| Employment opportunities at Indian Hills Animal Clinic and Pet Hotel |
| (updated 12/04/02) |
| If you are looking for a job working with small animals then an assistant's position at an veterinary clinic is probably at the top of your list. Indian Hills Animal Clinic offers the highest-quality employment experience you can find in the field. Our staff consists of both full- and part-time employees. Benefits for full-time staff include health insurance, a retirement plan, and paid vacations. Both full- and part-time staff receive discounts on pet care. Our facility is top notch. In 2002, for instance, we renovated our kennel and treatment areas. We have added a fourth exercise yard, which gives us both tiled indoor and outdoor walking yards as well as a natural grass area for dogs. Our clientele is also wonderful to work with. Plus, as an employee of Indian Hills, one has the opportunity to work with a variety of pets (from cats and dogs to avian companions, wild birds, rabbits, ferrets, guinea pigs and turtles) in a variety of circumstances. Emergency medicine, major and minor surgery, dental cleanings and extractions as well as annual vaccines and examinations are weekly experiences for an IHAC assistant. |
| What kinds of prior experience/employment do I need in order to work at Indian Hills? |
| How do I apply? Should I call first? Do I need to bring a resume? |
| Are there any specific requirements for employment at IHAC as a vet's assistant? |
| No prior experience -- either at a vet clinic or kennel or as an employee anywhere -- is required for consideration as an employee at Indian Hills. However, previous experience is a plus, particularly experience in handling animals. Time spent with your own household pets counts. Of particular benefit to the clinic are employees with knowledge of specialized pet care, such as current or former bird or ferret owners. One need not have been employed by or volunteered at any clinic or shelter in order to apply for a job with IHAC, however. |
| Periodically during the year an assistant's position will open up. On these occasions, our office manager will place an ad in the classifieds section of the Tuscaloosa News. She will also review the most recent batch of applications we have received during the interim between openings. So, even if we are fully staffed at the time you are looking for a job, it does not hurt to come in and fill out an application anyway. There is no way for us to predict exactly when a position will open up. If we have your information on file, then you are a step ahead when a job does open up. Please do not call the clinic looking for information on employment. If you would like to fill out an application, come by anytime. (Our office hours are listed here.) If you are curious as to whether we have any job openings, drop in! The office manager, who makes most of our hiring decisions, will likely be at the desk. This is your opportunity to meet her and make a first impression. She does not have time to conduct telephone interviews nor give lengthy descriptions of the benefits and requirements associated with the vet assistant's job. A resume is not required in order to apply for a position at the clinic. Our two-page application covers the areas we are interested in knowing. If, however, you have a printed resume and would like to include it with your application, then by all means bring it with you to the clinic and we will attach it to your forms. We do check all references. Bring a pen and please be honest. |
| There are a few basic things which would preclude one from employment at IHAC. These include: physical injuries (especially to the back or knees) which prevent heavy lifting or mopping, a weak stomach (veterinary medicine can be kinda gross), or a particularly strong fear of animals. If you are scared of dogs, THERE IS NO REASON TO APPLY FOR A JOB HERE. Even the receptionists end up handling animals at times. Although 95% of the pets which pass through our clinic are not aggressive (and we train our employees to deal with the other 5% in a manner which is safe for both the pet and handler), if you are a timid individual by nature, this is probably not the employment opportunity of a lifetime! Otherwise, the only other specific requirements for employment are availability. Full-time employees work from 7-3:30 weekdays. Emergency call is rotated between members of the full-time staff. Full-timers also rotate holidays. If you are a college student and absolutely MUST be home for the holidays, then this is not the job for you! Typically an employee will work either Thanksgiving or Christmas, but not both, during a given year. Also, Spring Break is our peak boarding season. No one gets Spring Break off at an animal clinic. If you are planning to work on your tan or get your drink on at Panama City Beach come March/April, this is not the job for you. Part-time employees rotate weekends. Weekend hours are Saturday 7-noon and Sunday 9 to 10 in the A.M. Additional hours for cleaning the facility and walking dogs are scheduled as well. Weekday afternoon hours for part-time staff usually run from 3:30 until 6:30. The part-time schedule is adjusted every semester according to the hours/days of availability amongst the four part-time assistants. On average, a part-time assistant gets between 18 and 35 hours of work each week. Adjustments for exams at the end of each semester can usually be made for college students. |
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