Veterinary Technician resume example. Plus the keywords recruiters search for.
A veterinary technician resume that shows safe anesthesia, solid lab work and calm patient handling — with the VTNE, state credential and clinical keywords animal hospitals look for.
Reviewed by Nazir Elmurodov · Updated
/ The example
Veterinary Technician resume example.
Emily Novak
Licensed Veterinary Technician, LVT
Buffalo, NY · emily.novak@email.com · (716) 555-0184
Summary
Licensed veterinary technician with 4 years in small animal general practice and emergency care. I run anesthesia, dentistry and in-house lab work, handle anxious patients gently and send clients home knowing exactly what to do next.
Experience
Veterinary Technician, Elmwood Village Animal Hospital · Apr 2023 – Present
- • Induce and monitor anesthesia for 5–7 surgical and dental patients a day, recording heart rate, blood pressure, SpO2 and ETCO2 every 5 minutes
- • Perform dental cleanings and take full-mouth dental radiographs for the veterinarian to diagnose and treat
- • Run in-house lab work, including CBCs, chemistry panels, urinalysis, fecals and cytology prep, and flag abnormal results to the veterinarian
- • Place IV catheters, give medications and fluids as ordered and go over discharge instructions with clients
Veterinary Technician, Niagara Frontier Veterinary Emergency · Jun 2021 – Mar 2023
- • Triaged walk-in emergencies on overnight shifts and set up oxygen, IV access and monitoring for critical patients
- • Assisted with CPR and trauma stabilization, and kept the crash cart checked and stocked at the start of every shift
- • Monitored 8–12 hospitalized patients a night and updated treatment sheets and the medical record in Cornerstone
Education & certifications
A.A.S. Veterinary Technology, Lake Erie State College (AVMA-accredited program), 2021 · VTNE passed · New York Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
Skills
Anesthesia monitoring · Dental radiography · Dental cleanings · Laboratory diagnostics · IV catheter placement · Triage · Emergency and critical care · Patient restraint · Client education · Cornerstone · Surgical assisting · Medication administration
Emily Novak
Licensed Veterinary Technician, LVT
emily.novak@email.com · Buffalo, NY
(716) 555-0184
Summary
Licensed veterinary technician with 4 years in small animal general practice and emergency care. I run anesthesia, dentistry and in-house lab work, handle anxious patients gently and send clients home knowing exactly what to do next.
Experience
Veterinary Technician — Elmwood Village Animal Hospital
Apr 2023 – Present
• Induce and monitor anesthesia for 5–7 surgical and dental patients a day, recording heart rate, blood pressure, SpO2 and ETCO2 every 5 minutes
• Perform dental cleanings and take full-mouth dental radiographs for the veterinarian to diagnose and treat
• Run in-house lab work, including CBCs, chemistry panels, urinalysis, fecals and cytology prep, and flag abnormal results to the veterinarian
• Place IV catheters, give medications and fluids as ordered and go over discharge instructions with clients
Veterinary Technician — Niagara Frontier Veterinary Emergency
Jun 2021 – Mar 2023
• Triaged walk-in emergencies on overnight shifts and set up oxygen, IV access and monitoring for critical patients
• Assisted with CPR and trauma stabilization, and kept the crash cart checked and stocked at the start of every shift
• Monitored 8–12 hospitalized patients a night and updated treatment sheets and the medical record in Cornerstone
Education
Lake Erie State College (AVMA-accredited program)
A.A.S. Veterinary Technology · 2021
Certifications
VTNE passed
New York Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
Skills
Anesthesia monitoring, Dental radiography, Dental cleanings, Laboratory diagnostics, IV catheter placement, Triage, Emergency and critical care, Patient restraint, Client education, Cornerstone, Surgical assisting, Medication administration
Why it works
The state credential is in the headline, the VTNE and accredited program are listed, and the bullets cover the skills a practice relies on a credentialed technician for: anesthesia, dentistry, lab work and emergency care.
Use this as your starting point
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Start from this exampleSample resume. Names, companies and figures are illustrative.
/ Summary examples
Three summary examples. Pick the one closest to you.
Two or three lines: your level, your field and one result.
- New graduate
New graduate of an AVMA-accredited veterinary technology program with externships in general practice and emergency care. VTNE passed and state credential application in progress.
- Mid level
Licensed veterinary technician with 4 years in general practice and emergency care. I monitor anesthesia for 5–7 patients a day and run the hospital's in-house lab work.
- Senior
Lead veterinary technician with 11 years in a multi-doctor hospital. I train new technicians and assistants, run the surgical suite and keep our controlled drug logs audit-ready.
More for other jobs and situations (no experience, career change, senior): resume summary examples.
/ Bullet points
Bullet point examples. From duty to result.
Turn duties into results: what you did, how, and what changed.
Anesthesia
Instead of: Watched patients in surgery
Write: Monitored anesthesia for 5–7 patients a day, recording vitals every 5 minutes
Dentistry
Instead of: Helped with dentals
Write: Performed dental cleanings and took full-mouth dental radiographs for the veterinarian
Lab work
Instead of: Ran lab tests
Write: Ran CBCs, chemistry panels, urinalysis and fecals in-house and flagged abnormal results
Emergency
Instead of: Worked in the ER
Write: Triaged overnight emergencies and set up oxygen, IV access and monitoring for critical patients
Hospitalized care
Instead of: Took care of patients
Write: Monitored 8–12 hospitalized patients a night and kept treatment sheets current
Client education
Instead of: Talked to owners
Write: Went over discharge instructions with clients so they knew medications, restrictions and warning signs
/ Keywords
Keywords and skills for veterinary technicians.
These come up often in veterinary technician job posts. Include only the ones you can back up in an interview, and use the exact wording from the post you're applying to.
- Anesthesia monitoring
- Surgical assisting
- Dental radiography
- Dental cleanings
- Laboratory diagnostics
- IV catheter placement
- Medication administration
- Triage
- Emergency and critical care
- CPR
- Patient restraint
- Client education
- Cornerstone
- VTNE
- Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
- AVMA-accredited program
/ ATS tips
ATS tips for veterinary technicians.
Use your state's title
Depending on the state, the credential may be LVT, RVT or CVT. Write the exact title your state issues, since some states protect these titles by law.
List the VTNE and your program
Most states require a passing VTNE score, and many require graduation from an AVMA-accredited program. Put both near your credential.
Show the skills only a technician does
Anesthesia monitoring, dental radiographs, catheter placement and lab work separate a credentialed technician from an assistant.
Give your practice type and pace
General practice, emergency, specialty or shelter medicine each need different skills. Add patient numbers where you can.
Name the practice software
Cornerstone, AVImark and ezyVet are common. List the one you use for records and treatment sheets.
How does your veterinary technician resume compare?
Free ATS score, missing keywords and fixes in about 10 seconds.
/ Questions
Veterinary Technician resume FAQ.
Writing the cover letter too? See Emily's cover letter, annotated
What's the difference between LVT, RVT and CVT?
They're state titles for a credentialed veterinary technician: licensed, registered or certified. Which one you hold depends on the state. The American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) runs the VTNE, but the credential itself comes from your state.
Should I list the VTNE on my resume?
Yes. Write that you passed the Veterinary Technician National Examination, along with your state credential. A practice hiring across state lines will want to know you can transfer your score.
How should a new veterinary technician write a resume?
Lead with your AVMA-accredited program, VTNE status and state credential status. List externships like jobs, with the practice type and the skills you performed, such as anesthesia monitoring, venipuncture and dental radiographs.
Should I mention specialty interests?
Yes, briefly, if they fit the job, such as emergency and critical care, dentistry or anesthesia. Only list a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) credential if you've earned it.
How long should a veterinary technician resume be?
One page. Credential at the top, then one or two jobs with practice type, patient volume and bullets on anesthesia, dentistry, lab work and client care.