When hiring for a veterinary technician position, employers interview candidates to find out if they are qualified to assist veterinarians. They are looking for candidates who can demonstrate their ability to follow orders and administer quality care to animal patients. Prepare for your veterinary technician interview by practicing what information you want to share with an employer. In this article, we share 37 common vet tech interview questions and how you can effectively answer a few of them.
Hire the best veterinary assistant with these interview questions and tips.
To ask the right interview questions when hiring a veterinary assistant, you must first know what a veterinary assistant IS, and how they function in your veterinary practice. According to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), this is the definition of a veterinary assistant:
Does this describe a veterinary assistant you want in your practice? Before you even start interviewing candidates for the job of veterinary assistant, you must first ensure that you have a current, accurate, and complete job description for the position in place. This is the most important guiding light in your hiring search. If you need a guide, you can find one at the NAVTA website here.
According to the article “How to Become a Veterinary Assistant” on VeterinaryPracticeNews.com, a vet assistant tends to perform multiple jobs, including:
After you decide what you’re looking for in a vet assistant, you can move on to determining what interview questions you want to ask during your search for a good hire. These are general questions for anyone interviewing for the position, but be sure to add more specific questions based on the tasks that are listed on the job description for your practice.
The hiring process is much easier when you have the right questions.
1. Do you love animals, and why would you say so?
It is essential for the applicant to convince you of their love for animals, as it is impossible for a veterinary assistant to be successful without this quality. Also bear in mind that love is more than a feeling—it is a verb, therefore the applicant needs to demonstrate the ability to care for animals practical needs as well.
2. Could you give examples from past experience where you restrained aggressive patients proficiently?
Listen carefully. It is common for pets to become aggressive when they feel unwell and find themselves in unfamiliar situations. The candidate needs to display the ability to restrain these patients in an effective yet compassionate manner.
What is your favorite kind of animal to work with?
Although employers want you to love all kinds of animals, they are interested in what kind of animals you enjoy the most. This question helps employers learn a little more about your personality and decide which animals youd work with in this role. Answer this question honestly since it could determine what kind of tasks you do as a vet tech. Think about which kind of animal you are comfortable working with and why.
Example: “Dogs are definitely my favorite animal to work with. I love how they each have their own personality. I also appreciate how affectionate many of them are. When a dog is timid or scared, its my goal to calm them down as much as possible. I find it very rewarding when I can get a dogs tail wagging by the end of their visit. Dogs bring us so much joy and happiness, so making their vet visit a positive experience is important to me.”
