Looking to the future

It’s never too early to think about the future. For many young veterinary surgeons, their job is primarily the result of a passion for pets. The concept of “career” doesn’t seem to be adapted to their lifestyle, but this section will explain that having a career plan and living your passion can fit together and even be synergistic.

Managing your professional development

The professional decisions the young vet makes in the first few years of their career, such as in which field to work and how to broaden their training, will have a major economic and professional impact on their future. When making these choices, the young vet should be mindful of the following.

You should learn first in order to profit later

Figure 1 shows the typical career pathway for many professionals. The first years are when the greatest increase in learning takes place. As a young professional, it is the best time to absorb new knowledge, to integrate it and make it take root. However, the greatest salary increases will occur further on in your career, when the accumulated experience, personal and professional prestige, and your knowledge network in the sector often allow a better return on the accumulated investment in your personal career development.

It is therefore a very serious strategic error to ignore the lesson of this graphic and to become focused on small salary increases at the beginning of your professional career. The key question for a young veterinary surgeon with a vision of the future should be “In which of these clinics or alternative roles will I learn the most, so that in five or ten years I’ll be a more valuable professional in the market?”.

The salary differences between a successful professional and a mediocre one are much higher at the end of the professional career than at its beginning. Therefore, what is important is not to make more money in the first half, but in the second half of your career. It is a marathon, and the runner that wants to sprint at the start is at a serious risk of running out of steam on the way.
 

Balance continuous clinical training with organisational and personal skills

Recognising that for most veterinary surgeons their later career may well involve managing a practice and leading others, there are three areas of knowledge that deserve special attention from the young vet:

1. Acquire communication skills. These are essential in order to be successful not only with clients but also with your professional colleagues.
2. Acquire leadership skills. This is essential for anyone who aspires to be a team leader in the future.
3. Acquire business skills. A good background in finance, strategy and marketing will be an excellent addition to the veterinary surgeon’s technical abilities.

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