motorcycle gang guy. He carried with him a tiny little kitten. He brought it in to have its eyes checked because they were forming milky colored deposits pooling in the pupil. I found out from the vet that this was a common symptom of FIP, or feline infectious peritonitis, a nasty cat disease that takes many unfortunate lives. It was my responsibility to explain the options. Option 1. Provide supportive treatment and hope the kitten can fight off the disease or 2. Euthanize her without giving her a chance. I explain to him the process of euthanasia and how humane it is in practice. I explained the benefits of treatment and the importance to understand that treatment came with no guarantees. Happily, he opted for treatment. I didn’t see him for 6 months and he brought in a beautiful, soft and silky, clear eyed juvenile cat. I was floored. I learned that day that where there’s life, there’s hope in some circumstances you have to let go and let God, meaning that it’s out of your hands and all you can do is give supportive care and keep the animal comfortable, giving the healing over to God’s hands because you have done all that you can and it’s up to Him as to what this pet’s purpose is in His plan. This is how I prevent taking the hard cases home with me. You have to develop a distinct separation between work and home life. You cannot take your work home with you. Leave it at work. Your specific implementation of the technique that works for you is up to you to find.
I’m ready to dip my toe back in the employment pool and get back to my God given purpose, the care and well being of animals. I hope my experience has helped you in some small way. If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out. I’m rooting for you. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
I took honors chemistry, biology, English , and another course that escapes me right now. These were high school courses that were taught at a college level. I opted to take the credits that I earned and apply to the course deferment option that allowed for me to get a job in an industry that I had taken elective courses in. All I had taken was typing so I got a job at a furniture store for a very short while. That job was torture. I wanted to work with animals. I applied for a job as a kennel worker and asked my boss to tailor my weekly report to school to match my elective. He was happy to do so. This, my career in the veterinary profession began. After that job, I took another at a different hospital, same role. I did everything I could to get involved with helping the vet techs and the vets, learning everything I possibly could about the technician responsibilities and procedures. I was looking forward to eventually becoming a technician so I made another move to another hospital. The vet and I were not a good fit. I can’t say how long I was there but it wasn’t long before I was looking towards my next step, veterinary technician. I applied for a position as technician at an all animal hospital that was owned and operated by a married couple. She saw horses and larger animals plus animals you can’t or don’t want to bring to the hospital. He saw the rest. I had to learn so much. We saw companion animals, horses, goats, pigs, birds, reptiles, exotics and wildlife. I reveled in it. I enjoyed the diversity in patients and the different modalities of treatment. After about 4-6 months, the head technician left and I was offered the job. This increased my responsibilities to include medication and supply stock and ordering. The veterinarians were very supportive and educational in performing their jobs. They explained what they were doing and why. I learned about diagnostics, medication management practices and surgical techniques. I performed dental procedures and uncomplicated feline neutering. It fed my passion for animals.
After 4 years, I made a decision to seek something that paid more and took a job at a bank. I feel that this was the worst decision that I’ve ever made in my entire career. I have missed working with animals so much that it hurts, especially since I currently don’t own a pet. After 6 years working with the bank, I developed some health problems that required me to take a career break. That was in 2004. I have done some pet sitting jobs and taken care of my mother after knee surgery.
Now, it’s 2016. The whole application process has changed. You have AI filtering resumes before employers even see them. I still think the best process is to apply directly with the company. I would recommend that you keep that in mind when you apply for jobs. I had a professional work up my resume and LinkedIn profile and seek jobs through the company website. I have applied for adjuster for pet insurance, remote veterinary tech, customer support for pet care companies, etc. anything that involves pets. I have already interviewed for a job as a pet sitter. The job market is saturated with pet job seekers and you need to stand out I would sign up on LinkedIn and start to build your network. Career consultants, veterinarians, vet techs, anybody in the animal field. That way you’ll build a solid foundation for references and referrals. Job references that you can call on in the event of something like my situation where you’re only professional references go back more than 22 years and you get the referrals for the people who can get you noticed like the career coaches and resume experts. I’ve been lucky enough to have found much help on LinkedIn and I’m getting more and more noticed by more than scammers. I’m getting help right now to optimize my LinkedIn profile and get my resume ATS compliant.
As for an experience that changed me, well, while I was working for the all animal vets a very large gentleman, dressed all in leather motorcycle gear. He was your typical looking motorcycle gang guy. He carried with him a tiny little kitten. He brought it in to have its eyes checked because they were forming milky colored deposits pooling in the pupil. I found out from the vet that this was a common symptom of FIP, or feline infectious peritonitis, a nasty cat disease that takes many unfortunate lives. It was my responsibility to explain the options. Option 1. Provide supportive treatment and hope the kitten can fight off the disease or 2. Euthanize her without giving her a chance. I explain to him the process of euthanasia and how humane it is in practice. I explained the benefits of treatment and the importance to understand that treatment came with no guarantees. Happily, he opted for treatment. I didn’t see him for 6 months and he brought in a beautiful, soft and silky, clear eyed juvenile cat. I was floored. I learned that day that where there’s life, there’s hope in some circumstances you have to let go and let God, meaning that it’s out of your hands and all you can do is give supportive care and keep the animal comfortable, giving the healing over to God’s hands because you have done all that you can and it’s up to Him as to what this pet’s purpose is in His plan. This is how I prevent taking the hard cases home with me. You have to develop a distinct separation between work and home life. You cannot take your work home with you. Leave it at work. Your specific implementation of the technique that works for you is up to you to find.
I’m ready to dip my toe back in the employment pool and get back to my God given purpose, the care and well being of animals. I hope my experience has helped you in some small way. If you have any other questions please feel free to reach out. I’m rooting for you. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Cassandra Sutton
Disabled
110
Answers
Antigo, Wisconsin
Updated
Cassandra’s Answer
For me it was an understanding of how much good i can do and how I could help both the owners and animals, its deeply satisfying.
Cliff Schreier
70
Answers
Rochester, Minnesota
Updated
Cliff’s Answer
Adriana,
Looking back on my work career, I think the times that changed me the most were related to situations like these:
- Times when we had to pull together to meet a deadline or solve a difficult problem. It made me realize we all had talents to offer and when we worked together, we were unstoppable. It's not something you can 'create out of nothing', but if you work hard and volunteer for stretch assignments, these moments will happen for you.
- When I had great mentors or feedback from people who made me truly look at myself and evaluate my actions or skills. You truly grow when you are challenged. It's really easy to just 'float along' through life and not really think about where you stand on issues. I think everyone should have at least one mentor and ask people for feedback on a regular basis to truly understand how you're doing.
- When I volunteered to help others who truly needed help: I've done everything from tornado cleanup to volunteer at non-profits to math tutoring. When you give up your time to help others, I think you get back a lot more in return. Who knows, someday you might need help yourself?
- When I was able to lend my experience and expertise to others and get their feedback on its worth. This obviously takes a while to achieve, but it's truly gratifying.
- When you step up to do things that nobody else wants to do and you do a good job. I was a soccer coach for 1st graders (I had no experience) who were just starting out and one game we were getting scored on a lot and the opposing coach asked if we wanted to end the game early (i.e. mercy rule). I said that we were going to continue and at halftime, they were down but I lifted them up with my words to work together. The second half they did that and scored a goal! We were all SO excited and we celebrated as if we won even though the score was very lopsided in the end. It turned out that the coordinator of the whole soccer program had seen this unfold and told me he wished every coach would model my behavior. I wasn't looking for praise, but I was very proud of the team and how much they grew out of adversity. It had a big impact on me.
- When you challenge yourself and do something you didn't think you could do. I was a short distance jogger when I was younger, and someone asked me to do a half-marathon to pair up with him, so we'd complete a full marathon. I said yes and trained for it but got hurt about a month prior to the race. He told me to just rest and show up for the race and do my best. I was very worried and started out very slowly and after 7 miles, I realized that I only had 6 miles left which was a distance I had run multiple times during training. I was sure I could finish the race and picked up my pace and finished the race with the same time as my partner. He was very surprised and I was proud that I had dug deep and succeeded. Challenges generate more growth than comfort/relaxation.
I hope this helps and makes some sense to you. Good luck to you in your career and in life. Take care.
Looking back on my work career, I think the times that changed me the most were related to situations like these:
- Times when we had to pull together to meet a deadline or solve a difficult problem. It made me realize we all had talents to offer and when we worked together, we were unstoppable. It's not something you can 'create out of nothing', but if you work hard and volunteer for stretch assignments, these moments will happen for you.
- When I had great mentors or feedback from people who made me truly look at myself and evaluate my actions or skills. You truly grow when you are challenged. It's really easy to just 'float along' through life and not really think about where you stand on issues. I think everyone should have at least one mentor and ask people for feedback on a regular basis to truly understand how you're doing.
- When I volunteered to help others who truly needed help: I've done everything from tornado cleanup to volunteer at non-profits to math tutoring. When you give up your time to help others, I think you get back a lot more in return. Who knows, someday you might need help yourself?
- When I was able to lend my experience and expertise to others and get their feedback on its worth. This obviously takes a while to achieve, but it's truly gratifying.
- When you step up to do things that nobody else wants to do and you do a good job. I was a soccer coach for 1st graders (I had no experience) who were just starting out and one game we were getting scored on a lot and the opposing coach asked if we wanted to end the game early (i.e. mercy rule). I said that we were going to continue and at halftime, they were down but I lifted them up with my words to work together. The second half they did that and scored a goal! We were all SO excited and we celebrated as if we won even though the score was very lopsided in the end. It turned out that the coordinator of the whole soccer program had seen this unfold and told me he wished every coach would model my behavior. I wasn't looking for praise, but I was very proud of the team and how much they grew out of adversity. It had a big impact on me.
- When you challenge yourself and do something you didn't think you could do. I was a short distance jogger when I was younger, and someone asked me to do a half-marathon to pair up with him, so we'd complete a full marathon. I said yes and trained for it but got hurt about a month prior to the race. He told me to just rest and show up for the race and do my best. I was very worried and started out very slowly and after 7 miles, I realized that I only had 6 miles left which was a distance I had run multiple times during training. I was sure I could finish the race and picked up my pace and finished the race with the same time as my partner. He was very surprised and I was proud that I had dug deep and succeeded. Challenges generate more growth than comfort/relaxation.
I hope this helps and makes some sense to you. Good luck to you in your career and in life. Take care.