# Anybody done Animal care or animal management?



## aidey07 (Nov 16, 2008)

Has anyone been to college and done animal care or animal management?
and what careers open up with these qualifications?

Aiden


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## Drayvan (Jul 7, 2010)

I did it a few years back now. Pretty much any animal related job opens up to you apart from ones like veterinary surgeon/nurses that kind of level as long as you are prepared to work hard. It's a hard industry to get into though, a lot of places would rather take on someone with more experience than qualifications.


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## Exzhal (Jul 13, 2012)

Do it on top of volunteering at places like animal shelters, pet shops, etc and you'll be set to get into most animal related jobs as Drayvan said : victory:


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## aidey07 (Nov 16, 2008)

Thank you so much

Aiden


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## Jessibelle (Sep 22, 2012)

Having finished my animal management level 3 course this year, I can 10000% confirm that experience is vital. Once qualified everysingle classmate you had that qualified to the same level as you are now your enemy - the main way to differentiate yourself from the others is with the experience you have under your belt.

It's sort of a rich get richer system, in that those with experience will find it easier to get more experience. But with all that negativity said - I wish you the best of luck should you choose this path and assure you its very reward....especially if you're into faeces =\


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## varanus87 (Jan 30, 2012)

I've done the zoo animal management course was very good and helpful but it all depends on where ur wanting to take ur career as if it is in zoos or animal reserves ... Vol Exp is vital ... We get alot of book smart people that come in speaking the speak but can't do the practical or animal behaviour ... It's all ways a good idea to vol so u can get used to working around animals first ...:2thumb:


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## trogdorable (Feb 4, 2011)

im doing a hnc in animal care and i am a weekend supervisor at a petshop. i also have a small animal first aid certificate, will have a marine medic certificate and hopefully an online herpetology degree by september. but i dont even expect these to get me the job i want. animal related jobs are very competitive, so get as much behind your name and cv as you can. as has already been stated, experience and volunteer work will get you further.

and on a side note, animal care courses CAN open up an oppurtunity to go to uni to study vet nursing. keep in mind though, not every one who has went onto be a vet nurse has been to uni to study it.


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## Alasse12 (Jul 29, 2011)

Yeah, it is very tough to get into the animal sector/s. I managed to get a job at a zoo after experience in construction. Although I was qualified, on paper, and had hands on experience with various animals, I only got a job because of my construction experience. I then got involved with the education side of things and focused more on that aspect, as opposed to the actual animal cleaning and veg chopping! 

Just apply for every job that comes up; Home - Biaza is a good site to begin with if you haven't found it already. Also jobswithanimals.com has voluntary slots advertised. Or animaljobs.com or similar.


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## geckoloverr (Jul 30, 2009)

i did animal management at nescot a couple of years back. very hands on with livestock and animal behaviour. What opens up really is advanced education like zoology or animal behaviour/science etc. If you want to go onto a job then a zoo keeper is a good shout but depending where you are there isnt a lot of openings and everyone going for 1 job. volunteering is also a good option to gain valued exp :2thumb:


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## Tanzer (May 13, 2012)

I did my NC, HNC & HND in animal care - as well as my HNC in vet nursing.


Not sure how it works where you are from. But here you have to do work placements wth each course, if you pick correctly (relevant to what you want to go into) the 'expirence ' portion backed with the end qualification really helps 


I became a qualified & competitive dog groomer - for four years I did dog grooming as work experience  I also worked on a farm and with bats for a bit. I got those jobs no problem off my education until I got where I wanted to be : victory:


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## Sioriwish (Dec 26, 2013)

Hello! I was on an Animal management course 4 years ago, had to leave it half way through though. During the course I was working with small mammals, birds, reptiles and insects, as well as farm animals once a week. I also managed to get a distinction in Aquatics. It was most definitely worth going on the course, although I wasn't on it for the full course.

If you're unable to or had complications like I did, you can always go the route I am currently doing. I'm studying biology on an access to higher education course and then I'm going onto zoology at university. 

Voluntary work is a must! Not only does it look awesome on your CV for universities and work, but it will give you more confidence with animals


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

All advice on here is great.

I lecture in Animal Management for a living and deliver on Level 3 and degree level courses at my College.


If you have any specific questions you would like answering, feel free to ask.

:2thumb:


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## kato (May 12, 2007)

bothrops said:


> All advice on here is great.
> 
> I lecture in Animal Management for a living and deliver on Level 3 and degree level courses at my College.
> 
> ...


What came first, the chicken or the egg?:whistling2::Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


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## Bradley (Aug 26, 2009)

I'm currently doing a level three animal management course at college at the moment. I like it but the travelling is annoying. I'm lucky that is help out in a rep shop which counts towards experience but I know in the end I will need more than just that. 

It is quite a bit of work too!


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## bothrops (Jan 7, 2007)

kato said:


> What came first, the chicken or the egg?:whistling2::Na_Na_Na_Na::lol2:


The egg.

Fully terrestrial animals came about ~340 million years ago whereas modern birds have only been here around 65-100 million years. So eggs precede birds by at least 240 million years let alone modern chickens (domesticated from red jungle fowl around 8000 years ago).


Unless you're asking which came first, the chicken or the _chicken_ egg?

In which case, the answer is still the egg! See here for details.


:Na_Na_Na_Na::whistling2:


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