Episode #152 – The Outward Mindset 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 Stacy Pursell, founder of The VET Recruiter and Animal Health and Veterinary Industry workplace and workforce expert, 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 organizations 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 the outward mindset for Animal Health and Veterinary professionals. Hello, Stacy, and thank you for joining us today.
Stacy: Hello, Julea. As always, I’m glad to be here.
Julea: Stacy, we’ve discussed the importance of the proper mindset previously on the show. Is today’s topic along the same lines?
Stacy: Yes, it is. And the reason that we’ve addressed the proper mindset multiple times is that it’s so important. Skills and experience certainly have their place in a person’s career, but without the proper mindset, it’s difficult for a person to reach their full potential.
Julea: So where would you like to start today?
Stacy: Well, Julea, as you know, I’ve been an Animal Health recruiter and Veterinary recruiter for more than 20 years. Because of that, I’ve interviewed and spoken with thousands of animal health and veterinary professionals. During that time, I’ve learned that there are two types of people: those who are inward focused and those who are outward focused.
Julea: What do you mean by that, exactly? What does it mean if you’re inward focused?
Stacy: Inward focused people have their head down, both literally and figuratively. They’re only focused on what they’re doing in their own job or what it is going on within their current employer’s organization.
Julea: And that’s a problem?
Stacy: It is a problem. Inward focused individuals are so focused on what’s going on with their current job and within their employer that they’re not always aware of what’s happening outside their employer, including what’s happening in the industry and what their employer’s competitors are doing.
Julea: So how are outward focused individuals different from inward focused ones?
Stacy: Outward focused individuals also know what’s happening in their job and in their employer, but they also have their head up and they’re aware of what’s happening outside of their employer.
Julea: So it’s just a knowledge thing, having the knowledge of what’s going on?
Stacy: No, knowledge is just the first part of being outward focused. The second part is networking. These professionals not only “keep their ear to the ground,” but they also network with other professionals. They attend conferences and network there with people from other organizations, as well. That’s part of the reason they know what’s happening in the industry; they consistently network with other professionals.
Julea: Are you saying those people who are working in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession should be outward focused and not inward focused?
Stacy: Actually, I would advocate for being both inward focused and outward focused. Obviously, you have to be aware of what’s happening in your job. And you also have be aware of what’s going on within your employer. However, that is definitely not enough, not if a professional wants to successfully grow their career and maximize their potential.
Julea: Why is that not enough? What are the specific reasons?
Stacy: When you’re inward focused and not outward focused, then you’re not aware of the opportunities that exist in the marketplace. And when I say opportunities, I mean employment opportunities or Animal Health jobs and Veterinary jobs. This is important because if you’re not aware of these opportunities, then you’re not in a position to take advantage of them. In terms of career advancement and growth, knowledge and awareness are critical.
Julea: Stacy, I know that we’ve also talked about being proactive and being reactive on the show. Are these terms related to what we’re discussing today?
Stacy: Yes, I would say so. If you’re only inward focused, then you’re reactive. You have no choice but to be reactive because you don’t have the awareness and knowledge you need. On the other hand, when you’re outward focused, then you do have the awareness and knowledge you need to be proactive. You can take the information that you’ve gathered and you can act on it.
So if you want to maximize your career, then you need to be both inward focused and outward focused. I can’t stress enough the importance of being able to do both. The basic rules for success definitely apply to this situation.
Julea: What do you mean by that?
Stacy: Success boils down to a person’s options and opportunities. It’s a numbers game, really. The more options and opportunities that a person has, the better decisions they’re able to make. Of course, the better decisions that a person makes, the more they’ll be able to grow their career. And the faster they’ll be able to grow their career, as well.
For example, if you have just one Animal Health job or Veterinary job opportunity, then you pretty much don’t have many options. However, if you have three or four or five opportunities, then you have more options. And when you have more options, then you can choose the one that’s the best for you. When you have more options, you have better options, and you can make better decisions. It really is as simple as that.
Julea: And Stacy, there are plenty of Animal Health job and Veterinary job opportunities available in the marketplace right now, aren’t there?
Stacy: Yes, that is absolutely correct. That’s one of the reasons why it doesn’t make much sense to only be inward focused. That’s because when you’re only inward focused, then you’re not aware of these opportunities and you’re missing out on them. I say this to animal health and veterinary professionals all the time, but this is a great time to be working in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. I’ve never seen a marketplace as candidate-driven as the one we’re experiencing right now.
Julea: Stacy, thank you so much for all of this great information. We’re just about out of time for today. Is there anything else that you’d like to add before we wrap up today’s episode?
Stacy: Yes, there is. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve talked with thousands of Animal Health and Veterinary professionals during my career and I continue to talk with them on a daily basis. And I have to say that I’m amazed by how some people don’t know what’s going on within the industry, and when I say they don’t know, I mean they have no idea whatsoever. It’s almost as if they don’t actually work within the industry in which they work.
And the reason I bring this is up is because if you’re working in the Animal Health industry or Veterinary profession and you are both inward focused and outward focused, then you have an advantage over many other professionals in the marketplace. I would also encourage our listeners to take a good, hard look at themselves to determine how outward focused they are. If they decide that they’re not outward focused enough, then they should make a concerted effort to improve in this area.
Because as I just said, if you can become a person who is both inward focused and outward focused, then you will gain an advantage over other professionals. In other words, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities that they don’t even know about.
Julea: Thank you once again, Stacy, and I invite our listeners to join us next time when we address more hiring and employment issues in the Animal Health industry and Veterinary profession. We hope that you’ll join us then! Thank you for joining us for the Animal Health Employment Insider today and be sure to check out our hot jobs on The VET Recruiter website at www.thevetrecruiter.com