Animal Care certificate?

[vethopeful321]

so I'm looking for a job as a vet assistant and all the vets want to hire someone with an animal care certificate. Most of my interviews even end with "so you're an undergraduate? we mostly hire college graduates with animal care certificates." How do you salvage those interviews? Do you put somewhere on your cv that, since you want to come to OVC, you don't plan to go to college? I lost out on jobs to Seneca graduates, George Brown graduates, someplace called "animal behavior college".

tl;dr how do you explain to employers that even though you didn't go to college, you are qualified to be a vet assist/animal care attendant?

thanks!

[xenaxavier]

Hi,

I didn't apply for jobs at veterinary clinics but I did apply to be a volunteer/job shadow. I did some cold-calling and eventually got in with a couple clinics who provided me with references! I don't think you need 1000s of hours; I did as much volunteer veterinary experience as I could but in the summer I worked full-time NOT at a vet clinic but that also happened to be considered "animal experience". Another possible option is to apply as a volunteer and once you're trained, they MAY offer you a job, however, I found it difficult to get into clinics even just to shadow because we do not have a degree yet or any "certificates".

Hopes that helps a bit!