Writing a veterinary nursing personal statement is a key opportunity for you to demonstrate your enthusiasm and commitment to a course, and show the admissions team what value you can add to their institution.

If you’re applying for a high-demand course such as veterinary nursing, your personal statement could be the deciding factor on whether or not you get an interview. So, it’s important to make it compelling.

Here, we’re going through some practical advice and guidance about how to prepare your veterinary nursing personal statement. Let’s get started!

Structure your veterinary nursing personal statement in a clear format

You could be an excellent candidate for veterinary nurse training on paper, but if you showcase your skills and experiences in a poorly structured statement, then you lose your impact. So, it’s important to plan your statement well.

A well-written personal statement with a clear structure will make the information “pop”, and demonstrate you understand how to prepare an important academic document – a crucial skill needed for many college and university courses. There’s no “right” way to structure your veterinary nursing personal statement, however it’s a good idea to include:

• A clear introduction, explaining why you want to study the course and become a registered veterinary nurse
• A section focusing on your work experience and academic achievements, to show how you’re qualified to study veterinary nursing
• A section about any relevant hobbies, interests, extracurricular activities or personal achievements, to show what else makes you suitable to study veterinary nursing
• A clear conclusion that is memorable and unique to you

Writing a sparkling introduction and leave a lasting impression

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression that first impressions count. Your introduction is the first thing your reader will see, so you need your opening lines to grab attention and set yourself apart from the other applicants. Vague statements about loving science and animals don’t always make the cut. What qualities and personal experiences do you bring to the table which shaped your character and would make you an excellent veterinary nurse? What makes every applicant unique is that they will have a genuine reason for wanting to study something, so make sure they know what your reason is!

Talk about your experiences working in a veterinary setting

Your veterinary nursing personal statement is a key opportunity for you to communicate your work experience in further detail and explain how it has prepared you for the challenges and requirements you will face as a student veterinary nurse.

Firstly, you need to ensure you have achieved the minimum work-related requirements needed to apply for your chosen programme. Work experience is really important when applying for competitive veterinary nursing programmes, so any relevant animal and equine related work experience over and above the minimum requirements will be looked on favourably and will demonstrate that you understand the profession you will be joining. Think about what skills, knowledge and behaviours your work experience has taught you. More than this, explain how those skills will help you be a better student veterinary nurse. Use examples from your work experience to show what you learnt about the role of a veterinary nurse. For example, thinking about the reality of dealing with owners as well as the animals.

What kind of work experience should I have?

You need to refer to your individual course requirements to answer this questions. Usually you should have some work experience in a clinical setting, such as a small animal practice. Work experience in a veterinary hospital or referral organisation would also be advantageous. Any other ‘animal experience’ such as working in a stables, farm, kennels/cattery shows you aren’t afraid of hard work and you have a clear understanding of what working with animals is all about.

Explain why you want to be a veterinary nurse

Ensure that you explain why specifically you want to be a nurse – and make sure it’s personal. This may seem like obvious advice, however sometimes your intentions can get lost under vague statements about loving science and animals, which don’t always stand out in a pile of applications. You need to explain your motivations for wanting to become a veterinary nurse, and use the opportunity to show you really understand what the role is all about. There isn’t an easy answer to this question, or a ‘best way’ to do it. You just need to be honest and avoid clichés, gimmicks, exaggerations or waffling.

It’s not all about loving animals… think about other skills you will need as a veterinary nurse

Veterinary nurses use their technical knowledge and expertise to care for our pets with skill and empathy every single day. It goes without saying that working as a veterinary nurse is a great choice for those who are caring, giving and motivated to do the best for animals. However, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact there are also lots of other skills and qualities that can help someone succeed in the role, for example: interpersonal skills, good communication, team working, good customer service skills and so on. Everyone will talk about their love of animals in a veterinary nursing personal statement, and it’s important to showcase your love of them too – but think about how you can show you possess the other really important qualities and skills too.

Additional qualifications, hobbies and interests can help

You need to ensure you have achieved the minimum entry requirements needed to apply for your chosen programme.

In addition, relevant extracurricular activities, hobbies and interests can be used to showcase transferrable skills and knowledge that can help you study veterinary nursing. Hobbies that demonstrate leadership and responsibility are even better, and could be suitable for lots of different veterinary nursing programmes. Your extracurriculars should show how you manage your time and that you have a life outside of studying. Remember to always bring it back to relevant skills – for example teamwork, problem solving, leadership, dedication and so on.

Anything that shows you have the ability to face a challenge, or have a sense of community responsibility, will stand in good stead in a veterinary nursing personal statement. However, make sure you explain why certain hobbies and interests will help you in a career as a veterinary nurse – don’t just list hobbies with no comment.

Veterinary nursing personal statement writing includes spelling and grammar checking

A common piece of advice given to people who want to know how to write a good personal statement is: check your personal statement for grammar and spelling mistakes.

It may be repeated by admissions departments and careers advisors alike, but there’s a reason for this. For certain courses, you could be one of 100s of applicants. When faced with so much competition, you really need to go the extra mile to make sure your personal statement is free of silly mistakes. It makes all the difference. If you know that spelling and grammar is a personal weakness, use a grammar checker such as Grammarly to help you. If you want to brush up on your English skills, you could even undertake one of our Functional Skills English courses.

Avoid the predictable in your veterinary nursing personal statement and write like a human

Are you a hardworking, motivated individual that works well within a team? There are plenty of buzzwords that admissions departments will see over and over again. Anyone can write ‘enthusiastic’ or ‘organised’. However, it is better if the experiences, qualifications and achievements you write about in your personal statement make these attributes self-evident. Try to portray your personality and tell your individual story using your writing style – let them know who you are without repeating your basic application information. Find out the top 10 most over-used buzzwords on LinkedIn.

In addition, it’s important to demonstrate professionalism in your personal statement, and your language can go a long way towards achieving this. However, overusing long words and technical jargon can sometimes have the opposite effect. Avoid using lots of unnecessary words in your writing. Instead, take note of George Orwell’s six rules for clear and concise writing and impress admissions with your concise personal statement. You only have so many words. So, if a sentence is not adding to your essay and helping you prove your point, let it go.

Learn from others

When it comes to writing a good personal statement, take advantage of the people around you to gain feedback.

It may be worth speaking to a careers advisor, or contacting an admissions department to ask for tips and advice. Seeking constructive feedback from others is the quickest way to make improvements to your work.

If you’ve spent a lot of time working on the same piece of writing, it’s harder to recognise any silly mistakes you’ve made. This is where your family and friends come in. Give your personal statement to someone else to read, check for errors and provide feedback.

Remember you’re not the first person trying to write a great personal statement, and you certainly won’t be the last. There’s nothing wrong with taking a look at how other people have approached their statements. As long as you do not copy others’ work, reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of other statements can help you identify how to improve your own.

Don’t overthink your veterinary nursing personal statement

It isn’t easy staring at a blank page, so just write. It is much easier to work with a poor first draft, than it is no writing at all. In addition, please do not be put off from applying if, for example, you have not completed extra studies in animal care or do not have years of work experience. Good veterinary nurses come from all walks of life, with varying amounts of prior experience. Colleges and universities will welcome each application on its own merit.

You have lots to offer and the right veterinary nursing course is out there for you. Taking the time to develop your personal statement will help you find it.

Veterinary Nurse Training at The College of Animal Welfare

If you’re interested in training as a veterinary nurse, we offer a range of veterinary nurse qualifications. This includes Further Education (Level 3 Diploma) through to Higher Education (FdSc and BSc Honours) programmes. We are one of the largest veterinary nurse training providers in the UK. Find out more about our veterinary nursing programmes

Further Reading

• Interested in training as veterinary nurse? Find out more here
• Find out more about A Career as a Veterinary Nurse
• Download our Veterinary Nursing Career Guide

Being a good clinical supervisor is no easy task. You’ve been recognised for your skills and expertise in the workplace, and now you’ve been tasked with helping student veterinary nurses to succeed by sharing those things.

Whether you’re currently a clinical supervisor, interested in becoming one in the future, or looking to find someone to be your clinical supervisor; take a look at just a few of the traits you will find behind a great clinical supervisor:

1. They master the art of “active listening”

Active listening skills are critical to being a good clinical supervisor, because the success of clinical supervision is built upon how well you communicate with each other. Clinical supervisors who know how to listen actively will not simply sit back and listen to what someone has to say; they will go the extra mile to make sure their students know they’re being heard. Active listeners will sit up straight, take notes, ask open questions that push discussion, repeat what they’ve heard to clarify their understanding, and provide verbal gestures to show they’re following what you’re saying.

2. They’re willing to share skills, knowledge and expertise

People who are not just in it for themselves and genuinely care about the success of a business make the best clinical supervisors, because they’re not greedy or coy with the skills and experience they have to offer. Instead, they’re actively invested in the success of others in the organisation, want to see people do well and are willing to teach others what they know in order to help them.

3. They act as a positive role model

More than anything else, good clinical supervisors should be good role models to the people they’re developing. The best clinical supervisors are people who take pride in what they do, want to grow and truly care about their own careers, as they are more likely to want to make the most out of their mentoring programme. What’s more – because they carry high expectations for themselves, they will bring high standards into the clinical supervisor and student relationship and push for ambitious goals in their students too.

4. They focus on helping others to “problem solve”

Good clinical supervisors understand the value of practical guidance and feedback in helping someone to think about and solve personal and professional problems constructively, which is what clinical supervision is all about. What’s more – they can ask the right questions and prompts that allow others to understand their strengths and weakness and set appropriate career goals for themselves.

5. They value ongoing learning and growth

Good clinical supervisors don’t just believe they can learn something from anyone and anything, they know they can and therefore actively look out for opportunities to learn something new. They understand that they have just as much to gain from mentoring as their mentee, and that the relationship can expose them to new ideas and ways of thinking that will aid their personal and professional growth. They may undertake further training by completing an advanced veterinary nursing qualification, attending CPD courses or congresses such as Clinical Supervisor Congress, or even studying professional coaching and mentoring qualifications to develop in their role as a mentor.

Develop the skills to nurture growth, with a Coaching and Mentoring qualification

If you’re interested in developing your mentoring skills, our Coaching and Mentoring qualifications, accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), can help you support development within the workplace, as well as gain confidence in influencing, guiding and supporting those around you.

For further information on our courses, or details about how to apply, visit our website. 

Do you mentor others in veterinary practice as a clinical coach? Or perhaps you’ve been recognised for your skills and expertise in the workplace, and now you’ve been tasked with helping someone else succeed by coaching and mentoring them?

Whether you’re currently working in a mentoring role, or interested in becoming a mentor in the future, mentoring is more than just transferring advice and knowledge, and it’s not just the mentee who will benefit. As well as helping you to advance your career, by mentoring you can gain extra skills and understanding.

From building professional relationships and developing better communication and leadership qualities, take a look at what else you can gain from becoming a mentor and how it could reward you professionally: 

1. Give something back to others 

Mentoring allows you to give something back to your colleagues and organisation, by sharing skills and experience with junior or less experienced staff members for the benefit of everyone in the team.

2. Boost fulfilment and job satisfaction

Supporting the development of others can boost your own sense of fulfilment and job satisfaction, especially as your mentor progresses and reaches their full potential. This, in turn, leads to higher morale and performance at work.

3. Learn and develop new skills

Your mentor is not the only one who will be learning new skills! The mentor-mentee relationship help you to strengthen your active listening and communication skills. Not only this, you can develop your personal leadership, management and coaching qualities. You will also learn more about other areas or departments within your organisation.

4. Reinforce your existing skills and knowledge

They say the best way to learn something is to teach it. Mentoring someone to develop the skills that you already know can help you solidify your knowledge of a particular topic. It can also help you spot any gaps in your own knowledge, so you can fill them and continue to develop professionally.

5. Pave the way to higher recognition at work

As a mentor, there will be a higher recognition of your skills and experience as a senior team member of expert in your subject matter. This increases peer recognition as well as enhances the value of your contributions at work. The new skills you learn from mentoring could even lead to more responsibility and promotions.

6. Gain exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking

The point of mentoring is to share knowledge, skills and experience. Naturally, doing so will bring fresh perspectives, ideas and approaches to problems which you can take back to your everyday work.

7. Enhance your professional development record

Coaching and mentoring is a great avenue for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). It could pave the way to formal qualifications and further training in the future.

8. Expand your professional network

Mentoring can help you develop more professional working relationships, as well as open up more opportunities for networking in your field.

9. Build Confidence

Working with someone less experienced than yourself to help reinforce their knowledge and teach them new skills can all help you to build your own confidence. The more confident you become, the less you’ll second-guess your decisions and the more confident you’ll be in your own role. 

10. Achieve further career progression

Put simply, mentoring offers the regular opportunity to reflect on your own goals and practices. This can provide an added sense of purpose, responsibility and direction for your career.

Develop the skills to nurture growth, with a Coaching and Mentoring qualification

If you’re interested in developing your mentoring skills, our Coaching and Mentoring qualifications, accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), can help you support development within the workplace, as well as gain confidence in influencing, guiding and supporting those around you.

For further information on our courses, or details about how to apply, visit our website. 

Our next virtual Head Nurse Congress is taking place on Thursday 16 September 2021, and is now open for registrations.

Head Nurse Congress is aimed specifically at head veterinary nurses and practice managers. During the online event, delegates will be able to listen to a variety of relevant lectures from expert speakers, hear from a range of industry exhibitors and gain up to 8 hours of CPD – all from the comfort of their own home or workplace.

September’s congress is sponsored by the Veterinary Management Group (VMG). There will be a range of lectures looking at how to conduct appraisals, develop assertiveness, manage time and delegate effectively and much more.

Book before 16 July 2021 to attend congress at the early bird rate!

Delegates who book before 16 July 2021 can attend congress for the discounted early bird price of £125+VAT – saving £60! Full details can be found on our website or by calling 01480 422060.

If you’re considering studying veterinary nursing with us, you may be worried about how the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may impact your training.

We’re very are proud of the steps and efforts we’ve made as a college to protect future careers and give learners the ability to continue to achieve their goals during the pandemic, and we’re confident we can rise to any challenge that comes our way.

Since March 2020 and the initial lockdown, our programme team has continued to ensure that students are able to progress with their programme of study. We successfully replaced our face to face classroom lectures with live streamed sessions and online support, allowing students to engage with their lecturers and tutors in real time either from home or from work.

To provide some reassurance to those interested in studying our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing, we have outlined some of the ways we’ve futureproofed our course delivery against COVID-19. Read on to find out more: 

1. We’ve invested in new, forward thinking technologies to take our virtual delivery to the next level

At The College of Animal Welfare, we’re no stranger to delivering training and education virtually. Even before the pandemic, we invested a considerable amount of time and money into developing online courses that are fit for purpose and allow learners who may not be able to attend College to still access quality training and education in the comfort of their own home or workplace.

In response to the pandemic, we took our online learning to the next level by investing in a new virtual delivery platform, to ensure students were able to progress with the theory elements of our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing.

Virtual classroom software

Our new online conferencing system allows our tutors to deliver effective teaching sessions and share engaging audio, video, slides, chat, and screens. The software also offers lots of interactive features which means our students can engage with their tutors and peers in real-time, for example through sharing of emoji icons, polling, and breakout rooms.

We have chosen this new delivery software to ensure our learner experience is as close to classroom delivery as possible, whilst offering all the additional benefits of online learning. Since launching our new virtual classroom in the Summer of 2020, we’ve had lots of great feedback from our students:

“Love the software, please continue to use this programme. Great to interact.”

“I found the entire morning in the new virtual classroom so engaging and enjoyable, I felt I really understood the topic.”

“The setup was far more interactive, fun and communal.”

“I enjoyed the lesson using the new software, it was very interactive and being able to speak and communicate with the group was just as good as being in the classroom.”

Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)

Throughout the pandemic we have continued to develop our advanced Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), which includes document repository, online exams and assignment submissions capability, VLE and IT helpdesk support, bespoke interactive learning materials developed in-house, lesson capture, virtual classroom delivery, forums and many more exciting features to enhance our students’ learning experience.

What does virtual learning on our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing look like?

The theory element of our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing will continue to be delivered via our interactive, live, virtual classroom platform for the time being, with additional access to our well-resourced Virtual Learning Environment (VLE).

Staff will continue to provide remote academic support (for example, learner reviews) in line with set timetables via online communication tools. This enables us to maintain our intention is to keep the number of students in the college to a minimum.

Take a look at the video below to gain a better insight into how our virtual delivery looks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGvO_hk9iWs

2.  Rules are in place to ensure students coming into centre for practical skills training and assessments are safe

As a result of being able to deliver the theory elements of our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing virtually, we have been able to offer students, where required, the opportunity to attend college for crucial practical skills sessions and exams in a safe environment.

The College is committed to continuing to provide a safe environment for students, while still maintaining a quality education to ensure students can achieve their goals. All students and visitors to centre are temperature tested and required to have proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours of entry to the college centres. 

Take a look at some of the additional measures we have in place to keep our community safe in centre:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN4KJr-IqAE

3. We’ve invested in new ways to empower our community to look after their mental and physical wellbeing

At CAW, we put the mental and physical wellbeing of our students and staff first. We want to empower our community to look after their health and wellbeing, and give them the resources they need to gain help if they need it.

In response to the pandemic, we introduced a range of additional wellbeing initiatives. We invested in new projects to provide extra support to our students during COVID-19. In addition to free counselling for all students we also now provide:   

• A CAW Buddy Scheme – We introduced a Buddy Scheme to help students settle into college life, which can feel a little daunting particularly during the pandemic.
• Fika – We invested in the mental fitness app, Fika. All our students can use Fika to access guided mental skills development courses with proven benefits to mental wellbeing.
• Togetherall – All our staff and students can access online mental health and wellbeing support through Together All(formerly Big White Wall). This service can be used at any time of the day or night, all year round.
• Living Well – we continued to develop the “Living Well” section of our VLE. “Living Well” is a collation of useful and up-to-date guidance about physical and mental wellbeing. This includes resources for eating well, getting active, COVID-19 health and safety and sexual health.
• COVID-19 wellbeing articles and resources – we published a range of mental health and wellbeing articles and resources, which we shared to students via our new wellbeing e-newsletter

To read more about mental health and wellbeing support available to students at The College of Animal Welfare, visit: www.caw.ac.uk/wellbeing

4. We’re continuing to do what we do best – provide quality education and training

Even though our community are working and studying remotely, we feel the coronavirus crisis has brought us closer together. We’re very proud of the steps and efforts we’ve made as a college to protect future careers and give learners the ability to continue to achieve their goals during this time. We’d like to thank everyone at the college who have risen to the challenge and embraced the need to adapt.

More than this, we’d like to remind our community that if you have any problems or concerns, please get in touch with us as. We’re more than happy to help. It’s really important we check in on our co-workers, friends and loved ones, so please reach out to someone you’ve been meaning to today. Helping and caring for each other is how we get through crisis.  

For the latest information on our response to COVID-19 please visit our website: www.caw.ac.uk/covid-19 Alternatively, if you have any questions about our delivery please don’t hesitate to get in touch at admin@caw.ac.uk or 01480 422060.

Find out more about our Level 3 Diploma in Veterinary Nursing

Whether you’ve recently qualified as a dog groomer, or you’re thinking about training as a dog groomer in the future, you may be wondering about the professional career options for dog groomers.

With a formal dog grooming qualification in hand, many dog groomers are ready to take the industry by storm. There are lots of exciting career paths available to you as a qualified dog groomer, so you can choose something that really fits with your career goals, interests and strengths.

Take a look at some of the options:

Gain a great job working as a dog groomer

Dog grooming is a growing industry, with more and more dog owners taking advantage of the services provided by grooming salons. There are thousands of dog grooming salons, and increasing numbers are part of other pet-related businesses such as pet shops, garden centres, boarding and breeding kennels. Some are branching into cat grooming, and there are also growing numbers of mobile groomers.

If you are not already doing so, seeking employment as a dog grooming stylist is a great way to gain knowledge of how a fast-paced grooming business operates. You never know – after demonstrating the skills you have gained, you might be considered for future management roles within your workplace. Here is a list of websites you can find local dog grooming vacancies:

• The College of Animal Welfare Jobs Board
• CAW Connect Forums
• Animal jobs direct
• Indeed
• Reed

Open up your own dog grooming business

Ambitious groomers could open up their own dog grooming business from home, in commercial premises, or out and about by taking it mobile, or work in partnership with an existing business such as a boarding kennels or dog walkers. Building up connections with existing client bases and industry players in this way will help to boost your new venture long term.

Running your own business means you get to be the decision maker and follow your aspirations. By being your own boss you can work flexibly, choose your surroundings and even the people you work with.

Pursue higher study in dog grooming

You may wish to continue studying and work towards higher-level qualifications by undertaking programmes such as the Level 3 Diploma for Professional Dog Stylists and/or the Higher Diploma in Dog Grooming. Further information can be found on the Pet Industry Federation website.

Compete in professional dog grooming competitions

If you have a competitive streak, there are plenty of opportunities in industry to compete in professional dog grooming competitions and become renowned for excellence in your trade. Competing in competitions can also help you boost your skills by learning from others.

Train future dog groomers as a teacher

If you’re keen to use your skills and knowledge in a different way, you could consider helping the next generation of dog groomers to achieve their formal dog grooming qualifications; either by teaching and promoting dog grooming courses at a relevant college, or by taking on an apprentice at your new workplace. Read more about how to become a dog grooming teacher

Apply to study dog grooming today

If you love dogs and are looking for a new career with lots of opportunity, then dog grooming may be just the thing for you! Our City & Guilds accredited dog grooming qualifications will get you started on the right foot and give you the confidence to undertake a range of bathing and grooming techniques.

Awarded by City & Guilds, our Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants qualification is ideal if you are new to the industry and looking to train as a dog groomer. This programme is run at our Huntingdon (Cambridgeshire), Leeds (West Yorkshire), Wigan (Greater Manchester) centres. Working with our qualified groomers in our state-of-the-art dog grooming suites, the emphasis placed upon practical training throughout the course gives learners the knowledge, skills and experience needed to stand out in an increasingly competitive job market and progress within the industry.

Apply for the Level 2 Certificate for Dog Grooming Assistants

As National Apprenticeship Week comes to a close, we’re delighted to announce some amazing news from our apprenticeships team: all five of our animal care apprentices who recently completed their End Point Assessments (EPA) achieved a distinction!  

With the End Point Assessment taking place virtually due to COVID-19, our students worked extra hard to prepare to be assessed in a new online format, with support from their tutors via Microsoft Teams. Our students’ success is a clear reflection of their confidence and dedication and we’re really thrilled to see them succeed!

Congratulations to all our apprentices – you’ve done us proud!

Has National Apprenticeship Week got you thinking about recruiting an apprentice?

With all the talk of apprenticeships last week, you may be thinking about recruiting an apprentice yourself. With the National Minimum Wage for Apprentices being just £4.15* per hour, apprenticeships can be an affordable way for growing businesses to expand their team whilst providing a training opportunity for someone keen to start a career in your industry.

What’s more – don’t forget that until 31^st March, businesses that recruit a new apprentice aged 16 to 24 will receive a £2,000 incentive from the government towards the cost of training, while those that hire new apprentices aged 25 and over will be paid £1,500.

These payments will be in addition to the existing £1,000 incentive the government already provides for new 16-18 year old apprentices. This means that if you hire a 16 to 18 year old apprentice in the next 6 months, you receive £3,000! If you also have less than 50 contracted employees, the apprenticeship fees for those aged 16-18 years of age will be fully funded!

Talk to us about apprenticeship training today

If you would like to speak to a member of our team directly regarding our apprenticeship training and the benefits it could bring to your business, please contact us at admin@caw.ac.uk or on 01480 422060. You can view all of our apprenticeship programmes on our website.