Love cats? Why not find a job that allows you to work with animals.
Do you have a zoo membership? Do you find it impossible to say no when a puppy or kitten needs a home? Are you the first person your friends call when it comes to sitting their dog, cat, ferret, fish, hamster or rabbit while they are on vacation? You might just be the ideal candidate for a job that involves working with animals.
Types of Jobs
Working at a veterinarian's office as a vet or vet technician or at a zoo might be the obvious choices when looking for a job involving animals, but there are many more alternatives. Applying for a job at a shelter, circus or wildlife habitat are other possibilities you might consider. You might enjoy being self-employed as a pet groomer, dog walker, pet breeder or animal trainer. Government jobs, such as working for a national park, is a possibility. On a scientific level, you could become a biologist. Or you could look into jobs at a ranch or a farm. Maybe working for a nonprofit organization such as the World Wildlife Fund or an animal rights association like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) would be a better fit for you.
Yellow Pages
Once you have narrowed the search and know in which direction you want to go, it's a good idea to look at your local Yellow Pages. If you have decided you want to work at a zoo, see if there is one nearby. The same applies to working at a veterinarian's office, a shelter or for the city. Once you have picked your favorites, see if they have websites with job boards and application forms that you can fill out online. They also might offer volunteer opportunities, which is a good way to learn about possible jobs before you make a commitment.
Newspapers
Animal jobs are not typically advertised in newspapers, but it can't hurt to look. Most papers also have an online career section, which allows you to search for jobs by industry and with keywords.
Job Sites
Popular job searching sites such as CareerBuilder.com and Monster.com advertise jobs working with animals. By entering "animals" as a keyword, available positions will be displayed, which can then be narrowed down by region. In addition, the federal government advertises "animal jobs" on usajobs.gov. Another helpful resource is World Animal Net, which has an extensive list of links to jobs with animal organizations.
Do It Yourself
Of course, there is always the option of opening your own business, be it pet grooming, pet sitting, dog walking, animal training or your own veterinarian's office. With 74.8 million dogs and 88.3 million cats owned in the United States, there are opportunities in every town.
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