Animal Trainer Resume Sample
Joseph Thrasher
Address: 108 W. 2nd St., Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (818) 808-1200
Email: [email protected]
Current job: Animal Trainer at Karma Dog Training
Objective
To obtain a position as an animal trainer at one of the country’s leading animal training agencies and to enhance my skills and widen my expertise in handling and training a broad range of animals.
Skills
- Patience and expertise in handling and training dogs, cats, and other animals
- Experience working in shelters
- Excellent public relations, written and verbal skills
- Group and private classes
- Superb communication and interpersonal skills
- Excellent organizational and time management skills
- Ability to work independently or in a team environment
- Committed to cultivating relationships with clients
- Flexibility and adaptability to change
- Expertise in understanding animal behavior
Work Experience
Dog Trainer, 2017-present
Karma Dog Training, Los Angeles, CA
Duties and Duties and Responsibilities
- Beginner Canine Good Citizen classes
- Advanced Canine Good Citizen classes
- Group and private classes
- Obedience, manners, and tricks classes
Dog Trainer, 2015-2017
Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Fresno, CA
Duties and Duties and Responsibilities
- Dog training for the Pet Retention Program
- Obedience drills
- Gave training on using treats to condition pets
- Teach real-life skills between pets and owners
Dog Trainer, 2010-2015
Doggie Manners: Los Angeles Dog Training
Duties and Duties and Responsibilities
- Doggie manners instructor
- Dog training
- Canine Good Citizen class instructor
- Group puppy obedience classes
- Tricks classes
- Private lessons
Education
Animal Behavior College, Santa Clarita, CA
Certification in Dog Training,
2006-2010
Hart High School, Santa Clarita, CA
High School Diploma
2002-2006, 3.8 GPA
Courses
- Teaching Obedience Cues
- Safety
- Business Building
- Training Shelter Dogs
- Pet Sitting and Dog Walking
- Pet Nutrition and Diet
- Shelter Practicum
- Volunteer at CCSPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals)
Animal Trainer Job Interview
It is time to move on to the next stage of applying for a job – prepping for the interview. Here are some of the crucial steps you must take for you to secure the perfect animal trainer position.
Perfect your Animal Trainer Resume
The first thing you want to do before you apply for any jobs or head into any interviews is to make sure that your resume is up to date and free of any errors. Double check all your information to make sure that the main points are there — your strengths and qualifications, work history, experiences, and education. Proofread the entire document. In this fiercely competitive world, there is just no room for silly spelling mistakes, sloppy formatting errors, or blatant grammatical blunders. Lastly, avoid including any unnecessary or distracting information. Your resume should not be too long or sloppy; it should be focused on details relevant to the position you are aiming for.
Read up on the Company
Read up a little on the company that you would like to be a part of. A little background research never hurt anyone; in fact, in most cases, it is a tremendous help. Not only will researching and thinking this through help prepare you for the interview, but it will also show your employer that you are deeply passionate about working for them. While you are immersed in studying the company profile, keep pen and paper at your side so that you can draft a list of questions to ask your employer later on.
Prepare for the Interviews
For the interview, bring along a hard copy of your resume, and be prepared to go in-depth about why you are the ideal candidate for the job. This is your greatest chance to sell yourself, so you better enter that interview room armed with confidence and adequate preparation to face any question that may be thrown at you.
Common animal trainer job interview questions
Close your eyes for a moment, and imagine yourself in the place of the interviewer. What questions will you ask the candidate in front of you? Now, open your eyes, and draft up some of these questions. Practicing your responses to them will prove to be of great help; when the great day comes, you will feel so comfortable with the questions that you won’t be able to help giving smooth and astute responses. Here is a list of the questions they are most likely going to ask:
- With which animals do you have the most skills and training experience?
- What makes you qualified to be an animal trainer?
- Do you have any pets?
- Are you comfortable teaching both obedience classes as well as tricks classes?
- Do you have any experience training shelter animals?
- If hired, where do you see yourself in five years?
- Would you consider customer service as part of your job description?
- What reason do you have for applying and wanting a job at this company?
- Can you cite some of the most common mistakes pet owners make in training their animals?
- What are some of your career goals as an animal trainer?
- Do you feel comfortable having to work in a team but also being responsible for working with little or no supervision?
- What do you consider to be your top 3 skills as an animal trainer?
- In what aspects of your job or performance would you like to experience growth in?
- What are your favorite animals to train?
After your interviewer is done grilling you, you can take the opportunity to ask any questions you may have. Here are some sample questions you can ask them at the end of the interview:
- What sort of professional development training, seminars, or courses are available?
- Are there any community education and awareness campaigns that I can be a part of?
- What is the average instructor-animal ratio in group classes?
- What is the daily work schedule like?
- If you were to describe the management style of this company, what would the description be like?
- What is the typical work week like?
- How does the company plan to grow over the next five years?
- How would you describe the ideal candidate? What skills, attributes, and experiences do he or she have?
Dress for the Money!
For the interview, do your level best to appear professional. Go for dress shirts, dress pants, skirts, blouses, or suits. Looks aren’t everything, but they’ll help you make a great first impression. Show your employer that you are professional, organized, and ready for the job by picking out the right clothes.
