How to Write a Cover Letter for a Veterinarian
Veterinarians provide medical assistance to animals. Their duties include examining the animal, performing operations, making vaccinations, and prescribing treatment. Veterinarians can work in a medical school, run their own clinic, work in a zoo, or find employment in any place where animals need to be cared for. But before you start working, you need to pass the selection process and get invited to an interview.
In this article, you will learn how to write a cover letter for a veterinarian and receive topical tips and advice for employment in 2021.
How to create a vet cover letter
What is a cover letter? How do you create the perfect veterinarian cover letter? What information should be included in the document to attract the attention of the recruiter? These are just a few of the questions that an applicant may have. Let’s deal with everything in order.
A cover letter is a complementary document that reflects your desire to get a job, demonstrates your skillset, and encourages the HR manager to invite you for an interview. However, to create the perfect letter, you should take your time. Otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain. And you’ll need to write an individual CL for each job.
Now let’s move on to more specific steps on how to create a cover letter directly for the vet.
Step 1. Structure
The structure is the skeleton of your document. It should be well organized and clear.
Start by providing your contact information: name, phone number, and email. That way, the HR manager will know how to contact you in case of a positive answer.
Next comes the greeting. You should speak to a recruiter or company executive politely and by name or job title. For example, “Dear Mickael Smith” or “Dear HR manager.”
Introductory paragraph. In a few sentences, you should outline who you are and why you want to work for this particular company. If you found the vacancy somewhere other than on a job search site, you can indicate how you learned of the position. For example, “I am writing to show my interest in the position of a veterinarian at the Animal Clinic. I saw this vacancy on your official website. I have six years of experience in a care center for homeless animals, and now I would like to use the knowledge gained for the good of your company.”
The main body of a cover letter consists of two to three paragraphs. Here you should tell what you can do, what you have already done at a professional level, what the results you have received. Your task is to interest the employer in your candidacy. At the same time, you do not need to retell your resume – it is only essential to emphasize the most important things – what sets you apart from other candidates. For example, you can write: “During my six years of medical practice, I performed one complex operation per month and provided qualified assistance to injured animals, giving them a second chance at life. Also, two days a month, I volunteered, helping feed and clean up the animals at a local shelter.” Interested in your qualities and skills, the recruiter will open and carefully examine your resume.
Closing paragraph. Thank the recruiter for their attention, let them know that you are ready to meet soon to discuss cooperation details.
The closing paragraph is not the end of your cover letter. Provide a formal farewell. For example, “Sincerely, John.”
For those who are writing a cover letter for the first time, the document’s structure may seem complicated and not entirely clear. Therefore, you can use an online builder like www.getcoverletter.com to create a veterinarian cover letter. Such editors will help you fill out the documentation, offering various options depending on the profession and ready-made templates with different designs. You can also manually edit your cover letter to make it more personalized.
Step 2. Formatting
Formatting is responsible for the appearance of your cover letter. The better your document is formatted, the more likely it will be read to the end.
The cover letter should be no more than one page – about 300 words.
It is better to choose a standard font such as Times New Roman, Georgia, Verdana, or Calibri. The font size is 10 – 12.
The text should be aligned exactly along the margins. Leave space between paragraphs. It will make your cover letter readable and easy for the recruiter to find the information they need.
Step 3. Proofreading
Before sending the written letter and resume to the addressee, evaluate it. Also, do not forget to test your creation for literacy. Spelling and punctuation mistakes can negate all your writing, especially if the position you apply for implies a high level of literacy. So use dictionaries, reference books, and the capabilities of computer text editors. You can also ask someone you know or your family to proofread the letter.
Do you like your cover letter? If yes, then send the document with your resume.
What you should not write in your cover letter
Career experts warn against writing about your career ambitions in your cover letter. This can scare off a recruiter because they need to close a specific position and not recruit a talent pool.
There is no need to focus on questionable information in your resume—for instance, explaining why you have not worked for six months. It is better to do that in an interview. A cover letter is not a confession or a detailed autobiography. It is a short business self-presentation.
You should also avoid banality. “I am a quick learner, sociable and stress-resistant” – this is stated in many resumes and cover letters, so many recruiters ignore such template phrases.
Don’t exaggerate your merits. Speak the truth, even if you don’t have a skill on the list of requirements. You should tell that you are ready to learn and how you will do it. Perhaps you will take additional courses or study on your own in your free time. It is not necessary to say that you can do everything from the list if you cannot. Otherwise, it will be very embarrassing when the employer, during cooperation, finds out that you cheated them.
If you don’t know how to joke, don’t joke. Everybody perceived humor differently, so it is best not to joke to avoid offending anyone. Plus, the HR manager might not understand your joke, not because it’s bad, but because they don’t have a sense of humor.
You should use a minimum of metaphors, a maximum of specifics. Write in simple language without overloading the text.
Final Words
To write a quality professional veterinarian letter, use the keywords from the job description. This will significantly increase your chances of getting an interview invitation. And most importantly, do not give up. Employment is a long process.