How to Begin a Career in Animal Care

Looking for a new career path? If you love animals, you might want to look into a career in animal care. Whether you want to become a dog groomer, a veterinary nurse, a zookeeper, or work in kennels, the truth is that there are plenty of positions for you. 

However, before you start applying for your dream job, you need to know how to get into the field. Luckily, that’s where we come in. In the following guide, we will take a look at how to begin your career in animal care, what skills you need, and the qualifications you should get first. Here’s everything you should know to get started on this particular career path.

First up, let’s discuss whether a career in animal care is right for you. Plenty of people out there want to work with animals. However, few realise the realities of this type of animal welfare job. Having a love of animals is a basic requirement. But you also need to be ready to take on the multitude of responsibilities that go hand-in-hand with animal care. 

Entry-level animal careers can literally include hands-on roles.

You will need to take care of the nitty-gritty aspects of the job. That means grooming the animals but also cleaning up after them. You should also be a pro when it comes to understanding animal behaviour. Pet owners know all too well that animals can be unpredictable at the best of times. Each animal is unique and has their own personality. When you undertake animal training courses, you will start to learn how to deal with various types of behaviour.

Additionally, the animal care industry is extremely fast-paced. Should you choose to work in wildlife rehabilitation, a ‌veterinary practice, or any other healthcare setting, time is of the essence. You will need to be a speedy worker who can get the job done quickly and efficiently. 

Whether you gain a full-time or part-time job in this sector, you will need to take a hands-on approach to everything that you do. Most animal care courses will provide you with the tools that you need to succeed in this particular working environment. 

While working with animals may seem like your “dream job,” you have to be clear about the realities of this type of role. Before you start walking down this career path, make sure that you do your homework. The more you know about your chosen animal care career, the better equipped you will be to decide whether it is the right move for you. Whether you decide to work in an animal shelter or go into veterinary nursing, there are many options.

When you have decided that becoming an animal care professional is the right move for you, the next step in your journey is checking that you have the right skills. As we have mentioned, you will pick up many of the competencies that you need for an entry-level job when you complete an animal care course. However, here are some examples: 

Of course, it goes without saying that the skills you need for each individual job will differ depending on your role. However, having the above is a good place to start. Animal lovers tend to have most of the skills that we have listed here. Whenever you start looking at animal jobs, you can also look at the job specification and see what the employer needs.  

The qualifications you will need depend entirely on the animal jobs you want to go for. If you’re interested in this career path, you first need to work out what your specialism is. When you’ve done that, you can start looking at the available animal care courses online. 

Check out the various modules of each course and see how they align with your long-term goals. Learners who do research about the courses they are considering get the best package. When you know which path works for you, choose a course that matches.

Thinking of specialising in animal healthcare? If you want to become a veterinary technician, go into veterinary nursing, or work as a veterinary assistant, it’s worth looking at animal welfare and medical courses. You may also choose to look into apprenticeships as you can gain work experience in a veterinary clinic this way. Make a solid plan for your career path and stick to it if you want to get the best results here.

If you’re set on entering the world of animal care, there are plenty of animal jobs you may consider. Knowing what the career prospects are will help you define your career path. With that in mind, here are some of the animal jobs that you may want to look into: 

Choosing the right career path will be fundamental to your success. As we have covered, there are plenty of animal care courses out there. You need to enrol in one that aligns with your career goals and gives you the skills and expertise that you need. Look into the above positions and see if any would suit your interests and existing skills.