by Stacy Pursell, CPC, CERS
The VET Recruiter®
When I think back to before the COVID-19 pandemic began—with the job market having record numbers of employment—I remember that some people when contacted about Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs would not be open to opportunities.
And believe it or not, even now with the National Unemployment Rate in double digits and more than 40 million Americans filing for unemployment benefits during the past few months, some professionals are still not open to some of the Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs presented to them.
One of the responses I have heard is, “It’s not a good time to make a move.” Another one is, “I think I should wait until the pandemic is over or at least until it’s blown over.” These are bright professionals who are excellent candidates within the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. By exploring these opportunities, they could be taking a step in the direction of growing their career and maximizing their career potential (not to mention their career earnings).
However, some people make the conscious decision to not explore these Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs. And the reason could be fear.
Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs: nothing to fear
So as you can see, nothing has really changed for some professionals in terms of the marketplace. They’re not willing to explore opportunities for the same reason they didn’t explore them six months, a year, or two years ago. That reason, as I’ve stated is fear.
The only difference involves the things of which these professionals are afraid. Six months or a year ago, some people were reluctant to explore Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs because they were fearful of the following:
- The fear of the unknown
- The fear of not being qualified enough to succeed
- The fear of failure
- The fear of what other people might think of them
- The fear of their employer finding out they were interviewing somewhere else
These professionals were fearful because they were not only envisioning the worst-case scenario, but they were also anticipating such a scenario was actually going to happen. In fact, they were assuming that it was going to happen, and they used that assumption as a reason not to take action, move forward, or explore any opportunities.
So what has changed since then? Obviously, the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the economic fallout that the virus has created, has given people more things of which to be afraid. Because, once again, many people are envisioning the worst-case scenario and assuming that it is going to happen. For some people, it’s not that they don’t fear what they feared before, it’s that they still fear those things, plus they fear other things, as well.
And fortunately for some of them, they allow those fears to dictate their decisions, which essentially paralyzes them and prevents them from moving forward.
However, there is nothing to fear when it comes to exploring Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs when good opportunities present themselves.
Not the time to be “sitting on the sidelines”
Not only that, but right now is a great time to explore Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs. That might sound counter-intuitive to you, considering everything that is happening the country and the world at the moment. However, it is the truth, and I have two reasons why this is the case:
#1—The marketplace and the job market are evolving.
Believe it or not, the COVID-pandemic has been and is producing opportunities in the marketplace. For one thing, pet adoptions are on the rise. This is a trend that is directly linked to the pandemic and the lockdowns that have been happening. Since people have been staying at home more, more of them have been opting for pet ownership as a way to have more companionship and connection.
Second, there are job and career opportunities being created, especially in the veterinary profession. One of these areas is that of telemedicine. More employers are looking to hire full-time telemedicine veterinarians to care for the pets of clients opting for virtual care. You can expect employers to continue emphasizing the technological aspect of the profession and for new and more job opportunities to result from this continued emphasis.
#2—Other professionals are (voluntarily) “sitting on the sidelines.”
Mark Twain has been credited with quite a few quotes, but one of my favorites of his is this one: “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.” How many people do you think are taking the “wait and see” approach in terms of Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs?
Think of it this way: every person who decides to “sit on the sidelines” during this pandemic is one less person with whom you have to compete in the job market. When other people are making the conscious decision to not explore potential career growth employment opportunities, it is the perfect time for you to do so. You increase your chances for success and advancement based on the odds alone and you increase those odds further when you adopt a proactive mindset and execute a corresponding plan of action.
There is still opportunity in the current marketplace, and when I say that, I mean there are Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs that employers are trying to fill. Yes, the pandemic has presented more than its fair share of challenges and obstacles. And yes, for some people, there appears to be more to fear than there was before. It is understandable, but do not let fear hold you back from moving forward in your career when the right opportunity presents itself.
For those who are determined to not allow fear to dictate their decisions and who recognize the evolution of the job market and the opportunities that exist within it, this is a great time to explore Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs.
If you’re looking to make a change or explore your employment options, then we want to talk with you. I encourage you to contact us or you can also create a profile and/or submit your resume for consideration.
We help support careers in one of two ways: 1. By helping Animal Health and Veterinary professionals to find the right opportunity when the time is right, and 2. By helping to recruit top talent for the critical needs of Animal Health and Veterinary organizations. If this is something that you would like to explore further, please send an email to stacy@thevetrecruiter.com.
Copyright © 2020 The VET Recruiter
The VET Recruiter is The Animal Health Executive Search Firm and The Veterinary Recruiting Firm
Stacy Pursell is an Animal Health Executive Recruiter and Veterinary Recruiter and Workplace/Workforce expert for the Animal Health Industry and Veterinary Profession.