Toolkit offers resources for career transitions

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A new online toolkit from the 2013-2014 class of the AVMA Future Leaders Program offers resources to help AVMA members who are considering a career transition, particularly from general practice to another arena.

Almost 30 percent of veterinarians are considering a career transition now or in the future, according to a survey by the 2013-2014 Future Leaders. Respondents indicated that they were contemplating transitions to careers ranging from working in veterinary specialties to positions in the animal health industry.Screenshot of Veterinary Transitions webpage

The toolkit is accessible only by AVMA members. The pages provide resources under the following headings:

  • Explore career options for veterinarians—a list of career options and links to other online resources to help veterinarians with career transitions.
  • Assess what careers might be best for you—two self-assessment tools from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine.
  • Translate your clinical skills—information about how practitioners can translate clinical skills into other settings, featuring a behavioral competency chart and sample competency-based resume.
  • Market yourself—information about how veterinarians can define a career vision and plan; analyze their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats and set goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, reaching, and time-sensitive; schedule maintenance on their career plan; and market themselves.
  • See current job opportunities—a link to job listings on the AVMA Veterinary Career Center.