Vet Times

Tag: salary

  • Change for the better

    Change for the better

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    The UK veterinary profession is suffering. While a documented shortage of graduates does not exist as in previous years, significantly less fuss has been kicked up about the announcement of the new Aberystwyth-in-conjunction-with-RVC vet school, compared with the opening of the Surrey Vet School in 2014. Is this because we knew Aberystwyth was in the…

  • Patient checks: OOH by another name

    Patient checks: OOH by another name

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    My blog posts are generally written in an attempt to provide a balanced view on VN and industry issues or to get your opinions on certain subjects. Well, let’s forget that for today – I’m getting off the fence… I loathe the subtly titled “patient checks” I see on some job adverts, particularly when those…

  • A fair wage for fair hours?

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    Reading up on the legislation regarding working hours and the national minimum wage (NMW) I discovered that, if you work extra hours unpaid and that takes your average wage below the NMW limit, your employer is breaking the law. That said, and with the NMW only recently reaching £6.70 for over-21s, I can imagine there are situations where…

  • Salary transparency needed… for employees and clients

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    I work for a flat salary rate at the moment – and I like it that way. I know what is coming in at the end of the month, and I can budget. When I’ve been “paid on production”, it has never really seemed fair – someone in an office somewhere works out what to pay me. In…

  • Get qualified

    Get qualified

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    According to the RCVS there is no such thing as an unqualified veterinary nurse, and thanks to the Royal Charter we now have defined roles of RVN, SVN and care assistants. This is a massive advance, but the situation has left a number of unqualified, yet experienced people feeling marginalised. In recognition of this, however,…

  • My first job – hopes and expectations

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    They are key to the future of the profession, but what are the next generation of veterinary surgeons looking for from their first job? To find out, The Veterinary Business Journal headed up to SPVS’ “Your First Job” graduate seminar in Lancaster.    FACTFILE NAME: Zara Chowdhury AGE: 22 COLLEGE: RVC FIRST SALARY EXPECTATION: £25,000 a…

  • Show us the money!

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    As a new graduate I found it raised eyebrows and cast doubt on your character to ask about the salary too early in the somewhat shy courtship between vet and recruiting practice. I covered hundreds, if not thousands of miles attending interviews for jobs where the most basic of expectations (the remuneration) was kept secret until they offered…

  • The F word

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    This is going to be a tough one to write without winding somebody up. It’s about a taboo subject – one that trips a lot of new grads up. Sensitivity about this subject leads to a reluctance to discuss it openly, which then leads to high expectations but ultimately disappointment, embarrassment and complaints. I am…

  • How to ace that job interview

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      Image ©iStockphoto.com/LuminaStock There are many areas of an interview situation which can lead to candidate nervousness. Prominent amongst them is the knowledge that you are likely to be asked questions by the person (or group) conducting the interview. These can be seen as a Paxmanesque interrogation where everything said is doubted and each view…

  • The subtle art of appropriate charging

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    Pricing of our services is an odd issue and one I have unresolved and conflicting feelings about. I did work experience in the eighties with a vet who these days would be considered old-school. He inspired me to become a vet because I saw what he did and thought: “that is very cool – I…