Vet Jobs

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My DD graduated last summer, and hasn't got a vet job yet. She did most of her vet practice at an IVC practice near us, which with hindsight was a mistake, as she didn't want to work for a big chain, particularly IVC!

There don’t seem to be many jobs to apply for – she's looking at independent small animal vets. I'm not sure what to suggest (and I'm sure she doesn't want my advice anyway, as she's more than capable 😀). However, I'm worried she's spent all these years studying, has great qualifications and feedback in her EMS, but will soon be competing with vets graduating this year.

Is it particularly hard for new grad vets to get their first job at the moment??? Are there many others in the same boat?

Jeez, that's really heartbreaking after all that work.

Maybe she needs to look at corporates to begin with. They do tend to offer very good new grad support. She could then move to an independent with a couple of years experience

Yes, she's started applying to the corporates for entry in 2026, but she's competing with this year's grads. She just got a rejection from IVC though. I think that's maybe because they think if she was keen, she'd have applied last year!

I don't think she can be picky with her first job. Get a job get some experience then move on. Alternatively would working abroad be an option? Is there a vet version of MSF?

Out of interest what is a typical starting salary for new vets in the UK? And what's the profession like?

Salary about £35k. Pretty depressing atm with all the vets are only in it for the money rhetoric.

I don't think she's being picky now. She just can't get a job. Yes, the starting salary's around £35k, so that isn't really the draw, and there's a high attrition rate. I actually tried to put her off when she was applying. But she was determined, and got four university offers. I think she thought getting the job would be the easy part!!!

Mine graduated last summer too and started looking for jobs the previous autumn. All her cohort was surprised how hard it was to find jobs, lots of vets weren't hiring. However she managed to get quite a few offers in the end and is happily working in a corporate branch and getting lots of support and fantastic cpd. She had wanted an independent too and lives with a friend who works for one, and there are pros and cons of both.

Vets are v underpaid & work v long hours and the current climate is tough. I'd suggest getting on the corporate schemes now and there's a really good facebook page called independent Vet Jobs which has lots of v helpful people and also jobs are posted there.

Be prepared to move where work is though ! Good luck

Yes, DD should have started looking the previous autumn, but wasn't sure whether she wanted farm or small animal. Of course she didn't start looking until the summer, which was far too late, and this is how she's ended up without a vet job! She is looking anywhere in the southwest or towards London or Herts, so is expecting to move. Well done to your DD. I'm glad she's enjoying the job, as so many seem to drop out.

Thank you for the facebook suggestion. I'll pass it on!

This is the Facebook page. Lots of great jobs and advice (was highlighted to me on here last year by a v kind vet ).

Thank you - I'd already sent her the details 😀

There's a lot of vet FB groups where jobs are advertised. There's one specifically for independent vets too.
But, getting a new grad job is very difficult due to the support required and she may be better off at a corporate as some do have decent new grad mentors.
Plenty vacancies for experienced vets.
I would advise she does some volunteering at a rescue/neutering clinic for surgical experience as that will benefit her greatly.

I have a family member with a vet practice and his main complaint is that most employees want to work with small animals rather than livestock, and don't want to travel out to farms or be on call over weekends etc. No idea how generalisable that is, or if it is remotely helpful. I always got the impression being a vet was much more difficult than assumed...low pay, hard to get a job. Ive worked with a lot of ex vets in academia.

And yes there is a vet equivalent of MSF - VSF/ vets without borders

Yes I have a client who says the same. They cant attract good candidates who want to work with livestock.

They also really struggle with younger staff members who are not reliable and find excuses to try to avoid being on call. They report that it's a real shift in attitude over the past 5-6 years or so and that it is making things very difficult for independent practices.

I am a vet 18 years qualified. When I started out they were all independents, now all the independents I have worked for have become corporates. I am currently ivc.

Honestly, the amount of mentoring and supervision required for a new graduate these days, it is very hard for small independents to offer this. Unless you get a unicorn job in a bigger hospital which is still independent. I really wouldn’t worry about corporate vs independent at this point in your career.

Independents are not the holy grail, I have worked in independents which have poor management, only the most basic employment rights (no sick pay, only statutory maternity) and expectation of unpaid overtime, unfair allocation of holiday etc. The experience you have may be very dependent on the culture and leadership of your practice owner or partners. My first boss described his own practice as bog standard and refused from the outset to assist if I had any problems with a bitch spay.

Corporate graduate schemes are generally more structured to ensure you get the right experience and support, the ivc one is actually very good, they have in house mentoring and structured practical away days for developing key skills.
Corporate practices tend to have embedded management structures, in house cpd, access to resources like vetlexicon, regular clinical meetings and policies for requesting flexible working for example.

I’m not saying corporates don’t have their downsides, but I think you are really limiting yourself if you dismiss new grad jobs in good hospitals and larger practices just because they’re corporate.

I didn't know she could volunteer at a rescue centre. She's certainly done a lot of castrates already! I'll pass that on.

I had a quick look, but it looks like applications are already closed for this year. I'll pass it on though.

Whizzywhisk* *Yes, thank you for that very helpful post, much appreciated. She is applying to corporate vets now. However, I think she's at a disadvantage not having applied last year.

She's already had one corporate rejection, and Vets for Pets have also already suspended applications, having had "a huge volume" of applications. There're now more universities offering a veterinary degree, so more new grads.

Unfortunately the corporates start recruitment process in October so they'll have mostly filled this years places by January. Hopefully something will come up - PDSA have a good grad programme.

I'll ask DD to let me know if hears anything. Her cohort are pretty good at passing opportunities on at their own practices - seems like a lot of recruitment is word of mouth.

Four offers is amazing. I’d love to know what your dd's strategy was. I hope you don’t mind me asking but would you be willing to briefly share how your DD approached her vet school application?

My DD is currently in Year 10 and very keen on veterinary medicine. She’s been helping out at the stables for a long time, has a real passion for the subject and is strong academically (although not 'high flying' but predicted mostly 8s with a couple of 7s). She’s especially enthusiastic about science.

@genifer things have changed a bit since mine and OPs kids applied. I help students at my school become vets and a variety of work experience is good but you don't need vast amounts any more (& don't need lambing !). There are MOOCS you can do that count as wex and they all like customer facing jobs. It's then down to researching ethics and vet stuff in the news as well as being able to discuss and analysis data. Get those GCSEs and then look at each Uni website for up to date requirements as they change a lot. Most are pretty clear what they are looking for.

I just looked at the PDSA's scheme, and searched vacancies, but it looks like there aren't any for new grads at the moment. I guess that scheme's already full too (even though the starting salary only £32k).

Yes, in October, DD was still hoping to get a job immediately, so she didn't apply for jobs starting in Sep 2026, which was a whole year away! With hindsight, she should have applied then. I'm really surprised at her. I've never had to get involved in any of her stuff, as she's always been so on the ball.

PS 7s and 8s is good enough !