Why veterinary job hunting is being framed as a two-way fit
Bottom line
Version 1
Theresa Cosper-Roberts, RVT, CVPM, ACE(DE), CVBL, is urging veterinary technicians to treat a job search less like a quick transaction and more like choosing a long-term relationship. In an October 29, 2024, dvm360 Q&A tied to her Southwest Veterinary Symposium lecture, she said candidates should thoroughly research employers, use interviews as a two-way evaluation, and look for roles that offer advancement, continued engagement, and room to grow, rather than jobs they may outgrow within months. (dvm360.com)
Why it matters: The advice lands at a time when retention and workplace culture remain central workforce issues across veterinary medicine. AVMA’s 2025 Economic State of the Veterinary Profession report says veterinarians considering leaving the profession most often cite mental health and lifestyle or work hours, and it recommends healthy work environments, flexible scheduling, and protected time off to reduce turnover. Separate JAVMA research published in 2025 found stronger team coordination was associated with better psychological climate, higher job satisfaction, and lower intention to leave, reinforcing Cosper-Roberts’ point that fit, culture, and growth opportunities matter as much as pay or title. (ebusiness.avma.org)
What to watch: Expect more employers, career coaches, and professional groups to frame recruiting around culture, development, and mutual fit, not just open positions and compensation. (aaep.org)
Version 2
A new dvm360 Q&A is putting a familiar workforce challenge into plain language: choosing a veterinary job should be approached like choosing a relationship. Theresa Cosper-Roberts, RVT, CVPM, ACE(DE), CVBL, said veterinary technicians should do their homework on prospective employers, remember that interviews are a two-way process, and prioritize positions where they can grow and stay engaged over time. The comments appeared in an October 29, 2024, article based on her job-search lecture at the Southwest Veterinary Symposium. (dvm360.com)
The message fits a broader shift in veterinary workforce conversations, where retention has become at least as important as recruitment. Over the past several years, employers, associations, and researchers have focused more directly on burnout, scheduling, workplace climate, and career progression, especially for technicians and early-career professionals. AVMA career guidance now explicitly tells candidates to research employers and ask detailed questions about culture, duties, and expectations during interviews, underscoring that job selection is not supposed to be passive. (myvetlife.avma.org)
In the dvm360 interview, Cosper-Roberts argued that a short interview should not be the sole basis for a major career decision, because veterinary professionals spend so much of their lives at work. She also emphasized a practical screening test for candidates: not just whether they qualify for the role, but whether the role offers advancement, continued engagement, and the chance to learn and thrive. That framing is especially relevant for technicians, whose retention is often shaped by whether they feel supported, respected, and able to develop professionally. (dvm360.com)
Recent data help explain why this advice resonates. In AVMA’s 2025 Economic State of the Veterinary Profession report, the leading reasons veterinarians considered leaving the profession in 2024 were better mental health and lifestyle or work-hour concerns, not primarily compensation. The same report says 8.6% were considering leaving and recommends that employers support retention with healthy work environments, flexible hours, break times, and encouragement to use leave. (ebusiness.avma.org)
Research is also strengthening the case that workplace relationships are not a soft issue. A 2025 JAVMA study of employees in 136 corporate-owned veterinary hospitals found that stronger relational coordination within teams was associated with more favorable views of workplace psychological climate, higher job satisfaction, and lower intention to leave. In other words, Cosper-Roberts’ “relationship” analogy lines up with emerging evidence that communication, mutual respect, and team function have measurable effects on retention. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov)
Industry groups are making similar points. AAEP’s practice-culture resources say non-salary benefits such as flexible scheduling, professional development, wellness support, and a positive workplace environment contribute significantly to employee satisfaction and engagement. AAHA, summarizing its technician retention work, has likewise pointed to collaboration and mutual support as core features of a culture that helps credentialed veterinary technicians stay. (aaep.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this story is less about interview etiquette and more about workforce durability. If candidates increasingly evaluate practices for culture, coaching, advancement, and sustainability, employers may need to be more transparent about how teams communicate, how technicians are utilized, what mentorship looks like, and whether there is a real path for growth. For practice leaders, that means recruitment messaging and retention strategy are converging. For job seekers, it’s a reminder that the right fit can affect not only career satisfaction, but also wellbeing, longevity in the field, and the quality of care delivered to patients and pet parents. (ebusiness.avma.org)
What to watch: Watch for more conference education, association guidance, and employer branding to focus on mutual fit, stay interviews, technician career ladders, and measurable culture indicators as practices compete for talent in a still-fragile workforce environment. (aaep.org)