Finding a Job with Animals

Finding a vet job is fairly easy for those who want to go through several years of school. What about the rest of us, though? If you love animals, spending several years in school to become a veterinarian isn’t your only choice. You can also work with animals in a number of other great positions. Consider…

• …working as a biologist. In this field, you’ll work with both plants and animals in the natural world, helping ensure that companies meet legal requirements when building new structures, researching animal habits, and more.
• …finding a dog kennel job. When owners go on vacation, they can’t always take their pets, so kennels provide a home-away-from-home experience for these beloved pooches.
• …becoming a zookeeper. In a zookeeper positions, you’ll work with exotic animals ranging from tiny turtles to elephants and giraffes. Zookeepers keep the animals healthy and happy by preparing meals, cleaning pens and cages, encouraging exercise and play, and more. You may also help educate visitors about the animals in the zoo.

Other animal jobs you could consider include pet-sitter, ecologist, groomer, wildlife rehabilitation worker, livestock farmer, pet photographer, pet handler, or animal rescue worker. Your first step is to ask yourself whether you’d rather work with domesticated animals and pets or wild animals – these two categories of animals jobs are extremely different!

Once you’ve figured out the type of animal-related job you want, you can use the following tips to get hired:

• Get educated. While not every job requires the years of school needed to become a vet, many do ask that candidates obtain an associate degree or bachelor degree in a related field.
• Volunteer with a pet-related charity. You can get great resume experience by volunteering at your local animal shelter, park, or zoo.
• Look for entry-level animal jobs. If you are looking to boost your resume, think about serving as a pet-sitter, working at your local pet supply store, or performing another entry-level job. This allows you to gain experience so you can be hired in better positions in the future.