Need a new career

RE: Need a new career

Mair Tyler — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 21:23:57 GMT

What about locum work? Over a bit of time you might find you get a few practices that would have you regularly? Also a great opportunity to suss out practices and have your ear to the ground if a position's coming up in one that you like??

RE: Need a new career

mariette asselbergs — Sat, 26 Mar 2016 20:22:01 GMT

Another suggestion: Would the local practices be happy to outsource home visits and "hospes" type visits to you? For people with transport issues, or cats who hate coming to the vet home visits can be an enormous relief. I have worked in a mobile vet service which was part of a larger vet practice with hospital etc. It worked well for no exorbitant fees. And the "hospes like" service is a newly developing type of work which i think can have a good future too: doing homevisits to keep an eye on elderly pets with issues, making sure they have qol, painrelief, tests if indicated, support for the owner to lead to the eventual PTS. Most of this would be stuff you could do in your own flexible hours, not immediately emergency stuff or squeezed in fixed hours as long as it was done. And it doesn't need a lot of equipment or investment either.

Just a thought....

Mariette

RE: Need a new career

Jill Butterworth — Thu, 24 Mar 2016 14:51:06 GMT

There's a great book by Barbara Shere called 'I could do anything if I only knew what it was'. One of my friends read this when she was a disillusioned vet, and it led her to start her own horse riding holiday company after doing the exercises in the book: she loves horses, long distance riding, travel, adventure etc etc, perfect fit for her and started in a bedroom office. You call her now, and she just might be on the back of a horse in Botswana :) Excellent lifestyle and a very healthy business. 'Making sense of your life is bringing all the parts of it together'. Be positive and creative and you'll find something.

RE: Need a new career

Bob Russell — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 11:04:49 GMT

Sadly you are not in my area. I am desperate for someone to put in some hours so I can get some time off! I am amazed that there are no practices that need someone to fill in!

RE: Need a new career

Hannah Wynne Richards — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 08:36:03 GMT

Dalriata

Wynne

RE: Need a new career

Dalriata — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 08:04:23 GMT

[quote user="robloxley"]

[quote user="Dalriata"]Although the thought of no OOH sounds nice, I know I would hate the idea of not caring for my own inpatients and dread the idea of transporting some we have had in for several days.[/quote]

Outsourcing the emergency phone doesn't mean you can't look after your own inpatients!

[/quote]

True, that would be nice, though seemingly not down here :)

RE: Need a new career

Clare Tapsfield-Wright — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 07:43:30 GMT

As a previous employer covering a twenty four hour rota I would be reluctant to employ someone, especially a new employee who did not participate in any of the antisocial hours because it means the rest of the vets would quite reasonably feel that unfair. Many practices are already doing their best to accommodate requests for flexible working from existing members of staff.

in your situation I would look at what hours I could do that are antisocial, maybe a Saturday or Sunday or a Friday night on call once a month and see if you can barter that for regular weekday daytime " prime time" hours as part of the package. Doing one bank holiday and some Saturday mornings might make you a very attractive candidate without you having to do full weekends on call especailly since you are such a skilled and experienced vet. It's all about give and take and not setting precedents

Your OP says you have worked so hard for the profession as if you feel that having done your share it is your turn to have a job tailored to suit your childcare requirements but really we work for ourselves and practices employ for their own interests. Young graduates want to have a a good social life , parents want child friendly hours and old gits like me are getting knackered.

Working out of hours suits some parents as they can be around for the other hours that working parents miss out on while still earning a decent salary. I don't know your circumstances but I think it did us and our children no harm to share the childcare between my husband and myself. He got to play cricket and I got to work at a job that I loved and pay the bills.

RE: Need a new career

Rob Loxley — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 23:21:39 GMT

Outsourcing the emergency phone doesn't mean you can't look after your own inpatients!

RE: Need a new career

Braden Collins — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 23:17:44 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]

I also find that many of the problems do not come from the vets and nurses themselves ,but the none veterinary male partners ,who often work in the public sector with a 9-5 no weekends mentality. Many of them do not want to be at home at night or at the weekend with their children, which is something i do find quite bizarre.

[/quote]

We often find similar attitudes. I have young kids and do on call, while we often have Mums with young kids apply for positions and expect to be excempt from doing on call because they have kids. I explain that their situation is really no different to mine and I'm not prepared to spend less time with my kids so they can spend more with theirs.

RE: Need a new career

Robin Grimmer — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 17:43:39 GMT

I agree with the previous point that it may not be the best area if there is no ooh cover. I am also happy with my lot as a locum. Most of my work comes from 2 or 3 local practices. I haven't done any ooh work since 2009 and don't intend to do any in the future. It's only when you stop doing it you realise what a huge impact it has on your mental and physical wellbeing.

RE: Need a new career

Dalriata — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 17:17:47 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="elizabethellison"]I can't see how doing nights and weekends is conducive to family life [/quote]

Working antisocial hours, especially weekends, is not solely the domain of healthcare workers though. If you're looking for mon-fri school hours jobs then your options will be limited, regardless of profession.

[/quote]

I would agree with this point. Growing up both my parents worked in local government which you would assume is a classic 9-5 job.... but as hard working managers both of them worked more 8-8 so me and my sister spent a long time with childminders and at holiday club in school holidays as we had no family near. I think we can be tempted to blame the profession but I think it is just working full stop!

Seeing practice I was very aware the long hours vets worked and being up in the night etc, it was only once I went to vet school I realised practices with no OOH even existed. Although the thought of no OOH sounds nice, I know I would hare the idea of not caring for my own inpatients and dread the idea of transporting some we have had in for several days. I also still find emergency work one of the most rewarding aspects - remove that and you can wind up doing vaccinations and anal glands all day if you're not careful which is no fun.

I do think you should seriously look in to teaching or lecturing - it may suit you really well. You could do some CPD nurse lectures or set up a CPD providing company in your local area if there isn't a good local one? I do hope you find something that is perfect for you and related to the veterinary field!

RE: Need a new career

grumpyoldman — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 17:04:23 GMT

RE: Need a new career

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 16:52:00 GMT

My practice also has a complicated rota for both vets and nurses, with lots of flexible working. But that was why I started my own practice....I didn't find this to be 'the norm'.

Having said that, everyone takes some share of the 7pm finishes and Saturday and Sunday morning hours. (No OOH). If the parents (4 out of the 5 vets) didn't do any weekends or evenings, I don't think the 5th vet would hang around for long!!!

RE: Need a new career

grumpyoldman — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 16:41:57 GMT

[quote user="Emma Middleton"]I think we should all have the opportunity for flexible working within reason, children or not[/quote]

Depends upon the size of the business really. Sometimes you just have to hang in there a bit and grit your teeth. Things get a lot easier when children get to school age. I do find that people who do not have or have not had children themselves are far less sympathetic to the needs of new parents, and it can be quite a challenge squaring the circle with holiday demands etc.

RE: Need a new career

Emma Middleton — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 16:28:09 GMT

This won't be very helpful to you but I have recently joined a very flexible practice where the rota is extremely complicated but individuals' needs are catered to where possible. Not all practices are so progressive, but some are! I work 2 days 8.30-5 ish and one 11 hour day, 1:3 Saturdays. I can drop off and pick up kids from nursery on my short days and my partner picks them up on my long day. When they're in school I'm not sure what we'll do but I daresay we'll rely on breakfast and after school clubs.

I also considered VetsNow as an option with a potentially good work life balance, but I would hate working nights.

I think we should all have the opportunity for flexible working within reason, children or not.

RE: Need a new career

Neil Wheadon — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 15:51:43 GMT

[quote user="Gillian Mostyn"]

[quote user="elizabethellison"]I can't see how doing nights and weekends is conducive to family life [/quote]

[/quote]

But someone has to do them to allow the rest of the profession to practice.

OOH clinics are great but there is a huge issue of burn out amongst those that do them.

I have always maintained that if you work within a practice you must take a pro-rata share of the OOH commitment, that is right and proper. There is also the question of childless couples, they make a choice to not have a family and in this regard should not be expected to cover folks who have children on a routine basis, it is a serious source of resentment and is recognised as such in larger companies

Neil ( A locum who has done and will do on call if required)

RE: Need a new career

Gillian Mostyn — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 15:12:14 GMT

[quote user="elizabethellison"]I can't see how doing nights and weekends is conducive to family life [/quote]

RE: Need a new career

ruths — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 13:03:33 GMT

Hi- I didn't have any help other than my husband. it worked well for us for a while.

I would do 24 hr shifts starting Saturday am

I would have recovered by Sunday eve- Monday morning

i used to enjoy being able to go to the loo on my own tbh and not to be ambushed by toddlers -))

RE: Need a new career

elizabethellison — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 12:53:47 GMT

Thanks for all your replies. Much as I hate the phrase, I need to 'think out of the box' with this one. I'm in East Anglia, moved here with my husbands work, lots of practices, but a lot that do their own on call. I can't see how doing nights and weekends is conducive to family life and the juggling childcare is too complicated with no local family to help, though I have considered VetsNow work. I suppose I wish I'd been more aware of the implications of juggling a vet career with having children (and not wanting to hand those children over to 'wrap around' care). It's sad to say, but I regret this choice of career for this reason.

RE: Need a new career

grumpyoldman — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 11:56:48 GMT

[quote user="Clive Ansell"]I'm happy with my lot as a locum, but if I were to look for an employed position again I certainly wouldn't take one that included OOH work as an additional add on. I would however accept OOH duties that formed part of the working week on a rota, but not in addition to often working a 50 - 55 hour week.[/quote]

Depends on the "burden", I find that vets are quite happy to do it with an additional £50 a call out ,a reasonable rota, good facilities, support when required, and a 4 day working week.

RE: Need a new career

ruths — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 11:38:36 GMT

When I had very small kids, I was happy to do the emergency shifts and weekend work

It meant that I could look after the kids all week and my husband looked after them at the weeked

i suppose I shirked the day to day rota -))

It worked a for a while- I had a tricky child that needed continuity more than anything else.

I know this worked for us- hopefully you might find something lime this that works for you.

RE: Need a new career

Clive Ansell — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 11:25:29 GMT

[quote user="grumpyoldman"]The OOH thing is a bit of a tricky one though ,its fundamentally unfair to expect some people to soldier on doing it while others just opt out. [/quote]

Maybe the time has arrived that working OOH in addition to working all day is confined well and truly to the history books, I just don't think it is reasonable to do it. I think it is time that OOH is staffed separately.

I'm happy with my lot as a locum, but if I were to look for an employed position again I certainly wouldn't take one that included OOH work as an additional add on. I would however accept OOH duties that formed part of the working week on a rota, but not in addition to often working a 50 - 55 hour week.

RE: Need a new career

Rob Loxley — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 10:37:24 GMT

[quote user="elizabethellison"]Yes I've done this. Had a few odd saturday mornings but nothing else.[/quote]

Sounds harsh, but have you moved to the right area? For instance, if I wanted to do large animal work then a big urban centre would be a bad choice but if I wanted to work 100% small animal in an area with lots of OOH provision then such a location might be a good choice?

[quote user="Dalriata"]This is so sad to read . I do think the profession is changing slowly to accommodate the fact that many vets (male and female) either want or need to work PT - but no good if it's too slow for you or if you are not in a progressive area[/quote]

It sounds like the issue is more being on the OOH rota?

RE: Need a new career

grumpyoldman — Sun, 20 Mar 2016 00:41:37 GMT

We try to accommodate vets and nurses returning from maternity with job share arrangements so that they form a single unit on the rota . As an employer you always want to keep good experienced people if at all possible. The OOH thing is a bit of a tricky one though ,its fundamentally unfair to expect some people to soldier on doing it while others just opt out.

RE: Need a new career

Nicola Cole — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 22:33:27 GMT

Are you going back to work after a period at home or is it just because you've moved house that you're changing jobs and struggling to find part time hours?

If you were working up til your move then what previous hours could you manage?

Do you have childcare plans for school holidays? (Not sure how old the child/ren is/are?)

If you are looking to change direction I guess the first thing is to decide what hours you can work (including school holidays) and what careers that's actually achievable with...

If you're able to do 9-5 style hours and can't find local part time veterinary practice work then other options for vet related things would be eg. pharmaceutical related eg technical advisor, or obviously there are plenty of unrelated careers out there but if you're looking for shorter hours then I would think your options would be limited if you changed direction-as you are then inexperienced and can't work full days. I'm sure there are careers out there that can accommodate part time hours for new people but think seriously whether it is likely to be feasible before you jump!

what about starting you own practice.....would be hard work but to a certain extent you can dictate your hours...again, probably depends on age of kids (eg. whether they can come in and help out after school), and finances!