Healthcare
Veterinarian CV: farm animals and horses
This example is for veterinarians at farm animal and equine practices, rural clinics and on official duties, and for veterinary graduates who want to work with farm animals.
A farmer, practice owner or district veterinary officer wants to know which species you work with, whether you do reproduction work and ultrasound, how you look after herd health and which official duties you carry out. We show you how to describe this on your CV.
How to write a veterinarian CV
Professional summary
Write which animals you work with, at what kind of practice and how wide your area of care is, for example the number of farms or herds. Add reproduction work, ultrasound and preventive care, because farmers look for a vet who helps them plan herd management. List official duties for the district veterinary officer separately, because they are a different area of responsibility.
Licensed veterinarian after placements at a farm animal practice. I carry out clinical examinations of cattle, vaccinations and basic procedures on farms, and am learning ultrasound for reproduction. I am looking for work at a farm animal practice.
Experience: duties and achievements
Describe the species, the number of farms, procedures, reproduction work and preventive care. Show your work on farms and with farmers. Add official duties and medicine records, because at a farm animal practice they are a constant duty.
Weaker: Treating cows.
Better: Ongoing care for dairy herds on about 40 farms.
Weaker: Ultrasound.
Better: Reproduction work and ultrasound, about 250 pregnancy scans a month.
Weaker: Abattoir.
Better: Ante- and post-mortem inspection at an abattoir, appointed by the district veterinary officer.
Skills worth listing
List species, reproduction, ultrasound, surgery on farms, official duties and records. In your soft skills show independence, resilience in tough conditions and talking to farmers.
Professional skills
- Dairy cattle
- Horses
- Reproduction
- Ultrasound
- Meat inspection
- Medicine records
Personal skills
- Independence
- Physical resilience
- Talking to farmers
- Decisiveness
- Availability
Licences and specialisation
List your licence to practise, a specialisation, for example in reproduction or cattle diseases, and training in official duties. For appointments, give the scope, for example meat inspection or vaccinations in disease control programmes.
Veterinarian CV after graduation
Describe your placements at farm animal practices and the procedures you did under supervision. Say whether you have a driving licence and a car, because farm work requires it.
Start at a practice with several vets. Experienced vets often teach reproduction work and ultrasound on the job.
Tailoring your CV to the job offer
A cattle practice looks for reproduction, ultrasound and herd health, an equine practice for surgery and diagnostics, and the veterinary inspectorate for official duties, meat inspection and knowledge of regulations. Move to the top what the job ad is about.
Questions and answers
What should a farm animal veterinarian put on a CV?
Species, the number of farms, reproduction, ultrasound, procedures, preventive care, official duties, specialisation and a driving licence.
How is this work different from a dog and cat clinic?
It happens mostly on farms, and reproduction, herd health and official duties matter most.
How do you describe an appointment by the district veterinary officer?
Give the scope of duties, for example meat inspection or vaccinations in disease control programmes.
Is a driving licence needed?
Yes, for farm work it is usually required.