Episode #233 – How to Take Advantage of the Current Animal Health and Veterinary Job Market
Julea: Welcome to “The Animal Health and Veterinary Employment Insider,” brought to you by The VET Recruiter. In this podcast, Animal Health executive recruiter and Veterinary recruiter Stacy Pursell of The VET Recruiter provides insight and practical advice for both employers and job seekers in the Animal Health and Veterinary industries. The VET Recruiter’s focus is to solve talent-centric problems for the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. The VET Recruiter’s mission is to help Animal Health and Veterinary companies hire top talent, while helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals attain career-enhancing opportunities that increase their quality of life.
Today, we’ll be talking about how to take advantage of the current Animal Health and Veterinary job market. Hello, Stacy, and thank you for joining us today.
Stacy: Hello, Julea. As always, I’m glad to be here.
Julea: Stacy, we’ve talked about the state of the marketplace in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession on this podcast during the last few weeks and months. And what has been obvious is that the market is very favorable for Animal Health and Veterinary professionals who want to grow their careers.
Stacy: Yes, that’s right. And today, we’re going to discuss what Animal Health and Veterinary professionals can do to take advantage of these market conditions.
Julea: Stacy, I imagine that we’re broaching the subject because not everyone is taking advantage of those conditions. Is that right?
Stacy: Yes, that’s fair to say. And I understand that not everyone is interested in growing their career in the same way and that some people have more professional ambitions than others. But sometimes are better than others when it comes to growing your career, and I would say that there is no better time to do so than right now. Not only that, but as we’ve stated on numerous occasions, the best time to look for a new job is when you already have a job. And that’s because you have leverage in that situation and you’re able to make to make better decisions.
Julea: That makes sense. Where would you like to start Stacy?
Stacy: First and foremost, Animal Health and Veterinary professionals must be open to two things.
Julea: What two things are those, Stacy?
Stacy: The first thing is to be open to hearing about other opportunities. The second thing is to be open to pursuing other opportunities if you hear about an opportunity that is better than your current employment situation.
Julea: So, the first step is to have the proper mindset?
Stacy: Yes, absolutely, the proper mindset is critical, even when the market is in your favor, like it is right now.
Julea: This also means being willing to hear about an opportunity when a recruiter calls you about one, is that right?
Stacy: Yes, that’s right. The logic is simple. You can’t take advantage of a better employment opportunity is you don’t know about that opportunity and if you aren’t willing to explore that opportunity. During my career as an executive recruiter, I’ve come across candidates who weren’t open to hearing about an opportunity. They basically said “No” to it before they even knew what it was about, so they didn’t know what they were saying “no” to.
Julea: How can you turn something down before you even know what you’re turning down?
Stacy: That’s my point exactly! Mindset is critical in terms of growing your career. There are some people who take a passive approach and attitude. You’ve probably heard the saying, “Letting life come to you,” but I’m not big fan of that saying. That’s because it’s indicative of a reactive approach, and I am in favor of a proactive approach.
Julea: Stacy, do you feel that some professionals are less likely to be proactive about their career if they’re already employed?
Stacy: Yes, that is sometimes the case. It’s human nature to be less proactive when you’re already in what you believe to be a good situation. However, as I mentioned earlier, the best time to explore other employment opportunities is when you already have a job or are in a good situation because you have more leverage in that situation. The worst time to look for a job is when you are unemployed and have no leverage so then you take the first thing that comes along instead of moving from a position of strength and going to something better.
You must take action to get the things you want, including in your professional life. That’s because I firmly believe that being proactive is rewarded, whether it’s in your career or in life in general. Yes, it’s true that when you’re proactive, sometimes you make mistakes. But in many cases, being proactive makes things happen, and by and large, it makes good things happen.
Julea: Stacy, do you have some tips or strategies for being proactive so that you can take advantage of the current market conditions?
Stacy: I do, and the first tip is to focus on your personal brand and make your personal brand as positive as you can. And we’ve talked about personal branding before.
Simply put, your personal brand is the experience that you provide to other people, with both your words and actions. While it’s always a good idea to focus on your personal brand, those who are just starting out in their career have an advantage because they have a “blank slate.” They can shape and mold their personal brand from the very beginning and build the most positive brand possible.
The second tip is to make networking a priority in your career. This is also something we’ve discussed before, and I have no problem talking about it again because it’s so important.
Julea: You’ve said before that it’s not what you know and it’s not who you know, but it’s both “what you know and who you know.”
Stacy: Yes, that’s right! You should strive to accumulate as much knowledge as you can and network with as many people as you can. And in terms of networking, this includes both online networking, such as LinkedIn, and face-to-face networking, like attending tradeshows and job fairs. I believe that many people do not do all that they can to grow and expand their network and their career suffers as a result.
Julea: What’s our third tip?
Stacy: Our third tip is to commit yourself to continuing education and keep striving to learn. Education is a lifelong endeavor, and the best way to give yourself as an edge in the marketplace and help grow your career is strive to keep learning.
But while it’s important to be proactive and not passive regarding your career and also realize that candidates have the leverage in this current market, it’s also important to recognize that you can’t abuse that leverage in you quest for a better employment opportunity.
Julea: Can you explain what you mean by that?
Stacy: Absolutely. While candidates have the leverage and they can use that leverage to a certain point during the hiring process to help them negotiate a better offer of employment, if they go too far, they could turn off the employer and sabotage their efforts during the hiring process. Instead, candidates should make it a priority to create a win-win situation with an employer if they do decide to explore other employment opportunities.
Julea: How would candidates go about doing that?
Stacy: There are a few things they can do. The first thing is to find a company that is a good cultural fit. Because no matter how much you earn in salary and compensation with a new job, how you fit into the job from a cultural perspective is just as important, if not more so.
Your starting salary won’t matter much if you choose a job with an organization that possesses a company culture that is incongruent with your personal and professional values. Never underestimate the importance of a good cultural fit.
Another step is possibly starting a mentoring relationship with another professional. It could be with someone at your current employer, including a co-worker, or it could be someone else who works in the industry or a colleague.
A good mentor can teach you things that you would not have otherwise known and more than likely did not learn in school. That’s because they have the wisdom that comes with experience, and they are willing to share that experience and wisdom with you.
To sum this all up, I’d like to relay a story about a good friend and executive in this industry.
Julea: What story is that?
Stacy: He told me about how he was negotiating with another man and the negotiations were becoming heated. In fact, they were becoming so heated that the other man suggested they take a walk. During that walk, the man told my friend something that he still remembers to this day.
“A successful negotiation is a win-win for the people involved,” said the man. “If it’s not a win-win, then there won’t be a lasting relationship. It must be mutually beneficial for both parties. If it’s not, then it’s eventually going to fall apart.”
This is good advice for everyone, including people who are exploring other employment opportunities and are in the hiring process of organizations. There is always going to be negotiation as part of that process. Approaching that negotiation with a win-win mindset will not only help you with your next job, but also set you up for long-term success.
Julea: Stacy, we’re just about out of time. Do you have anything else that you like to add before we end today’s episode?
Stacy: Yes, I’d like to reiterate the fact that not only is this a good job market for professionals in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession, and conditions are expected to be good for the foreseeable future. We’ve discussed the Bureau of Labor Statistics projections that predict the Veterinary profession will grow every year until at least the year 2029. With this information in mind, a professional can chart their professional growth and their career plan.
And of course, this is also a great time to reach out to an Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter to consult about your career. A good recruiter has the experience and expertise to not only help with your current employment situation, but also to help you with your future plans and help set you up for more success. Being proactive is one part of planning and having a good plan and executing the steps in that plan is critical to setting you up for success, no matter what your plans are and what you want to do.
Julea: Stacy, thank you for all this great information. Stacy, if a member of the listening audience wanted to reach out to you, what would be the best way to do that?
Stacy: There are a number of ways that someone can reach out to me. They can send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com and they can also visit The VET Recruiter at www.thevetrecruiter.com. Once on the site, they can register their profile and upload their resume. And I would also recommend that people connect with me on LinkedIn and follow The VET Recruiter on LinkedIn and the other social media channels.
One of the major points of this podcast episode is that Animal Health and Veterinary professionals need to network enough to help grow their career, and networking with an Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter is one way to do that. And keep in mind that this is a no-risk proposition for professionals. There is no risk to them and there is no cost to them. Remember, it’s the employers who pay the recruiter to help them find qualified candidates for their open position. So, building a relationship with a recruiter is something that professionals should consider, because it can have a profound impact on their career.
Julea: Once again, for more information about The VET Recruiter and the services that it provides to both Animal Health and Veterinary employers and professionals, we invite everyone listening to visit www.thevetrecruiter.com. Stacy, as always, thank you for joining us today.
Stacy: It’s been my pleasure, Julea, and I look forward to our next episode of the “Animal Health and Veterinary Employment Insider”!