Case study

Jenny is a vet at Feelgood Vet Hospital

Job pathway

Strapper > rider > harvest worker > babysitter > kitchen hand > waitress > cherry picker > Veterinarian

Qualifications

BVSc

How did you end up working in your current job?

Applied via email to the practice after reading the advertisement on the Kookaburra website. After a few months of applying to other places, having interviews and even knocking back some offers I was still interested in Feelgood but still hadn't received a reply and heard that a friend had recently been for an interview and was thinking of accepting the job. So I then chased the practice up to find out if my application had been received. I was asked to come for an interview, so I flew up to see Feelgood the next week and spent a day with the practice, and then I was offered the job.

What skills do you use in your job?

I see dairy and beef cattle, lots of pregnancy testing and general herd health. I see horses for colic, lameness, reproductive etc; also do a lot of horse anaesthesias for extended surgeries. I see some sheep, mainly rams; some pig and goat work too. Small animal work involves everything including surgery, anaesthesia, consults etc. I also attend the local harness meets as the vet in charge.

What are some alternative jobs that you would be qualified for?

Not sure.

" There are a few jobs in my life that I have missed out on because I haven't been 100% sure in my mind that I wanted. I think the employer can sense this in the interview and this is what it comes down to...."

What do you think it was that got you the job over other applicants?

I was able to talk to both farmers and small animal clients. I really wanted the job and was prepared to accept it when it was offered. I had knowledge of the practice through friends who had done work experience here. I had already worked out my living arrangements with another new graduate who had gotten a job at one of the other practices in town. My referees said good things.

What advice would you give to students who have commenced a Veterinary Science degree and want to get a great job when they graduate?

Do a background check on the practice boss and vets before you accept the job. The best thing to do is to talk to someone who has worked there before. Also talk to other vets who may have knowledge about the practice or vets and you think that they will give you an honest opinion. Most people know someone who knows someone who used to work there or has seen them at a conference etc.

What were your biggest mistakes during your life when applying for jobs? How would you have done it better?

I guess there are a few jobs in my life that I have missed out on because I haven't been 100% sure in my mind that I wanted. I think the employer can sense this in the interview and this is what it comes down to. Also having seen a lot of vet students arrive at vet practices for interviews (happened while I was doing work experience), they all differed. However, the best ones didn't have more knowledge than the others, but it was obvious that they had already decided, before the interview, that they wanted THIS job and it wasn't just another interview for a job that they might accept.

What type of activities were you involved in at university and high school, and did they give you any skills that you use in your job now?

Horse riding.

What was the most surprising thing about working full time in Veterinary Science that you did not expect?

Not sure.

If you could go back to the start of your degree and change anything you did since then, what would it be?

Spend more time partying. Knowledge is important but 90% of it is attained in 5th year and after graduating. Confidence and communication are two things that you can't learn by studying, and they are more important.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?

I thought that I would perhaps go to the UK for a few years, but we will see. I think I'm on to a pretty good thing at this clinic and I don't know what will eventually tempt me to leave. I still have a few goals like working overseas and perhaps further study in some area, or perhaps part-owning a practice; however, at the moment my goal is to just get the reputation of being a 'good vet'.