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The veterinary receptionist job is demanding to say the least. It requires compassion, attention to detail, and great communication – not to mention a love for animals big and small. Your veterinary receptionist CV (UK) is the first way of showing recruiters that you have what it takes.
Our veterinary receptionist CV sample can show you how it’s done, with the right structure, design, and all-important content about your key skills and experiences. Read through our help and tips before building your own CV for veterinary receptionist roles using our quick and easy online builder.
Veterinary receptionist CV templates
Top tips for your veterinary receptionist CV
Show that you’re the perfect fit for veterinary receptionist duties, responsibilities, and qualities with our simple tips…
Demonstrate your passion
A love of all animals is a must for any veterinary receptionist, with many job duties completed in the presence of furry and four-legged friends. Your veterinary receptionist CV should show this from the outset with a personal statement that is passionate about veterinary practices and caring for animals. Use positive words like “caring”, “compassionate”, “animal-loving”, or even “pet-obsessed”!
Align with veterinary receptionist job duties
It’s one thing loving animals, but you also need to be prepared to take on the duties and responsibilities of a veterinary receptionist. Experience in a receptionist job or other administrative roles is ideal, but you can also list transferable skills from other jobs or educational experience. Our advice is to read through the job description, note down the key requirements and responsibilities, then consider how to align your skills and experience to as many as possible.
Vet your CV!
From maintaining customer (and pet) records and scheduling appointments to drafting invoices and taking payments, attention to detail is crucial for veterinary receptionist duties and responsibilities. With that in mind, any errors or typos on your veterinary receptionist CV would be a cat-astrophe. Make sure you check for any typos and read through your CV in full to ensure it makes sense as a whole. Getting a trusted friend or relative is always a good idea to get a second opinion and double-check for mistakes.
Write a veterinary receptionist cover letter
While you can touch upon your passion for pets in your personal statement, it’s hard to convey just how much you care for animals through a CV for veterinary receptionist roles. That’s where a cover letter can come into its own. In a few short paragraphs, you can sum up why you’re a great fit for the role based on your experiences both in and out of work. It’s also a great way to avoid waffling in your CV, with 1-2 pages preferred by recruiters.
Veterinary receptionist skills to include in your CV
Find out which key capabilities to include on your veterinary receptionist CV, including hard (technical) and soft (transferable) skills:
Hard skills for veterinary receptionists
- Scheduling and appointments
- Excellent phone manner
- Filing and organisation
- Customer service skills
- Payment processing
- Basic understanding of pet care
Soft skills to strengthen your CV
- Good with animals
- Calm under pressure
- Attention to detail
- Empathetic
- Clear written and verbal communication
- Rapport building
Meet and greet recruiters with your personal statement
The personal statement is essentially front of house on your CV for veterinary receptionist jobs. As we’ve mentioned, it should make your love of animals clear. But it also needs to highlight your most relevant experience and transferable skills.
As you can see from our veterinary receptionist CV sample, it’s best to stick to 3-4 sentences, which make recruiters want to read on and find out more.
Top FAQs about your veterinary receptionist CV
What is a veterinary receptionist?
A veterinary receptionist is someone who works in the office or front desk of a veterinary practice. Unlike a veterinary assistant or nurse, they are not usually required to handle animals, instead focussing on clerical and administrative duties.
What does a veterinary receptionist do?
Veterinary receptionist duties and responsibilities include:
- Taking phone calls
- Answering general enquiries
- Scheduling appointments
- Checking in customers
- Handling post
- Managing emails
- Selling items
- Processing payments
What makes a good veterinary receptionist?
To excel at veterinary receptionist job duties, you’ll need to be well organised and capable of multi-tasking. You should be comfortable around animals, and able to work in the hectic environment they can create when distressed. On top of that, veterinary receptionists need to remain friendly and empathetic in person, by phone, and in writing.
How much does a veterinary receptionist get paid (UK)?
If you’re wondering what the average pay is for a veterinary receptionist, the salary usually falls between £18,000 and £22,000 per year. This may be higher if you’re required to assist with more advanced veterinary receptionist duties and responsibilities, such as bookkeeping or handling animals.
What are veterinary receptionist qualifications?
There are no specific qualifications required for veterinary receptionist jobs. While a degree or diploma in animal care is ideal, recruiters usually look for evidence of basic English and Maths, or a diploma in administration. To really nail down your specialism, the College of Animal Welfare offers a certificate specifically for veterinary receptionists.
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Make recruiters purr with your veterinary receptionist CV
If you’re ready to put all of the advice above into practice, our CV builder is on hand to help. Choose from a selection of impressive templates with the right structure and layout for UK veterinary receptionist CVs, before filling each section with pre-written content based on specific job roles. Customise your CV with some personal details and stand-out achievements, then download in a choice of file types.
