When we ask vets, “What would you change about your job, if you could, that would make a difference?”, the top three answers we receive are: 1. I’d like a better work life balance 2. I’d like to feel more valued and appreciated 3. I’d like there to be opportunities to progress further in the practice What do these things mean to YOU? Work Life Balance We know that having a better work life balance isn’t just about having more time away from work to do life admin, or spend time with the family. It goes far deeper than that; it’s about being able to show up to your personal life and personal relationships as the better version of yourself, rather than something that resembles a worn out shoe. For those who are parents, a better work life balance means you feel like a better parent, who can smile and laugh with their children with all the patience and love that you want to give them, rather than smiling through gritted teeth and trying not to snap. If you had a better work life balance, you will feel more of a sense of peace and freedom in your life. Feeling valued and appreciated Feeling more valued and appreciated by your boss isn’t just about hearing “thank you” and receiving a gold star for going above and beyond. Yes, that is nice, but it goes way deeper than that. When you feel valued and appreciated, it makes you feel respected, it boosts your sense of value and self-worth, it makes you feel more confident, and all of these things have a massive knock on effect on your relationships with clients, with your partner, family, loved ones and friends. Opportunities to progress Having opportunities to progress in your practice is not just about being able to climb the ladder and get a confidence boost with a senior job title, or having the ability to handle more interesting cases; it goes way deeper than that. Progressing in your professional life makes you feel stretched and challenged, it helps you grow and evolve as a person, it means you learn new things and can have a more meaningful impact on the lives of people around you – your colleagues, your clients, and their pets. You can have more of a voice within your team and you can create positive change.
Do you see how delaying prioritising what’s important to you can lead to a real sense of inner dissatisfaction? If there are things that are important to you and really matter, but you don’t have them, you are living out of alignment with your values. When you work for a practice that not only meets your current needs and desires, but your future vision as well, you’ll experience your life and career like never before. Are you ready?