How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

les punton — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:14:04 GMT

i couldnt get into the place i wanted so done animal care and management hnd for 2 years then still no joy so worked in a jewellers for 2 years then got the yellow pages out and sent letter and cv to every vets in a 60mile radius ............i was willing to move by this point!

out of 50ish or more letter i got 2 interviews and 6 more replies saying no thanks. not good odds BUT DONT GIVE UP. just get as much experience as poss

good luck

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Vicky RVN — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:14:58 GMT

It only took me a few months, i was lucky. I started the degree, did a 3 month placement in the year i was on the course. Left the degree (wasn't happy on it), worked full time at the pet shop i'd been working at part time for the prev 2 years or so. Sent my CV to all practices in the area (a fair few!), kept in close contact with the practice i had done my placement at, they had no places at the time. After a few months of working in the pet shop full time i got a phone call from one of the practices i'd written to asking if i was still looking for a job. So obv jumped at the chance, went for interview and got the job. Only stayed there 8 months, had carried on keeping in contact with my placement practice and did some night work for them. As soon as a job came up there i took it, have now been there for 2 years! I realise now just how lucky i was! I dread to think how unhappy i'd be if i was still stuck in that pet shop...

Anyone looking for a job, good luck, my fingers are crossed for you all!

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Heather Christie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:19:42 GMT

Thanks for that hobbit/Sam, made me feel slightly less depressed.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

hobbits — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:00:22 GMT

I have a happy story, but feel a bit guilty about it after reading all the bad tales on this website over the years. I enrolled on the degree course straight out as I wanted a degree, sent out about 20 letters for my first 4 weeks placement. I was invited for an interview about 4 days later at a vets just around the corner (TP) who werent advertising. I went for an 'interview', was shown round the practice and told some health and safety and got my placement! I then worked hard and they had me back for all my training and portfolio through the years and I worked there while at uni, during weekends hols and days off. I never had any veterinary experience beforehand, nor any experience working with animals at all, apart from 2 weeks at school for wildfowl and wetlands trust. I am now a RVN and senior nurse at an OOH provider. Have my NVQ, degree and am taking my VN Cert ECC.

good luck!

Sam

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Heather Christie — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:32:47 GMT

OMG i knew it was hard to get in but i didn't know it was that hard. Can't afford to be out of work and only volunteer for years after i finish my Animal Management course. Dammit. Hmm will have to activate my get-rich-quick scheme, write a best-seller and hope i get lucky like J.K.Rowling. Has anyone got any positive stories? Could do with some inspiration and hop after reading the rest of this post!

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

A Little TLC — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:54:14 GMT

I have been looking for three years and still waiting. Positions are REALLY rare round here.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Tanya Traill — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:16:26 GMT

Your right to get rid of her you will find something eventually keep yor chin up. Just keep looking something will turn up.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

lisajane — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 21:06:18 GMT

Where abouts am i looking for a job? In ireland. The course i want to do is a 5 hour bus journey from me. It has got work experience once a week, so i am looking for work close to the college cause i don't want a 5 hour journey once a week (for 2 years).

Not getting anything has really getting me down lately, so much so i lost a friend over it. She was always so negative and kept telling me i wouldn't be able for it. I wouldn't get it. She was always belittling me, and not just this- everything i ever did. So told her nicely where to go herself. Now im thinking if she was right.

Sorry for the moaning, i should just think positive!

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Tanya Traill — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:38:15 GMT

Trainee vet nurse jobs are like gold dust even getting an interview is a miracle. I,m a student vet nurse looking for a job. I,ve already started my portfolio so that might help a little bit but good luck. Where abouts are you looking for a job?

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Steph Worsley — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:06:43 GMT

took me 2 years of sending cvs out and applying for jobs all over the country while I was doing my national diploma, and volunteering at the local PDSA then managed to get a lucky break and got offered a position round the corner from the PDSA. I did apply to the PDSA but was rejected.....not sure why as they wanted trainee and knew how well I worked! hey ho) 10 yrs later I am a fully qualified VN

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Ann McAleer — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:02:43 GMT

i had applied to a practice wen i left school in 2006 and they told me that it would be 2012 before they would even consider me because of there waiting list. so i applied else were but no replies. i then went on to work in an office doing an admin course n thought that was me done with nursing. in my part of the country people are only getting around to the idea of bringing there dogs to the vet as it is rural and i didnt fancy leaving home. then one day out of the blue a woman rings me and asks am i still interested in nursing. a new practice had opened and they were looking to train a nurse and that they had got my details from the practice with a long waiting list. 2years later im in level 3 just going for my writtens in 3weeks time. my advice.... you cant annoy them enough send them your cv again and again... shows that your really interested. lol or maybe im just the kinda person that can be annoyn hahaha.

Good Luck xx

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Maisy — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:56:59 GMT

I was quite lucky in that I got my first position a month after sending out letters at 16, but I had worked voluntary every weekend at a local clinic nearby from the age of 13. I hope it was that dedication that gave me the job!! However I didn't actually start VN training for a good few years afterwards having moved around different practices, before settling at my last permanent place where I trained from ANA through to VN.

Lisa I wouldn't worry too much about getting yourself a college place at the moment. Even if you get accepted onto it and then find a position, your practice may not want to use that particular college, or as standard for most, might want you to work for 6-12 months upwards before training. I would just send regular CVs and get as much experience as you can as unfortunately it can be tough going to gain a position. It will then be your practice who arranges college.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Caro Laithwaite VN — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:20:42 GMT

Applied for any work but but figured l didnt qualify as vn so was not worried about that left school at 15 no exams. Got on with my life l was working at a garden centre quite happy actually never gave any vets a thought and phone call within 6mths as pre-vet nursing was starting up. Went onto that passed got through both exams.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

albatross — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:49:56 GMT

started looking for a practice in Summer 2004.
No places, went to college to do HND in Animal Management instead - kept looking half-heartedly and applied to a few places locally with no interviews resulting.
Completed HND (with Distinction) in June 2006 - got job in animal charity vet clinic in August 2006 (where I've been part time ever since, not enough funds or vets available to run clinics full time, although there's definitely now the patients!!)
Alongside this have one year as night auxilliary in a TP, and recently three months as an actual student nurse (lost job due to credit crunch and also therefore lost chance to go to college and build up portfolio).

It seems some people strike it lucky and walk in the door of a TP just as they were about to advertise, a few have managed to get their held CV to the top of the pile for interviews, and also a couple of people have got places totally inexperienced because some practices it apprears don't want people with (bad) habits and would rather train from scratch.
However in the main it's experience that counts, be it in an animal establishment at least, or any vets or preferably in TP's before you jump from a non trainee role into a trainee one (even ANA). So concentrate on getting practical work anywhere.

Do you realise though that the rules will have to change from September 2010, and therefore you will need relevant qualifications - and probably a good sum of money to fund a full time college course (in the first year) and do only 5 weeks work in a TP or ATP, then the second year will be the same (virtually) as currently., except that the practice could be a new ATP with less equipment and no assessor qualified personnel. It will all depend on the current discussions taking place but as at the end of this month all suggestions/complaints etc about the proposed new rules will be lodged and then confirmation of the new rules will follow. They have to change due to the abolitn of NVQ's but what the new method will be we're all eagerly awaiting the result.

I have currently shelved my plans to train under the exisiting rules and am either going to try for unqualified jobs, or give up and do any job at all because we need income, or wait and hope I can get a place/afford a place to do the new college course next September.

Main reasons for not getting a place are all to do with lack of assessors to train, cost to train us, all the paperwork now necessary (costly and time-consuming) that the RCVS insists on, recession meaning companies are reducing staff not taking on new staff.

And getting a place at college actually means diddley squat!, All it means is that you have the relevant paper qualifications (well not exactly even but won't go into that) that the RCVS ask for. It means nothing (and even irates) TP's when you tell them you have a place waiting for you at college, currently the ONLY way you can train is via a degree course (full time unpaid college, and some training at release into practices) or via a job in a TP as a student vet nurse (then portfolio and college work follow on).

You've only been trying for a month.....wish I was at that stage.....

Good luck.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Sally Seddon — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:49:38 GMT

i first started applying for trainee positions 9 years ago. im currently an auxillary nurse and am still looking for a trainee position.

i think im just really unlucky or terrible at interviews

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Mac Feather — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:07:31 GMT

[quote user="Bouncyfi"]get your foot in the door[/quote]

[quote user="Bouncyfi"]but be prepared to work for nothing first![/quote]

Both v good points.

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Fiona Leathers — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:05:28 GMT

Get in touch with a few local vets and ask if you can do voluntary work with them to build your experience.

To be honest, we wouldn't take anyone on as a paid member of staff, unless they had experience and the best way to get that is voluntary work. I think once you get your foot in the door, it becomes much easier, but be prepared to work for nothing first!

Re: How long did it take you to find employment as a vet nurse?

Sandra Taylor RVN, MBVNA — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:05:17 GMT

Unfortunately , there are people who have been looking for a place in practice for years and still have not managed it.