You Know It’s Time to Find a New Veterinary Job When…
Sometimes it’s hard to move on, but deep down you know it’s time…
You already know that working as a Veterinary Professional is one of the most rewarding jobs there is. Of course, we also know that at times it can be the most frustrating job, and mostly we just grin and bear the downtimes, recognizing that the highs are always more than the low moments. A key part of your job satisfaction is based on your skills and the patients you’re seeing, but when the days start to become a grind and outnumber the good times, it can be challenging to keep your spirits up. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, it is time to move on.
For most Veterinarians, Vet Nurses, Vet Technicians and Support Team Members, your job brings you an enormous amount of job satisfaction. Watching as puppies and kittens grow up to have happy and long lives because of the care you provide can leave a lasting high. The joy of saving a critically injured pet or uncovering a treatable illness before it becomes un-treatable pushes Veterinary Professionals like you to give your job everything you have.
When you love what you do it can be hard to decide when it’s time to find a new Veterinary job. But while working in a Veterinary Hospital is a great job, it is still a job and bills have to be paid, the family supported and professional standards maintained. Unless you own your own practice (and often not even then), you must abide by the standards, policies and rules of your peers and employer. Your care often hinges upon your fellow team members and each clients’ willingness to move forward with treatment. When these and other issues start to become frequent hurdles, this can quickly turn the dream job you love into a nightmare.
Here are some tell-tale signs that should start you thinking that it’s time to explore other avenues…
Limited Growth Opportunities
Veterinary medicine is always changing. New treatments, medications, and diagnostic tools are being discovered almost daily. If your job doesn’t afford you the opportunity to advance your skills and stay on top of new medical trends, it’s time to find a new job. As a Veterinarian, in the end, it is you who is responsible for your knowledge base. If your employer doesn’t support and encourage growth, your career could be impacted, and your professional self-esteem may begin to wane.
Patient Care is Compromised
Being a great and capable Veterinary team member is only one part of the job. You must depend on your fellow Veterinarians, Vet Nurses, Vet Technicians and support team to complete the prescribed treatments and relay instructions to owners. If you are concerned that your patients aren’t getting the treatments you order or the quality of care you expect from your peers, it may be time to change jobs. And remember, if something goes wrong with your treatment plan through lack of support or follow-through by others your license, professional reputation and self-esteem could be at risk. You don’t want to lose the privilege of practising Veterinary Medicine because others dropped the ball.
Toxic Environments
This one should be a no-brainer, but sometimes we all need someone to tell us it’s okay to leave your job. If you work in an environment where you are being berated, abused, or second-guessed then it’s time to consider a new Vet job. Constant snide remarks, destructive criticism, and back-biting can drain you mentally, emotionally, and even physically. In the end, you can be putting your patients at risk if you begin to doubt your training and skills. Life is too short to work in a hostile environment. Start looking for a new job right now.
You Start Daydreaming
If you find yourself thinking about missing your bus stop or highway exit on the way to work in the morning, it may be time to find a new Veterinary job. If it takes you hours to brush off the ick from your day after your shift, it may be time to find a new job. If you dream of calling in sick when you feel healthy, it may be time to move on. The best first step is to talk to your fellow team members or your boss and explore how to hit refresh on your job satisfaction levels; but if that doesn’t work, then it’s time to find a new workplace.
Your Skills Are In Demand
Let’s face it, not every Veterinary job you have will be the best place you ever worked, neither does every pizza place have the best pizza every day or 5-star hotel the best customer service. Your workplace may have a great team, great medicine, and great growth, but sometimes even then, if the fit isn’t right, it’s just not right. The good news is that if you do find yourself in this situation you have time and the demand is out there for you to find a better fit. Your skills, expertise and experience are in demand; you may even want to consider working in a Relief Locum Veterinary Job for a while, both to give you time to breathe and rekindle your focus, as well as the chance to experience a variety of environments – clinics, hospitals or even as a mobile Vet.
You Deserve To He Happy
Working as a Veterinary Professional is already a challenging job. Don’t let yourself be drawn down every day, working in a clinic that doesn’t make you happy. The Veterinary field continues to grow meaning you will definitely be able to find a great job as a veterinary professional in another clinic or hospital.
So, maybe it is time to take the first steps to find more happiness in your career…after all, you know are a terrific Veterinary Professional and everything that you have invested in time, effort, commitment and caring so far means you deserve to be happy.
Live The Veterinary Life You Love®
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