Animal Care Resume Examples
Follow the tips in our step-by-step guide to convey your passion for animals in your resume, and check out what accomplishments you should focus on with the help of our animal care resume examples.
Our Recommended Examples
Trainer
Popular Examples in the Maintenance Space
Caretaker
Petsitter
Kennel Technician
Kennel Assistant
Table of Contents
Animal Care Resume
Animal Care Cover Letter
Get Expert Writing Recommendations for Your Animal Care Resume
LiveCareer’s animal care resume examples show you what employers look for in a resume. Our resume builder helps you craft your own by offering field-specific recommendations across a variety of job titles in the animal care industry. From dog groomers to pet care specialists, our certified resume writers know what recruiters look for and offer pre-written resume content to help you create an impressive document in a matter of minutes.
Here are a few examples our builder may suggest for your animal care resume:
- Monitored animals for signs of disease, illness or injury and communicated concerns to owners
- Maintained animal well-being and health by trimming nails, brushing coat, cleaning ears and providing other types of basic care
- Provided top-notch customer service to every customer and exceptional care to all animals
- Followed all pet care instructions, including medication regimens and dietary needs
6 Do’s and Don’ts for Writing
an Animal Care Resume
Do’s
- Do emphasize your soft skills. When applying for a job in animal care, your love and passion for animals should be clear to anyone reading your resume. Be sure to list soft skills like compassion or a passion for play on your resume to show employers you have the right disposition for the role.
- Do highlight experience over education. For many positions in animal care, experience is more important than education. Lead with your years of dog walking or pet sitting experience, as these accomplishments speak to your ability to connect with animals.
- Do mention special training. If you have special training handling exotic or aggressive animals, mention it. This type of training could set you apart from the competition.
Don’t
- Don’t underestimate volunteer experience. Even unpaid work can stand out on a resume, especially if it applies to the position you seek. For example, did your class volunteer with a local humane society? Did you spend time as a camp counselor at a zoo? Volunteer work is a great addition to any resume, but is particularly useful for entry-level candidates..
- Don’t include references on the resume itself. However, people seeking animal care are choosing a stranger to care for their pets and, therefore, may want reassurances about your responsibility and trustworthiness. Write up your references in a separate document listing the names and contact information of people willing to speak to your personality and integrity.
- Don’t hide your personality. Even in animal care, personality counts. Regardless of the role, you’ll likely be interacting with human managers and coworkers. Present a resume that highlights your personality. Don’t sacrifice professionalism, though; instead let your character shine in the cover letter and professional summary.
Beat the ATS with These Animal Care Resume Skills
When applying for a job working with animals, your resume and cover letter may need to pass an applicant tracking system (ATS). Larger employers, such as the ASPCA and pet store chains, may use an ATS to scan resumes automatically to find keywords related to the position. This helps hiring managers eliminate unqualified candidates.
LiveCareer’s Resume Builder helps your resume pass through the ATS by providing suggestions for skills that are sought after by hiring managers. .
Here are examples of skills our builder might suggest for your animal care resume:
- On- and off-leash walks
- Pet grooming
- Animal nutrition knowledge
- Dog behavior insight
- Pet care needs
- Exercising and playing
Animal Care Resumes for Every Professional Level
This job seeker, seeking an entry-level dog walking position, doesn’t have much professional experience in the field. Because of this, she uses a functional resume format, which highlights skills over work history. She also includes two past positions outside of the animal care industry that provided her with transferable skills, like communication and customer service, both of which would be desirable to hiring managers. She uses her professional summary to concisely emphasize her passion, personality and qualifications.
Build My ResumeWhile within the animal care industry, dog grooming requires a specific set of skills. This job seeker, seeking a mid-career role in grooming, uses a combination resume format to highlight these skills at the start of his resume, with a list of specific qualifications. While he has experience across a variety of animal care fields, he tailors this resume for a groomer position for the most impact. He also emphasizes some non-animal-related skills, such as employee training and price negotiation to show he is a well-rounded applicant.
Build My ResumeEntry-level workers in the child care field should focus on skills and Since highly experienced animal care professionals have more relevant experience, their resumes should focus more on an impressive career trajectory. This applicant uses a chronological resume format to showcase her rise through the ranks of her current company and her growing responsibilities. . This applicant emphasizes her professional growth, promotions and her acquired skills. Finally, while she finishes her resume with a small education section, the bulk of the document prioritizes experience over education.
Build My ResumeMore animal-care resume samples
Find resume examples for your desired animal-care career. Get access to expert writing recommendations, do’s and don’ts and everything you need to write a perfect resume.
Resume Success Stories
Statistics and Facts About Animal Care Jobs
Job Outlook by Job Title (2018–2028)
From 2018–2028, the BLS projects the national workforce to grow 7.4 percent. However, the animal care industry projections show a faster-than-average growth in occupations, 24.2 percent growth from 2016 to 2026. Due in part to a busy population and the rise of apps like Rover and Wag, the demand for animal care continues to increase. O*Net reports that, between 2018–2028, 54,500 job openings in the animal care industry will rise.
0% | 15% | 25% |
---|---|---|
National Workforce | 7.4% | |
Animal care industry | 24.2% |
Source: O*net and Data USA
Metropolitan Areas With Highest Employment of Animal Care Workers
New York
12,200
employees
Los Angeles
7,810
employees
Chicago
6,880
employees
Atlanta
4,650
employees
Philadelphia
4,500
employees
Washington D.C
4,480
employees
Dallas
4,440
employees
Houston
4,090
employees
Miami
3,970
employees
Boston
3,700
employees
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Most Common Degrees Earned by Those
Working in Animal Care
High school diploma
64%
Associate degree
14%
Bachelor’s degree
13%
Common Certifications Earned by Those Working in Animal Care
The National Dog Groomers Association of America offers certification for those reaching master status as a groomer. For those seeking a position in pet sitting, both Pet Sitters International and the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters offer a certification course you can take at home. Those applying to aquarist jobs should consider a scuba diving certification. Self-employed animal care workers should obtain a business license.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Most Common Race or Ethnicity in Animal Care
Source: DataUSA
Gender Composition in Animal Care
Male
24.7 %
Female
75.3 %
Source: DataUSA
Common Animal Care Job Titles and Annual Salary
0K | 25K | 50K |
---|---|---|
Animal Caretaker | $23,760 | |
Animal Trainer | $29,290 | |
Animal Control | $36,330 |
Source: O*Net and Chron
Largest Employers of Animal Care Workers
0% | 25% | 50% |
---|---|---|
Self-employed | 43% | |
Support activities for agriculture and forestry | 19% | |
Animal production and aquaculture | 8% | |
Arts, entertainment and recreation | 7% | |
Retail trade | 7% |
In 2018, 285,600 people held positions as nonfarm animal caretakers. The largest employers of animal caretakers were:
0% | 25% | 50% |
---|---|---|
Personal service | 33% | |
Self-employed | 27% | |
Professional, scientific and technical services | 13% | |
Retail trade | 11% | |
Social advocacy organizations | 4% |