Animals of every size and species need caretakers, which is why animal caretakers are a popular choice for animal-lovers. Here is a general job description for a professional animal caretaker:
Animal caretakers work in many places, including pet stores, boarding kennels, animal shelters, veterinary hospitals, laboratories, aquariums, zoos, and aquatic habitats.
Animal caretakers are responsible for training, feeding, grooming, and exercising animals, as well as cleaning and maintaining their cages and the areas which they inhabit. Though some positions are more labor-intensive than others, animal caretakers should be physically fit, and some jobs require them to monitor animals closely and record their physical conditions, behaviors, diets, and medication either on paper or with a computer."
If this is the kind of job you want, you're in the right place! We have a resume example for you based on animal caretaker job descriptions, as well as three tips from our professional resume writers. We offer both an image and a text version in this post to guide you as you write your resume for animal caretaker jobs.
Animal Caretaker Resume Example
Expert Tip
View 200+ more professional resume samples for all industries, along with a guide to writing resumes from our career experts.
Animal Caretaker Resume (text version)
Name
email | www.linkedin.com/in/ | phone number
Animal Caretaker
Communications | Multitasking | Animal Physical and Physiological State
A highly talented Animal Caretaker with demonstrated experience in animal receiving, veterinarian assistance, sanitation, and equipment management. Superior analytical skills with an expertise in commitment to clients. Thrives in fast-paced environments handling numerous deadlines and projects while ensuring high-quality execution. Excellent communicator, presenter and works well with individuals at all levels.
CORE COMPETENCIES
Animal Care
Relationship Building
Surgical Assistance
Procedural Assistance
Safety Adherence
Sample Collection
WORK EXPERIENCE
Animal Care Attendant | New York City, NY
Year – Present
Observed animal's physical and physiological status to detect any stress factors that may alter data.
Received incoming animals upon arrival and performed preventive measures specified by the veterinarian.
Sanitized cages and other animal room equipment regularly to minimize the potential for contamination.
Collected blood samples from primates for testing purposes.
Responsible for feeding animals and maintaining specific diets for various animals
Maintained daily records and reported any issues or complications to lead Technician.
Responsible for maintaining a sanitized room and wore PPE (proper protective equip) everyday.
Animal Attendant | New York City, NY
Year – Year
Cared for of all animals in the clinic, Including boarding residents, surgical patients, and ill patients: Medication administration, bandage care, post-surgical monitoring
Assisted during various surgical procedures
Restrained for X-Rays
Aided in necropsies and cremation processing
Provided customer service and assisted receptionists when needed
Transported clients and deceased animals; delivered medications
Performed janitorial duties including cleaning of surgery suite, clinic, and kennel area; mowed lawn and cleaned parking lot of litter
Animal Caretaker| ZipJob | New York City, NY
Year – Year
Provided daily care of laboratory animals (Non-Human Primates and Rodents)
Maintained Animal areas
Provided animal health checks, recorded all data about the animals, changed and sanitized animal cages
Assisted researchers and veterinarians by recording data, providing assistance with tasks, prepped procedures.
Maintained detailed animal record sheets
Maintained sanitation of all animal areas
Kept feed warehouse clean and organized
EDUCATION
Degree, Year | New York University
Degree, Year | New York University
Bonus: free resume template
ZipJob now offers a resume template you can download. The template is set up with an easy to read layout like the example above: clear section headings, modern font, and follows a reverse-chronological resume format (preferred by both hiring managers and ATS scans).
How to write an animal caretaker resume: 3 tips
Have a clear career target
As you could see from the job description, there are many kinds of professionals in this field. When updating your own resume, you'll want to make sure your experience is as relevant as possible. The best way to do this is to have a clear career target. Then, write your resume with that goal in mind.
ZipTip: Give every line a second look and think "would an employer care about this experience?" If the answer is no, take it off your resume!
Always add a cover letter
Your cover letter is your chance to start a conversation with your employer. Your resume proves you have the skills and qualifications for the job, but your cover letter invites a further discussion. Whenever possible, use a cover letter to succinctly explain why you're the perfect fit for the role. You can also highlight your most compelling achievements from your resume--but limit yourself to two or three achievements. Finally, invite the employer to contact you by phone or email.
For more cover letter tips, head over to our guide: What A Good Cover Letter Looks Like
Maximize your core competencies
Your core competencies, or key skills, are a powerful way to show an ATS scan that you're a great applicant. This section should change slightly for almost every job you apply for. You want to keep it highly tailored to the job description. For example, if one of your core competencies is customer service but the job description is looking for client communication skills, swap out "customer service" for "client communication."
To identify the best skills to highlight here, this list of 10 vital skills to put on your resume is a good starting point.
Summary
Having a great resume will help you land your next job as an animal caretaker. Use this example as a guide to what kind of skills and experience employers are looking for in this field.
Still have questions? Comment below or hire your own resume writer. Zipjob has over 100 professional resume writers with experience in all industries, ready to help you create your best resume. Click below to see our services:
Written by
Caitlin Proctor, CPRW, Certified Professional Résumé Writer
Caitlin joined the ZipJob team in 2019 as a professional resume writer and career advisor. She specializes in strategic advice for executives, career pivots, and remote workers. Read more resume advice from Caitlin on ZipJob’s blog.
