Working with animals

What does it involve?

It may be your dream to work with cute animals all day, but be realistic about what the job involves. Working with animals can mean dirty and smelly jobs, lots of routine tasks and working long or unsociable hours. It helps if you're not too sentimental for job areas such as veterinary work, animal research or farming.

But if that hasn't put you off, working with animals can be very rewarding! As well as places such as zoos, veterinary practices and farms, you could be training animals such as guide dogs or race horses, working in conservation, handling animals when they've just arrived into the country by plane or working in kennels or a cattery. And did you know that some animals also need therapists? You could become a pet behaviour counsellor helping families to control their badly behaved pooch or helping a timid cat overcome its fears.

What’s happening in the industry?

Working with animals can be quite a competitive area of work to go in to. The skills most in demand include customer care and communication skills - a vet, for example, spends 90% of their time with people! People who have knowledge of new quarantine legislation and licences will be needed for certain job roles.

Volunteers are important to this area of work but those working in the voluntary sector will need to develop good business and customer service skills.

In the equine sector (working with horses), experience of handling horses is very important. Even with a degree, employers like students to have had as much contact with the animals as possible. There are skills shortages for people with practical, technical, coaching, instructing and management skills as well as customer care. This sector is expected to grow as the farming industry changes and more farms turn to the leisure industry. With this in mind, there will be more demand for managers and supervisors and for people with marketing and communication skills.

How to get into this type of work

Your Personal Adviser will be able to discuss your options with you.

School or college - study for GCSEs, AS / A levels, NVQs or other vocational qualifications that could lead to a job, an Apprenticeship, further qualifications or even a degree.

e2e (Entry to Employment) - if you’re not sure if you’re suited to this job you might be able to get some work experience through e2e. It can also give you extra support to gain the right qualifications, get onto a training programme or get a job.

Apprenticeship - train ‘on-the-job’ with a wage or allowance. For the latest Apprenticeship vacancies in Nottinghamshire go to Vacancies Online.

Work or work with training.

Which skills?

Communication
Customer service
Team work (although some jobs involve working alone)
Practical and technical skills
Business skills
Health and safety

What else can I do?

Get some work experience.
Volunteer - there are plenty of volunteering opportunities in this sector.
Brush up on some of your skills such as customer service.
Read about working with animals on Jobs4U or look for the online EClips job descriptions in your school or nearest Connexions centre.
Talk to your Personal Adviser.

For courses go to MyChoiceNotts

For job and training vacancies go to Vacancies Online

For more job info go to Jobs4U

For useful links go to Fetch!