Episode #149 – Resiliency: Another Building Block of Value for Animal Health and Veterinary Professionals
Julea: Welcome to “The Animal Health Employment Insider,” brought to you by The VET Recruiter. In this podcast, executive recruiter and veterinary recruiter, Stacy Pursell, founder and CEO of The VET Recruiter, provides insight and practical advice for both employers and job seekers in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. The VET Recruiter’s mission is to help Animal Health and Veterinary employers hire top talent, while helping animal health and veterinary professionals attain career-enhancing opportunities that increase their quality of life.
In today’s podcast episode, we’ll be talking about resiliency and why it’s so important for professionals in the employment marketplace. Hello, Stacy, and thank you for joining us today.
Stacy: Hello, Julea, It’s great to be here as always.
Julea: Stacy, in the title of today’s podcast episode, you refer to resiliency as “another building block of value.” What do you mean by that?
Stacy: Well, we recently talked about dependability on the show and how that trait is the cornerstone of value. The reason that it’s the cornerstone of value is that it leads to trust, and trust is a huge factor in all human interaction. This includes within the employment marketplace. So if dependability is the cornerstone of value, as we discussed, then resiliency is definitely one of the building blocks for professionals in terms of the value they offer to their current employer and also to a potential new employer.
Julea: Stacy, there’s a question I wanted to ask. We’ve talked about how we’re currently in a candidates’ job market and the unemployment rate is low, especially in the Veterinary profession. There might be some professionals, including in our listening audience, who believe that traits and characteristics such as these aren’t as important, since quality candidates are scarce. What would you say to that?
Stacy: I would say that everyone is always looking for an edge in the employment marketplace. Or at least, everyone should be looking for an edge. We are definitely in a candidates’ job market right now, but that doesn’t mean there is no competition for Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs, especially the best jobs. It’s not as though if you were interviewing for an open position that you would be the only person interviewing for that position. Not matter how good the market gets for job seekers and candidates, there will always be competition. And since that’s the case, a professional should want to gain an edge or an advantage over their competition. That only makes sense. Also, it will not always be a candidate’s job market. Times change.
And traits and characteristics like dependability and resiliency can definitely give a person an advantage in any job market. But it’s not just the trait itself that makes resiliency so valuable.
Julea: It’s not? Why is that?
Stacy: Not all forms of value are the same. In other words, some forms of value are more valuable than other forms. Now, there are certain factors that are involved in determining which forms of value are the most valuable. One of those factors is availability.
Julea: Stacy, are you referring to the law of supply and demand?
Stacy: Yes, that’s exactly what I mean. According to the law of supply and demand, when something is in demand and there is a low supply of it, that something is automatically considered to be more valuable. The less of it there is, the more valuable it becomes.
Julea: Is that the case with resiliency right now in the employment marketplace?
Stacy: Yes, it is, and I can say that based on the numerous conversations I’ve had with hiring managers in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. I have a good idea of what they’re looking for in their new employees. In speaking with them, it has become apparent to me that some of them believe that overall, resiliency is lacking in job seekers and candidates today.
So, just like we discussed with the law of supply and demand, there is a demand for resiliency in the marketplace. That’s because hiring managers have acknowledged they want that form of value in their employees. But they’ve also acknowledged that resiliency is in short supply.
Julea: So that makes resiliency even more valuable?
Stacy: That’s right.
Julea: Stacy, we’ve talked about the fact that resiliency is valuable because it’s in short supply, but what makes it so valuable in the first place?
Stacy: That’s a great question. The fact of the matter is that resilient people are valuable for a number of different reasons, and we’ll talk about those reasons in a just a moment. But I want to point out the overall reason why resiliency is so important, not just in the employment marketplace, but in life in general. The reason that resiliency is so important is that adversity is unavoidable. And when I say that it’s unavoidable, I mean it’s unavoidable for everyone. No person is exempt.
And since adversity is unavoidable, resiliency is incredibly valuable. Adversity comes in many shapes and forms, and those people who are resilient are more likely to overcome the adversity in their lives. Everyone in our listening audience has encountered adversity in their life. I’ve encountered it, and I’m sure that you have, too, Julea. I don’t know anyone who hasn’t encountered adversity.
Resiliency is valuable because it is necessary to be successful. This applies to both individuals and also to organizations.
Julea: Stacy, that’s a great point. So what are the reasons you just referenced that makes resiliency so valuable.
Stacy: I have a list of five reasons, and I’ll address them one at a time. First, resilient people are authentic, which means they acknowledge their weaknesses and work to improve them. A resilient person is someone who works to turn their weaknesses into strengths.
Second, resilient people are flexible, and when I say that, I mean they’re flexible in both their thinking and their approach.
Julea: Stacy, can you elaborate on that?
Stacy: Certainly. A resilient person approaches a situation with the mindset of “Whatever it takes to get the job done.” However, that does not mean they’re willing to do something illegal or unethical. It just means they’re willing to go the extra mile to fix the situation or find a solution. And while they’re doing that, they’re flexible in their thinking. A common phrase used is “thinking outside the box.” In other words, thinking about the problem in a different way, as opposed to the way other people have done so before. Resilient people are always looking to adjust and adapt so they can find a solution.
Julea: And as we mentioned before, solving problems is also a form of value that employers are looking for.
Stacy: Yes, absolutely! Being a problem solver is one of the best forms of value for any employer. A problem solver is the opposite of a complainer. It’s one thing to complain about a problem and another thing to do something about it.
Julea: Stacy, what’s next on our list?
Stacy: Resilient people are self-motivated individuals. There are two types of motivation: extrinsic motivation and intrinsic motivation. When you’re intrinsically motivated, the motivation comes from within. YOU are the one pushing yourself to achieve and be successful, not anyone else. So that’s what I mean by self-motivated. Resilient people are intrinsically motivated.
The next item on our list is that resilient people manage stress well. Just like adversity, stress is unavoidable. But what many people don’t understand is that stress, by itself, is not inherently harmful. What a person does with the stress and how they react to it determines how harmful it is.
Julea: So are you saying that resilient people react to stress differently?
Stacy: Yes, they do. Not only that, but resilient people can also handle a greater amount of stress than a person who is not considered resilient. A person’s reaction to what happens around them and to them is critical in determining how resilient they are.
Which brings us to perhaps the most important thing about resiliency.
Julea: What’s that?
Stacy: Resilient people do NOT give up, regardless of the situation or how many defeats they’ve suffered in the past. You can become a more resilient person automatically if you simply make the decision to not give up. Perseverance is the #1 key to resiliency.
Julea: Stacy, we’re almost out of time for today’s episode. Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Stacy: Yes. If you align yourself with an experienced Animal Health recruiter or Veterinary recruiter, you can find out what hiring managers want most in job seekers and candidates. Becoming more resilient is a great way to give yourself an edge in the employment marketplace, and so is aligning yourself with an experienced recruiter.
Julea: Stacy, thank you so much for all of this great information. And for those people who are considering a job change I encourage you to send your resume to Stacy. You can email it to her through The VET Recruiter website at www.thevetrecruiter.com
Stacy: Yes, there are. For those listeners who want to change their current situation and are interested in exploring Animal Health jobs or Veterinary jobs, I invite them to visit our website at www.thevetrecruiter.com. We have a number of employment opportunities available on our site, and new ones are posted on a regular basis
Julea: Once again, the website address for The VET Recruiter is www.thevetrecruiter.com. If you are an employer with a critical hiring need I encourage you to reach out to Stacy as well. Stacy, as always, thank you for joining us today.
Stacy: It’s been my pleasure, and I look forward to our next episode of The Animal Health Employment Insider!