How Social Media is Now a Veterinary Career Booster

Sometimes changing jobs is inevitable…

There are a myriad of reasons – your partner may have secured an opportunity of a lifetime elsewhere, you may need to move a little closer to family as they need extra care in these trying times or you decide that now is the time to step up, move ahead in your career and changing jobs is the most viable option.

So, having made the big decision, it’s now time to start working on your Social Media Veterinary Career Strategy…

Strategy? Really?

Yes, because today it’s not just about a paper or e-resume. Employers have the opportunity to gain a richer, deeper, three-dimensional view of candidates via Social Media. And you have the chance to really stand out for that perfect job if you apply some street-smarts and a little Social Media magic. You need to market yourself across multiple media platforms to attract the attention of the very best potential employers in this industry, and to secure that dream Veterinary career opportunity.

Remember this…the very best career opportunities find you. And the best place to help great openings find you is by creating a professional Social Media profile to boost your chances of being found and securing your dream job.

According to one Statista report, 40% of employers consider Social Media and Online Professional networks as critical sources of top talent, and a rapidly growing 55% will perform some form of online research into your background and digital presence, Before and After your interview.

Now, let’s look at how you can leverage Social Media in your search for that ideal Veterinarian, Veterinary Nurse or Veterinary Technician job…

Time For Some Digital Spring Cleaning

Step 1 is to Google yourself and see what comes up, not just on the first page of the search results – go two or three pages deep. For most of us the findings are pretty lean and normal, but occasionally things turn up that you may not be too proud of. No matter how justifiable at the time, that Twitter rant or that daring costume party pic is likely to tarnish your prospects. Switch your profiles to maximum Privacy and if there is anything untoward, asking nicely for it to be taken down is always a great first step, and surprisingly successful.

Choosing the Right Platform for You

There is a wide range of Social Media options, and you need to select a scale of presence that you can comfortably manage day to day while harnessing its features to the fullest. It is often best to settle on just one networking site if your hands are full, and up to three if you are actively looking for a change.

In the veterinary space, by far the three key Social Media platforms for career development and professional visibility are LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram – each one for quite different reasons – but these are the optimum combination. And regardless of your current work situation, you should make a diary note to check these every quarter and keep them current – you never know when someone with a great opportunity may be browsing your Profile.

Harnessing LinkedIn

With 760 million+ users today, this is the go-to platform for managing your career profile, so take some time to get this right.

Write a 3-5 paragraph summary about your strongest personality traits and professional skills as relevant to the job you seek. Give specifics about your expertise, experience and achievements including the type of animals you’ve cared for in the past, as well as your preference in the future.

We wrote a whole article on how to prepare and polish your LinkedIn profile, and you can visit that page to discover more about:

How a picture is indeed worth a thousand words
Why your headline needs to talk to your next employer
How to Customise your Profile header image
How to Write a focused summary
Write your own ticket by personalizing your LinkedIn link

…and much more.

Leveraging Facebook

With 2.6+ billion users, Facebook is a great place to share what’s happening or blow off steam (be careful, employers are watching), but it can also be where you discover your next job opportunity. Here are some handy ways to maximize the potential of Facebook for your career development:

Research opportunities: Use Facebook’s search bar and find prospective employers of interest. Many employers are increasingly advertising positions on Social Media, and you can follow or like their official pages to stay up-to-date on the latest employment opportunities.
Join Veterinary groups: Increase your chances of getting noticed by joining Veterinary groups on Facebook. Be sure to understand their membership terms and conditions to avoid being kicked out for over-promoting your resume or over-soliciting work. Grow your popularity in the communities you join by commenting and providing helpful responses to some of the issues other members raise or by starting engaging threads of your own.
Contact potential employers: Initiate engagement with potential employers via Private Messaging. If you wish to join a Veterinary Hospital that you discovered on Facebook, for example, introduce yourself and politely ask if you may send your CV – ask first, then send as this helps start a conversation online
Contact acquaintances that work for potential employers: You may Private Message current employees that you know about job openings, working conditions, remuneration, etc.
Share captivating content: Keep your friends, followers, and fellow group members engaged by sharing interesting or trending content, including multimedia.
Ask friends and university alumni: Your Facebook (and LinkedIn) friends and former Veterinary School classmates who are working for potential employers may be able to point you in the right direction, or even arrange an introduction.

Exploring Instagram

Employers are actively engaging their own customer followers on Instagram, and you too can use the platform to conduct research about them and eventually engage them with your likes, comments, and eventually direct messages. Plus you can learn a lot about a potential employer’s culture and values based on their posts, likes, and comments. Which can also be handy to design and prepare responses to possible interview questions.

Practical Instagram veterinary job strategies include:

Start by following the hospitals and practices you are interested in joining, and if they are part of a group, also follow the parent profile – you can also start following some of the influencers in the veterinary space – search for #hashtags such as #vetlife or #veterinarian (and #veterinaryjobs if you want to be very specific) and see which profiles turn up and selectively follow them too
Share the occasional puppy pic from work or a team bonding moment which helps potential recruiters or employers see your team collaboration skills and leadership qualities
Know what you’re talking about – always sound like a veterinary industry expert in your posts, and share case studies or surgical examples with your followers
To gain a potential employer’s attention, start with an occasion like or three over a few days on their posts and their team members’ posts, then a couple of nice comments over a week or so, building up a bit of an exchange. Once you have built up some rapport, it’s time for a simple direct message with a broad question like “Sounds like a great place, what’s it like to work there?” – you will be pleasantly surprised how responsive they will be, once you have done the groundwork

In Conclusion

Social Media is fast becoming the Primary place to network with employers, recruiters, and your veterinary professional peers while showcasing your talents in relation to new jobs or career growth opportunities in the veterinary industry. It’s time to harness the power of LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram to boost your veterinary employment prospects, starting today!

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