Veterinary Work experience
hello, currently I am in year 11 and am about to sit my GCSEs in may. In September I am commencing starting A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and psychology.
I eventually want to study Veterinary Science at University, however I am currently struggling to find work experience placements. I am able to get farm work due to already having contacts but I am struggling to get placements in Zoos/Aquariums/Rescue centres.
Does anyone have any advice as to how to overcome this?
I eventually want to study Veterinary Science at University, however I am currently struggling to find work experience placements. I am able to get farm work due to already having contacts but I am struggling to get placements in Zoos/Aquariums/Rescue centres.
Does anyone have any advice as to how to overcome this?
Original post by cgoddard95
hello, currently I am in year 11 and am about to sit my GCSEs in may. In September I am commencing starting A-levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and psychology.
I eventually want to study Veterinary Science at University, however I am currently struggling to find work experience placements. I am able to get farm work due to already having contacts but I am struggling to get placements in Zoos/Aquariums/Rescue centres.
Does anyone have any advice as to how to overcome this?
I eventually want to study Veterinary Science at University, however I am currently struggling to find work experience placements. I am able to get farm work due to already having contacts but I am struggling to get placements in Zoos/Aquariums/Rescue centres.
Does anyone have any advice as to how to overcome this?
Have you seen this stickied thread? http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=441897
The first post is great and there's loads of other advice posted in response
Persistence is key! How are you going about contacting placements? I find email the most effective way of securing placements, but sometimes you might have to send a couple before you get a reply. If email isn't getting you anywhere, phone them up, or better still, go to places in person.
The BIAZA have a list of UK zoos and aquariums that offer work experience. These often get booked quite far in advance, though, so I would recommend contacting them as soon as possible. There may be restrictions on when you can go (i.e. the minimum number of weeks), and they may want you to attend an interview before giving you a placement.
Remember, though, that zoos and aquariums aren't mandatory placements, and I would recommend getting some of the basics covered first before you start booking fancier work experience. Ideally you should cover small and large animal veterinary practices, equine husbandry and cat/dog husbandry in addition to your farm work. I'd definitely consider rescue centres a good place to go, but again, they can get booked up very far in advance. I applied to one at the beginning of year 10 and only did my placement there at the end of year 12!
The RCVS have a list to help with finding vet practice work. When I was in year 12 I just threw in my postcode and emailed the first 50 or so places that came up. Worked at very short notice
Best of luck!
The BIAZA have a list of UK zoos and aquariums that offer work experience. These often get booked quite far in advance, though, so I would recommend contacting them as soon as possible. There may be restrictions on when you can go (i.e. the minimum number of weeks), and they may want you to attend an interview before giving you a placement.
Remember, though, that zoos and aquariums aren't mandatory placements, and I would recommend getting some of the basics covered first before you start booking fancier work experience. Ideally you should cover small and large animal veterinary practices, equine husbandry and cat/dog husbandry in addition to your farm work. I'd definitely consider rescue centres a good place to go, but again, they can get booked up very far in advance. I applied to one at the beginning of year 10 and only did my placement there at the end of year 12!
The RCVS have a list to help with finding vet practice work. When I was in year 12 I just threw in my postcode and emailed the first 50 or so places that came up. Worked at very short notice
Best of luck!
Original post by PQ
Have you seen this stickied thread? http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=441897
The first post is great and there's loads of other advice posted in response
The first post is great and there's loads of other advice posted in response
Ive just had a read though, thanks for showing it me!
Original post by Little Tail Chaser
Persistence is key! How are you going about contacting placements? I find email the most effective way of securing placements, but sometimes you might have to send a couple before you get a reply. If email isn't getting you anywhere, phone them up, or better still, go to places in person.
The BIAZA have a list of UK zoos and aquariums that offer work experience. These often get booked quite far in advance, though, so I would recommend contacting them as soon as possible. There may be restrictions on when you can go (i.e. the minimum number of weeks), and they may want you to attend an interview before giving you a placement.
Remember, though, that zoos and aquariums aren't mandatory placements, and I would recommend getting some of the basics covered first before you start booking fancier work experience. Ideally you should cover small and large animal veterinary practices, equine husbandry and cat/dog husbandry in addition to your farm work. I'd definitely consider rescue centres a good place to go, but again, they can get booked up very far in advance. I applied to one at the beginning of year 10 and only did my placement there at the end of year 12!
The RCVS have a list to help with finding vet practice work. When I was in year 12 I just threw in my postcode and emailed the first 50 or so places that came up. Worked at very short notice
Best of luck!
The BIAZA have a list of UK zoos and aquariums that offer work experience. These often get booked quite far in advance, though, so I would recommend contacting them as soon as possible. There may be restrictions on when you can go (i.e. the minimum number of weeks), and they may want you to attend an interview before giving you a placement.
Remember, though, that zoos and aquariums aren't mandatory placements, and I would recommend getting some of the basics covered first before you start booking fancier work experience. Ideally you should cover small and large animal veterinary practices, equine husbandry and cat/dog husbandry in addition to your farm work. I'd definitely consider rescue centres a good place to go, but again, they can get booked up very far in advance. I applied to one at the beginning of year 10 and only did my placement there at the end of year 12!
The RCVS have a list to help with finding vet practice work. When I was in year 12 I just threw in my postcode and emailed the first 50 or so places that came up. Worked at very short notice
Best of luck!
Hi!
I've been sending letters to veterinary practices and emailing everywhere else.
So far I've tried all of my local zoos and they either don't take placements or there is a minimum age limit of around 17/18.
Would you recommend doing a day at an abattoir? I've seen a few people
mention it on TSR but was wondering if it was really necessary.
Thank you for all of the advice, its really helpful!
Original post by cgoddard95
Hi!
I've been sending letters to veterinary practices and emailing everywhere else.
So far I've tried all of my local zoos and they either don't take placements or there is a minimum age limit of around 17/18.
Would you recommend doing a day at an abattoir? I've seen a few people
mention it on TSR but was wondering if it was really necessary.
Thank you for all of the advice, its really helpful!
I've been sending letters to veterinary practices and emailing everywhere else.
So far I've tried all of my local zoos and they either don't take placements or there is a minimum age limit of around 17/18.
Would you recommend doing a day at an abattoir? I've seen a few people
mention it on TSR but was wondering if it was really necessary.
Thank you for all of the advice, its really helpful!
Follow up on things when you make contact. Don't pester them, obviously, but if you try emailing or phoning up after sending a letter it can send the message that you're serious about it. Vet practices are busy places, often they genuinely don't mean to ignore you, so it can help if you give them a gentle reminder.
In that case for zoos your only options are to wait it out or try further afield (zoos often have hotels nearby, but that can get expensive). Since as I say they're not necessary placements I would recommend just waiting a while and doing some different places in the interim, perhaps an exotics pet shop or something of that ilk if you're keen on exotics stuff.
Abattoirs are good placements to go to definitely, as they show that you've understood the wider role of vets (i.e. public health), however they can be very tricky placements to get. Often they're iffy about allowing people in, as they've the likes of PETA and such masquerading as vet students before
. While a definite benefit (Edinburgh, for example, explicitly recommend it), they're by no means necessary. I got four offers without having been to an abattoir (including Edinburgh 
)
Original post by cgoddard95
Hi!
I've been sending letters to veterinary practices and emailing everywhere else.
So far I've tried all of my local zoos and they either don't take placements or there is a minimum age limit of around 17/18.
Would you recommend doing a day at an abattoir? I've seen a few people
mention it on TSR but was wondering if it was really necessary.
Thank you for all of the advice, its really helpful!
I've been sending letters to veterinary practices and emailing everywhere else.
So far I've tried all of my local zoos and they either don't take placements or there is a minimum age limit of around 17/18.
Would you recommend doing a day at an abattoir? I've seen a few people
mention it on TSR but was wondering if it was really necessary.
Thank you for all of the advice, its really helpful!
For vet practices I'd say ring for 3 reasons:
1) you get an answer straight away- even if they so no, at least you know so you can move on to elsewhere rather than waiting around for weeks. It can also prompt them; like LTC says, vets are busy places. I work in a vets and our inbox is often full and we often have a lot of stuff to scan and file. If we did get WEX letters, they wouldn't take priority so would probably be missed
2) IMO people make a better impression on the phone. It shows that you're confident and forward (even if you're not!). They can ask you questions to see if you're genuinely interested, and you can ask them questions back to show you are. Also handy to ask about things like start times, what you should take, what you should wear etc.
3) if they'd prefer you to write or email, if you ring first they will often give the name or email address of whoever it is that deals with WEX. This makes it more likely for your letter to be read & it will probably be read faster. It also looks professional when a letter is addressed to a person rather than a dear sir/madam/to whom it may concern
I called and then emailed a named person. I was fortunate to get really positive responses and received some emails back from places that couldn't have me but wished me well and suggested that I call them back for EMS if I were accepted. I also attached a cv to me letters or as an attachment.
I have a placement at a safari park in the summer and a wildlife centre. I have needed to book these over a year ahead to get a place. I had no joy from the local sea life centre who were horrendous to get through to. I looked under the career sections on the zoo websites and they had summer positions listed.
I have a placement at a safari park in the summer and a wildlife centre. I have needed to book these over a year ahead to get a place. I had no joy from the local sea life centre who were horrendous to get through to. I looked under the career sections on the zoo websites and they had summer positions listed.
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