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Step 1
Begin the resume with contact information. At the top of the page, place your name in a large, bold font; it should be easy to find and read. Below this, put your contact information, including an address, phone number and email. Double-check the information for accuracy. Contact information should be centered or left-aligned.
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Step 2
Write an objective statement. Below your contact information, write an objective statement that explains your interest in the position, and place it under a heading called "Objective." If you are currently in school for veterinary science, for example, your objective statement might be "To work as a veterinary assistant to increase my hands-on experience and to add depth to my coursework in veterinary science." You might also consider mentioning past experience by saying, "To build on my experience as a veterinary assistant and to gain experience in a scientific facility."
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Step 3
Create a section with a bold heading called "Work Experience" or "Relevant Experience." List your last three to five jobs, either chronologically or in order of relevance to the vet assistant position. Under the job title, add three to five bullet points with the job duties; while they may not be directly related to working with animals, you can tailor the information to match skills required of a veterinary assistant. Make connections that might not seem likely, and list duties that match skills and traits needed for a vet assistant: patience, caring, ability to handle multiple tasks, responsibility and attention to detail.
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Step 4
Add an Education section. In this section, list any training, coursework, workshops or degrees relating to animals and/or veterinary science, list them on your resume. Also include any non-veterinary university degrees; a degree indicates perseverance and dedication. List the most recent or most relevant first, and remember that although there is no official training required of a veterinary assistant and on-the-job training is provided any background in the area can only strengthen your application.
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Step 5
Close with practical information. For the last section of the resume, list any additional skills relating to a veterinary assistant position that do not fit anywhere else in the resume; title this section "Relevant Skills" or simply "Skils." Computer skills are one item that might help with ordering supplies for a lab or veterinary office. You can also add an additional section called References, and list the name and contact information of two or three professional or personal references; be sure to request permission from each reference first.
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Step 6
Format the resume. To make your resume easier to read, add bold headings for each section, and consider making bold the most important part of each entry: the job title, name of the degree, or name of the training course. Choose a font that is easy to read, like Times New Roman or Arial, and stick with a common 11 pt size for body text and 13 pt for headings. The resume text, with the exception of your name and contact information, should be left-aligned and use standard print margins: one inch on the top and bottom and 1.25 inches on the left and right. Use bullet points for job duties, and be sure to have several people read over your resume; an error-free resume indicates to the veterinarian that you are detail-oriented and thorough, which is vital to a veterinary assistant position.
