What Tools And Technology Do You Have Mastery Over
If you’ve been a receptionist before, it’s likely that you’re familiar with office machines, computers and software. These tools are similar to those used in veterinary offices, so try to describe all of your competencies in this area.
Example:I’m familiar with scheduling software, word processors, data compilers and filing software. I’ve used these tools in my previous roles as a receptionist and think they would be relevant in working in the veterinary clinic.
Interview Techniques & Descriptions
Behavioral interviewing is widely recognized as the best technique to identify how prospective employees will behave in certain situations. It is based on the theory that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.
- The interviewer asks questions about how the candidate has handled situations in the past and compares those responses to how employees are expected to act in the interviewers workplace.
- Defining the job and necessary skills is the key to preparing behavioral interview questions. See Behavioral Interview Questions, page 73, for examples of these questions .
- If a job candidate has not faced a situation previously, the question can be presented as a hypothetical situation .
Working interviews have become popular because they help determine whether a candidate is the right fit for the practice. These interviews range from a few hours to a day in length and candidates may be asked to observe or demonstrate essential skills. However, keep the following guidelines in mind:
How To Prepare For Virtual Interviews
Interviews for professional school are the culmination of years of preparation and represent an important step in your journey toward becoming a healthcare professional.
Throughout the Courage Sessions, weve learned about how the admissions process has been affected by COVID-19. A key change to this application cycle is the implementation of virtual interviews across the TMDSAS schools. While preparing for an interview used to consist of practicing questions, finding comfortable shoes for walking tours, and taking good notes, the migration to a virtual environment requires you to take some additional considerations.
We’ve collected the following advice from the AAMC’s Prep for Success in Your Virtual Interview presentation, the “Zoom Interview Tips for Medical & Dental School Applicants” by Mr. Caleb Marsh from Temple University, the AAMC’s “Virtual Interviews: Tips for Medical Applicants” document, and feedback from the dental, medical, and veterinary member institutions.
How Are Interviews the Same?
Typically, in-person interviews would consist of a full day of presentations from the schools dean, admissions officers, and student services along with a tour that culminates in either two or more interviews or MMI stations. Some schools may also offer additional activities or opportunities where you could interact with current students and ask questions about their experience.
- Interview coordinators
- Current students
- Anyone you encounter at the school
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Finding Job Openings For Veterinary Assistants
The first step in getting a job as a veterinary assistant is finding a veterinary clinic that is hiring. This can be accomplished in three main ways: look for available job positions, ask around at local veterinary clinics, or develop a relationship with a specific veterinary clinic by starting in a different position.
While dropping off your resume at various local clinics can sometimes result in a job offer, the easiest way to get an interview is to apply to a veterinary clinic that you know is hiring.
Pa School Interview Question Types: The Big 6
You never know what questions your interviewers will ask you, but you can count on a few questions from each of the main six categories. Preparing your answers to sample questions ahead of time will not only help you seem confident during the interview, but it will give the interviewers the impression that youve put in the effort required for future success. Here are some of the questions you can expect to be asked along with expert answers to give you guidance.
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How Would You React To A Situation Where A Client Becomes Upset After Receiving An Invoice For Their Pet’s Care
A veterinary receptionist must balance customer support duties and enforcing clinic protocol. When answering this question, try to describe to the interviewer how you would address such responsibilities in the above situation.
Example:I know it’s important to empathize with clients who are experiencing emotional reactions and financial hardship. I would try to remain calm and explain the reasons for their charges. From here, I would try to troubleshoot their needs, perhaps by offering a payment plan.
Vet School Interview Questions You Should Prepare For
To you, planning ahead is a no-brainer. You dont think twice about drafting an outline before composing an essay or scheduling a follow-up appointment immediately following a visit to the dentist. Even as you work through veterinary school applications, youre already thinking about whats down the road. Thinking ahead is particularly helpful for aspiring veterinarians like you, because preparing for program interviews takes time. Admissions committees go way beyond surface questions to gain a firm understanding of what type of student you are and what you would bring to the profession. They expect thoughtful responses.It can be a little daunting to figure out how to prepare when you dont know exactly which vet school interview questions youll encounter. Before you get too worried, you should know there are a lot of common questions that nearly every program will ask. Get ready to start rehearsing.
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Questions You Should Ask At The Interview
- Why is this position available?
- What are your goals for this position?
- What type of training programs will be offered to the person in this position?
- What obstacles must be overcome for the person in this position to succeed?
- How will my performance be evaluated?
- What opportunities are there for growth?
- What growth do you anticipate for the company over the next 12 months?
How To Remember Candidates
One of the most difficult tasks of hiring is remembering all the candidates and their responses to your different questions/tests.
Remember: Only include information and observations related to job duties
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Why Do You Want To Work In Animal Care
An interviewer may ask you this question to understand the deeper reason behind why you want to work in the veterinary fieldâthis is important, as receptionists are typically qualified to work in any type of front-of-office capacity. You should form an answer to help them understand the significance animals have had in your life.
Example:I’veworked in a variety of front-of-office roles, but in most cases, I wasn’t passionate about the work being done at those organizations. I truly love animals and I’m passionate about their careâmy pets have given me so much joy in the past and I’d love to help others access a similar experience.
Have A Positive Attitude
Displaying a positive attitude is the most important and attractive quality you can show to your interviewers. Moreover, there are many ways to convey your positive attitude from the moment you sit in front of a potential employer. Some effective ways to show are:
Show that you are excited about your role.
Refrain from bad-mouthing your previous employers.
Express your eagerness to learn.
Remember to smile and convey confidence with your body language
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Can You Tell Me About The Animals You’ve Owned Or Cared For In The Past
This is a simple question that an interviewer may ask to see if you’re comfortable with animals, as this is an essential part of working in a veterinary clinic. If you’ve owned or cared for a pet in the past, describe those experiences with enthusiasm.
Example:I’ve owned three dogs throughout my life, including Ben, the German Shepard, Susie, a Labrador retriever and my current pet, Geri, who is a terrier mix.
Interview Questions With Sample Answers
Use these sample answers to common vet tech interview questions as inspiration while you are preparing for your interview:
- What is your favorite kind of animal to work with?
- What interests you the most about this role?
- How do you avoid compassion fatigue?
- What would you do if you suspect animal abuse?
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Emphasise Your Ability And Willingness To Perform Other Tasks As Needed
An obvious benefit of cross-training: flexibility. If employees can handle various tasks, then you can shift people in and out of jobs as neededwithout calling in temporary workers, running up overtime costs, or stinting on client services.
Bob Levoy, Veterinary Economics
The ability to perform other tasks as needed is one of the most valuable tools in a job candidates arsenal. Let your interviewer know if you are a Vet Technician who can also service veterinary equipment or a receptionist with experience building veterinary websites or managing social media. You will stand out from a sea of one-dimensional candidates.
Starting In A Different Position
While searching job boards is a good first place to start, many veterinary assistant jobs are never posted to job boards. Instead, they are offered to someone the practice owner already knows. Maybe it is a receptionist who wants to transition into part-time work directly with the animals. Often it is a kennel attendant or pre-veterinary job shadow who has proven to be a hard worker and good with animal-related tasks.
If you have applied to veterinary assistant positions and not been successful, consider taking a different position within the veterinary clinic first. This allows you to develop a relationship with the clinic and demonstrate your good work ethic and great people and animal skills. And the more experience you gain working in a veterinary clinic, the better your resume will look.
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What Protocol Would You Follow If A Client Walked In With A Pet Needing Emergency Care And The Veterinarian Was Busy With Another Client
As a veterinary receptionist, you will serve as the liaison between care staff and clients. An interviewer may ask a question like this to understand how you would navigate this role. When answering, try to demonstrate your ability to meet client needs while respecting the time of veterinary staff.
Example:In this situation, I would lead the client and their pet to a secure examination room and try to locate a veterinary technician to perform an assessment while the veterinarian finished up with the other client, depending on the clinic’s specific protocol for emergencies.
Questions You May Get In Your Vet Tech Interview
In my experience, vets wont ask you any technical questions in this interview. They will go through your resume, ask about your experience and past jobs , your motivation, hobbies, availability, salary expectations, and they may ask you one or two behavioral questions. Lets have a look at few questions.
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Let Your Interviewer Know You Are Ready To Start
Your willingness to begin work immediately could be the reason that an employer chooses you over another candidate. In some cases, the interviewer will ask you when you would be able to begin working. In other cases, you might need to be a bit more proactive. Do not hesitate to let your interviewer know that you would love to get started right away.
What Happens When You Pass The Veterinary Technician Exam
Most states use the Veterinary Technician National Exam, and regardless of which title is bestowed after passing the exam, you can have the score you received in one state transferred to another if the two states use the same exam. In most cases, after paying the states fee, you are then considered certified, licensed or registered in that state.
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Other Possible Vet Tech Interview Questions
Q. Who do you admire about this profession?
This question can be an opportunity to share information about people who may have inspired you to enter or do well in this industry. It could be a specific person in your local community who you might have interacted with. It could be someone from the past or maybe someone from a TV show who specializes in interactions with different types of animals. Someone considering hiring you might like to hear how you never missed an episode of The Crocodile Hunter as a child, or that you still always tune into Dr. Pol.
This can be a good way for a prospective employer to learn something about your passions, interests, and the type of work youre interested in.
Q. What part of being a vet tech most interests you?
This could be another open-ended question that gives interviewees the opportunity to talk about their training and interests. It could also let a potential employer know which duties a candidate would be most eager to engage in, if given a choice, keeping in mind that as a vet tech you still might have to do a variety of tasks. This also allows you to get specific rather than saying everything.
In Your Opinion What Role Does Research Work Play In The Job Of A Zoo Keeper
You should always give it some importance, even if you have not completed any higher education. Without a doubt you wont write research papers in such a case, but you can still participate on the research work, in your own way. They may ask you to observe the daily behavior of animals, and take notice of certain things the academics need for their research.
Actually the presentation of animals to public isnt the most important function of the zoos. They just make money in that way. The most important role is conservation and preservation of animal species. Therefore some research is always going on in the zoo, and you should be ready to contribute to it in your own way.
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Why Are You The Best Person For This Position
Interview tip: Walk into the interview knowing you are the best person for the job and be able to tell them why. Other candidates may offer more experience and a broader spectrum of skills, but you offer something unique that will make you an asset to the company. Remember that! Now, how do you talk about it? “My compassion for animals and my commitment to accuracy and precision make me excellent at my job. I care about quality and understand the importance of efficiency. I am also easy going and fun to work with.”The more you know about the company, the culture and the veterinarian, the more you will know what to share when asked the question. You want to highlight the areas of your skill that you know are important to them. And if you know how much they value teamwork and positive attitudes, talk about how you embody those values.
“My compassion for animals and my commitment to accuracy and precision make me excellent at my job. I care about quality and understand the importance of efficiency. I am also easy going and fun to work with.”
Vet Assistant Interview Questions And What Answers To Look For
1) Do you love animals?
Although this may seem like a silly question, it really isnt. At this point, you do not know this persons motivation to become a veterinary assistant, or to seek out a job working with animals. You want to see their eyes light up when you ask this question, a smile come over their face as they remember the animals in their life, and hear them talk in a positive way about their own pets.
2) What type of animals have you had as pets, and/or worked with previously?
We assume most people have experience with dogs and cats, but if your practice provides services to an assortment of pocket pets, , you want to know the answer to this question. If you do see other species, it may be a big advantage if an interviewee has experience with reptiles, birds, etc.
3) Why did you decide to become a veterinary assistant?
Not only do you want to know why they chose to come into the profession of veterinary medicine, you also want to know why they chose to be an assistant versus a front office person or veterinary technician. In other words, are they only interested in the veterinary assistant position because that is the only opening you have right now? Ideally you want someone who enjoys and chooses to be a veterinary assistant for his or her own personal and professional reasons.
4) Are you a designated Approved Veterinary Assistant through NAVTA?
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What Do You Need To Go To The Vet
