Today, 84 million millennials house at least one pet. That makes it so almost 7 out of every 10 American homes own an animal.
In a lot of ways, a love for animals is what inspires people to pursue a career working with them. Do you know what one of the most emotionally rewarding animal-oriented careers is that you start pursuing today?
Becoming a veterinarian technician!
Thousands of people find themselves wondering how to become a vet tech annually. In this brief guide, we break down the steps that you’ll need to take to realize your dreams of working with animals in a medical setting and whether or not those dreams are a good fit for your sensibilities.
Step 1: Understand What a Vet Tech Does
You may have seen a vet tech at your local veterinary office and felt inspired to walk in their shoes. Before investing thousands of dollars in your education and hours of your time achieving that end, you must understand what a vet tech actually does.
Vet techs manage several important responsibilities in a veterinary setting. Core tasks that they handle include:
- Taking X-rays
- Giving vaccines and medications
- Providing first-aid services
- Restraining animals during treatment
- Keeping records on animals
- Educating pet owners on proper care
- Preparing instruments for surgery
- Administering anesthesia
There more tasks that a vet tech may be asked to tackle in the office. What’s important to note is that just about every task that a vet tech does could cost animals their lives if performed incorrectly.
Step 2: Weigh Responsibilities Against Compensation
Vet tech responsibilities carry a lot of pressure. Becoming a vet tech also requires a considerable amount of time and money since attaining a formalized education is a requirement.
Given those facts, before you figure out how to become a vet tech, you should decide if the job versus the compensation offered strikes you as acceptable.
A veterinary technician makes about
$31,000 per year on average. A well-compensated vet tech makes about $41,000.
Given the relatively low earning power that a veterinarian technician commands, people that are interested in this career should love the idea of working with animals more than the idea of becoming affluent.
Step 3: Get Your Degree in Veterinary Technology
At this point, you should have a good idea of whether or not being a vet tech is right for you. If you’re still committed to walking this career path, the first big step that you’ll need to take is getting your degree in veterinary technology.
Fortunately, you’ll only need an Associate’s degree to become a vet tech. That means that you’re looking at just 18 to 24 months of school at a local community college.
Step 4: Prepare For (and Pass) the Veterinary Technician Test
Vet techs are required to pass a test before getting employed. This test is a national exam that proves a vet tech’s proficiency in skills that could mean the difference between an animal living and dying.
The test is called the Veterinary Technician National Exam and it’s conducted by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards. You can schedule your exam through the AAVSB website and take the test at an approved location near your hometown.
Step 5: Join Professional Associations
After you pass the Veterinarian Technician National Exam, before you start applying for jobs, consider exploring professional associations. Professional associations in the veterinary community provide ample networking opportunities for vet techs which can help them get into good jobs, faster.
Popular veterinary technician associations include the American Veterinary Medical Association and the American Animal Hospital Association.
Step 6: Start Hunting for Veterinary Jobs
You’ve worked hard passing exams and networking. Now is the moment where all of your hard work will pay off… Now is when you find your first job as a vet tech!
Finding vet tech positions is similar to finding any other job. You can scour online job boards featured on Google, Monster, Indeed or other websites.
If you have a veterinary office near you, you’re also welcome to contact them directly, introduce yourself and let them know that you’re looking for work. While they may not have something available right away, you never know when a position will open up which may prompt an office to reach out.
Step 7: Keep Your Skills on the Cutting Edge
The degree and test that you took to become a vet tech don’t account for all of the new developments that will make their way into veterinary science in the future. To make sure that you’re providing the animals that you treat with the best possible care, keep your skills in good shape by taking courses and attending veterinary conferences.
Your education as a professional should be something that you consistently strive to improve.
Step 8: Consider What’s Next
After a few years as a vet tech, you might be hungry for more opportunities. Working as a vet tech can be a great transition into becoming a high-paid veterinarian.
Becoming a veterinarian requires a lot more schooling than becoming a vet tech does. If you’re up for the challenge, taking that leap in your career can change your life forever.
Now That You Know How to Become a Vet Tech, Is the Job Right for You?
It’s not hard to figure out how to become a vet tech. What’s hard is mustering up the effort to get out there and start working towards your goals.
We hope that our career write-up has provided you with the information that you need to make an informed decision. No matter which job path you choose to go down, we welcome you to read more of the content on our website for additional inspiration!
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