The big and shiny work experience bible

Two weeks lambing was all the farmwork I had when I applied so you dont have to worry too much. Mention in your ps you had trouble - just make sure u dont draw it out or make it sound whiney. I did in mine and I think they took it into account.

Reply 21

Future African game vet

11

thanks guys!
I'm gonna try and do some lambing this year and write to a lot more vets too.
I've tried Blackpool zoo and places like that but no luck.
I don't think there are any labs near me though...

thanks again!
xxx

Reply 22

TW = LEGEND

by the time i apply i will have the following experience:

3 weeks vet (mixed)
2 weeks vet (mostly LA and equine)
1 week at stable
2 weeks dairy
TB testing with a local vet during the summer for the last 2 years!

hopefully that is enough experience, or is there nething else that i should get? hope someone can help cheers

Reply 23

goldiesgirl

1

tiny_tiger

Yep Ive been to a dairy farm in devon where they will put you up for peanuts, usually £100 for a week but that includes bed, breakfast, lunch, dinner, transport, drinks, all the snacks you want etc etc for 5 days/nights which is pretty reasonable!

ooo i live in Devon and have been trying to get some dairy experience but near me no one farms dairy anymore they all farm beef - where abouts is this farm and do you have any contact details i can have? need to make some plans asap if i can cos then i can write the definate plans on my ucas application

thankyou Lx

Reply 24

paint-paradise

1

Hi. I'm going into sixth form so I still have a year to go before applying.

I've come back onto the idea of being a vet so I'm a bit behind schedule! I've got 5 years worth of saturdays (9-5) at a riding school and 2 weeks small animal work experience. However I was ill during that time so did not enjoy/learn as much as I could from it.

I have rung numerous vets but most said no or told me to write. So I have written-and heard nothing! The kennel owner also told me when I went to speak to her that she would contact me and she hasnt and my dairy experience has come to nothing because of F&M scare and (does anyone know if this is true?) height restrictions in the dairy? I think this is an excuse but I am 5ft 3 or 4. Argh,

I'm getting worried! Does anyone have anymore tips for contacting places and actually getting placements??? I am doing World Challenge for 4 weeks next summer so that is taking away some of my time too!
Sorry this has been more of a rant than a post! :biggrin:

Thanks xxx

Reply 25

Sarah_V

5

Whereabouts in the country are you?

Reply 26

Annaconda

17

i dont think the height restrictions in the dairy can be true, because it seems to me that loads of the people on here are quite short so
a)they have got dairy experience, and
b)these people ore going to be vets, and if theres a sick cow they cant stop someone from treating it because the vet is too short to go inot the dairy!

you may need to confirm that though...

Reply 27

Annaconda

17

Future African game vet

Hi!
I'm about to start my first year of collage and study, Biology, Chemistry, Environmetal science and French.
So far this is all the work experience I have:
5 days in mixed vets,
2 weeks kennels,
2 weeks cattery,
1 year saturday 4 hours RSPCA,
5 days dairy farm,
2 years stables (riding and helping out for hour before lesson)
3 years dog sitting and walking in local area,

is this enough so far? and how can I get into anymore vets when they keep turning me away? help!

you have laods! was the rspca a hospital or a centre or...
im about to start college too and have:
2 years 1 day a week stables (although this was years ago)
1 week at a diff stables
1 week dog grooming
6months saturdays city farm
2 weeks sa vets
2/3 day lambing course

and i have failed to get anymore this summer :frown:

has anyone done work exp at blue cross in merton that is under 18 because i really want to go there, and on the website it says 14 :frown:

Reply 28

Lewkah

lol. your work xp looks great so far. But as everyone said, more direct veteriary work would be better. My non-veterinary work XP was no way as gd as yours ^^. well done :biggrin:

Reply 29

ch0c0h01ic

18

Hi, I am in year 12 and will be applying in one month !! to hopefully vet school...
I have been working at my local small animal vets for three years(every sat morning and some whole days), have done 1 week equine vet clinic, 2 weeks lambing(and some calving), 1 week boarding kennels/cattery and two days cats protection league. I have tried to get more farm work experience but there are only 2 farms i know of who will take students, one has an 18 age limit(im 17) and the other a pig farm that i cant get experience on until after ive sent my ucas form. Do i need anymore? I know there are people that have excessive amounts of work exp but i dont live in an area with many farms.
Ive been on vetmedlink, vetsim and rvc summer school and know there is nothing else i want to do than become a vet.
Please, any info is very much appreciated!!!
cheers!!!!

That sounds like plenty of experience, more than i had when i applied. If you want to get more experience, get more diversity, the pig farm would be a good idea, and/or dairy work, maybe a week at an actual stud farm?

abbattoir or a zoo or a lab

In my opinion that is pretty pointless, no offense to anyone. The interviewers are looking for people with skills in animal handling amoung other things. Abbattoir and lab work is pretty sparing in these fronts and, with the zoo work, very hard to get hold of. An interest and understanding in the lab and abbattoir industry can simply be gained from having a day's tour around and/or a day of work experience. I personally had a day at GSK Dartford and that was sufficient to bore me and give me a deep enough insight into the industry with information to talk about at interview. On the vet course, as far as i know, all we do is say a day or afternoon at an abbattoir, to see what goes on and what is envolved. Getting more than a day of experience would be totally unecessary.

And most zoos actually charge people to experience life as a zoo keeper. Plus, there isn't that much work involved. I knew someone who worked in a zoo shop all day, then, at closing, helped with feeding at closing. It will take a lot of effort to get a zoo placement, and could involve a lot of non vetty work, you have been warned, in my eyes they do take advantage of you.

...o yea...and if anyone knows of any farms i dont happen to know about who would be happy to have me for a couple of days in the medway(kent)area, please get back to me, only it would have to be in the medway area because i cant drive yet...

As said, Hadlow college is apparently very good. It depends how far you're willing to go. Medway is a big area. I did 2 weeks dairy near Brands Hatch (West Kingsdown) at Mill Farm(owned by a friend's parents, i got their no. from the phone book). They're pretty willing to have some free slave labour (like most places are). Then i did some general farm work at Woodland's Farm (Trust), its a city show farm. They have a cow, a few goats, sheep, a few pigs, chickens, etc, but then that is on the outskirts of London, but it is kinda in the Medway area.

Reply 30

)(--becca--)(

In my opinion that is pretty pointless, no offense to anyone. The interviewers are looking for people with skills in animal handling amoung other things. Abbattoir and lab work is pretty sparing in these fronts and, with the zoo work, very hard to get hold of. An interest and understanding in the lab and abbattoir industry can simply be gained from having a day's tour around and/or a day of work experience. I personally had a day at GSK Dartford and that was sufficient to bore me and give me a deep enough insight into the industry with information to talk about at interview. On the vet course, as far as i know, all we do is say a day or afternoon at an abbattoir, to see what goes on and what is envolved. Getting more than a day of experience would be totally unecessary.

I agree you only need a day or so but I do think abbotoir is very beneficial because it shows knowledge of the farming/slaughter industry. At a couple of my interviews I was asked if I'd been to an abbotoir, which I hadn't, in a way which made me think they'd expected me to. Obviously vets, farms, animal handling things come first with these as additions, but lots of the people who are ur competition have them. I also think lab work is good because it shows an interest in research. I agree zoo work isn't particually necessary but given the chance I'd do it in my own time just because it would be fun!

Reply 31

nina_100

OP

12

ch0c0h01ic

In my opinion that is pretty pointless, no offense to anyone. The interviewers are looking for people with skills in animal handling amoung other things. Abbattoir and lab work is pretty sparing in these fronts and, with the zoo work, very hard to get hold of. An interest and understanding in the lab and abbattoir industry can simply be gained from having a day's tour around and/or a day of work experience. I personally had a day at GSK Dartford and that was sufficient to bore me and give me a deep enough insight into the industry with information to talk about at interview. On the vet course, as far as i know, all we do is say a day or afternoon at an abbattoir, to see what goes on and what is envolved. Getting more than a day of experience would be totally unecessary.

And most zoos actually charge people to experience life as a zoo keeper. Plus, there isn't that much work involved. I knew someone who worked in a zoo shop all day, then, at closing, helped with feeding at closing. It will take a lot of effort to get a zoo placement, and could involve a lot of non vetty work, you have been warned, in my eyes they do take advantage of you.

I never suggested a huge length of time at an abbattoir- one day would, as you said suffice, but like Becca said- its definitly worth getting that- there's a lot of gore in the job and you'll see upsetting things that you may not agree with- by going to an abbattoir you're proving that you have come to terms with this! As for a zoo- yes it may be a bit more difficult to get hold of than most placements- but since when was getting into vet school easy?? It proves commitment if nothing else and I found my placement very beneficial- put yourself out- make sure they know before you arrive that you want to be working with the animals not behind a counter and they'll usually accomadate you! Blackpool zoo was very helpful they have a whole department dedicated to education which organises FREE placements to people wishing to do them. As for labs- its the same.

Anyone with a serious desire to be accepted will have done your average placements, if you think thats enough then fine, I wasn't prepared to take the risk that my application would be identical to almost every other applicant.

Reply 32

Lewkah

I didn't send off any references for mywork XP- thinking about it now, that sounds absolutely stupid. I suppose if you want every chance going for you, you should try to include them, but as has already been mentioned, I doubt they really get used much.

Reply 33

tiny_tiger

ooo i live in Devon and have been trying to get some dairy experience but near me no one farms dairy anymore they all farm beef - where abouts is this farm and do you have any contact details i can have? need to make some plans asap if i can cos then i can write the definate plans on my ucas application

thankyou Lx

Its near Cullompton I think, may have got it completely wrong, Cull.. something, but its between there and Tiverton. I'll hunt out the address if you like.

Reply 34

goldiesgirl

1

tiny_tiger

Its near Cullompton I think, may have got it completely wrong, Cull.. something, but its between there and Tiverton. I'll hunt out the address if you like.

well i know where collumpton is so thats a start but please hunt out the address for me so i can see what i can do

thankyou muchly Lx

Reply 35

paint-paradise

1

"Whereabouts in the country are you?"

Essex. Over half an hour away from any of the major towns though! Argh!
I dont think the dairy height thing is true. .just an excuse I think :frown:

Thanks x

Reply 36

vet in the making

1

Future African game vet

thanks guys!
I'm gonna try and do some lambing this year and write to a lot more vets too.
I've tried Blackpool zoo and places like that but no luck.
I don't think there are any labs near me though...

thanks again!
xxx

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/vla/aboutus/aboutus-address.htm

That will take you to a link for the addresses of Veterinary Labs - I rang them and secured a place, but take a little notepad if you can because they will teach you ALOT and it's good to be able to reguritate and expand on your work experience in intereview.

EDIT: If you are struggling to get any more vets, why not contact the one who did take you and ask for more, a reference letter, and even if they can think of anyone willing to take you?

Reply 37

Annaconda

17

Wow!!

Thats Amazing!! :eek:

ive saved it only my computer :biggrin:

Reply 38

Nyan

Fantastic thread! Well done you :biggrin:

Reply 39

jess-xxx-xxx

1

Hi i put my personal statement on this ps helper thing and i know it was too long and pretty bad but the person who 'sorted' it has told me to completely delete all my work experience stuff bar the names of the places and so i dont want to offend them by saying no, the person is at uni studying phsycology... phsycology and she is lecturing me bout not putting all my w.e in my p.s anyways would you mind if i personal messaged it to you for you to 'sort out' as i noticed you are a p.s helper?!? let me know thanks! :smile:

The big and shiny work experience bible

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