How to Get a Receptionist Job in a Vet Hospital
Veterinary receptionists perform varied support functions within a veterinary hospital. Receptionists make appointments for pets' routine exams and vaccinations, and schedule visits for illnesses and other acute problems. Veterinary receptionists typically handle client check-ins, paperwork requirements and post-visit payments. Receptionists must frequently manage a lobby full of unruly or nervous pets, along with animals that arrive for emergency treatment. Owners who arrive with pets scheduled for euthanization must be handled with care and respect, and immediately placed in a quiet area for the veterinarian's visit. Receptionists who handle all these challenges calmly and efficiently are an asset to the practice.
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Things You'll Need
- List of local veterinary assistant program locations
- Newspapers with help-wanted ads
Instructions
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List easily accessible veterinary hospitals. Gather information on veterinary hospitals within your city or county. Visit each facility in person to learn about services and business hours and get a feel for the office environment. Browse the practice's website as well. Ask how many veterinarians and technicians are on staff, as this provides some indication of the facility's client base. Ask about projected expansions, which indicates a potential need for more employees.
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Enroll in a veterinary assistant program. Veterinary office employees frequently cross-train to perform other hospital functions. Veterinary assistants perform basic animal care tasks such as patient feeding, cage cleaning and lab sample preparation, notes the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. This knowledge makes an employee more valuable to the practice. Enroll in a community college or trade-school program, and ask if you can complete your required internship locally.
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Meet with veterinary practice managers. Select veterinary hospitals at which you would like to be employed, and make an appointment with each hospital's practice manager. Prepare a resume that includes customer service and animal-related experience. Include your veterinary assistant program course information. Emphasize that your well-rounded background, plus your initiative to complete the veterinary assistant program, makes you an ideal candidate for a veterinary receptionist position. Follow your meeting with a brief thank-you note.
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Conduct regular follow-up visits. Contact hospitals regularly about current and projected openings, and emphasize your readiness to immediately assume your veterinary receptionist responsibilities. Offer to work on a part-time basis, if financially feasible, with an eye toward future full-time employment.
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Monitor newspaper help-wanted ads. Veterinary practices often experience job openings when employees resign or move away. Position openings are generally posted in newspaper help wanted ads, and sometimes draw many responses. Apply for positions to which you are suited, and reinforce the contacts you have previously made.
Veterinary receptionist salaries vary depending on candidate experience and regional salary norms. In July 2010, veterinary receptionists at United States Humane Society offices were paid between $24,000 and $26,000 annually.
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Tips & Warnings
Look for veterinary clinics with entry-level receptionist positions if you do not have prior medical receptionist experience.
Network with animal trainers, pet groomers and pet sitters about your veterinary receptionist job search. These pet professionals often interact with veterinary hospital personnel.
Carefully evaluate your ability to handle pet euthanizations and other difficult outcomes before you commit to a veterinary receptionist position.
References
Resources
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