What skills should a Animal Caretaker put on a resume?

O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, and Reading Comprehension among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.

What software should a Animal Caretaker list?

Software recorded for this occupation includes CEEJS The Pet Groomer's Secretary, DaySmart Software 123Pet, DaySmart Software Appointment-Plus, Envision Pet Grooming, and Groom Pro. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.

What other job titles cover Animal Caretaker work?

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Aquarist, Dog Groomer, Groomer, and Kennel Technician. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

What qualifications does a Animal Caretaker need?

In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 64% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

Will this resume pass an ATS for a Animal Caretaker role?

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Animal Caretaker resume example

A resume for a Animal Caretaker needs to show the work itself: feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Day to day that means work like this: feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions; provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment. Recruiters and applicant tracking systems both read for the tasks and tools this role actually involves, so the strongest resume names them in your own experience rather than describing the job in the abstract. Below are the tasks O*NET records for this occupation, the software and tools it uses, the titles it is advertised under, and the skills worth naming if they are genuinely yours.

Also advertised as

The same job is posted under many titles. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.

Aquarist
Dog Groomer
Groomer
Kennel Technician
Kennel Tech
Animal Care Giver
ACG
Dog Bather
Kennel Attendant
Pet Groomer
Pet Stylist
Zookeeper
Animal Care Attendant
Animal Care Service Worker
Animal Care Specialist
Animal Care Taker
Animal Care Technician
Animal Caregiver

O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation in total.

What this work actually involves

Tasks recorded for this occupation, in O*NET's words. If your experience covers one of these, it belongs on your resume in your own words.

Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions.
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury.
Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species.
Do facility laundry and clean, organize, maintain, and disinfect animal quarters, such as pens and stables, and equipment, such as saddles and bridles.
Exercise animals to maintain their physical and mental health.
Collect and record animal information, such as weight, size, physical condition, treatments received, medications given, and food intake.
Respond to questions from patrons, and provide information about animals, such as behavior, habitat, breeding habits, or facility activities.
Answer telephones and schedule appointments.
Advise pet owners on how to care for their pets' health.
Perform animal grooming duties, such as washing, brushing, clipping, and trimming coats, cutting nails, and cleaning ears.
Observe and caution children petting and feeding animals in designated areas to ensure the safety of humans and animals.

22 tasks are recorded in total; these are the most central.

Example bullets for this role

Built from this occupation's own tasks. The brackets stay empty on purpose: we will not invent a number for you, and a fabricated metric is the fastest way to lose an interview you had already won.

Feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Examine and observe animals to detect signs of illness, disease, or injury, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].
Mix food, liquid formulas, medications, or food supplements according to instructions, prescriptions, and knowledge of animal species, for [who or what it served], at [what volume].

Software used in this role

Recorded for this occupation by O*NET. An applicant tracking system matches the exact product name, so write the tool the way the posting writes it.

CEEJS The Pet Groomer's Secretary
DaySmart Software 123Pet
DaySmart Software Appointment-Plus
Envision Pet Grooming
Groom Pro
Groomsoft
K9 Bytes K9 Koordinator
Kennel Link
Microsoft Access
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Office software
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft PowerPoint
Microsoft Word

17 software entries are recorded in total.

Tools and equipment

The physical equipment this occupation is recorded as using. Worth naming when a posting asks for it by name.

Air purifying respirators
Algae scrapers
Ammonia test kits
Animal cages
Animal clippers
Animal crates
Animal handling gloves
Animal handling sleeves
Animal harnesses
Animal muzzles
Animal nail clippers
Animal nail files

Skills an ATS reads for

Worth naming only if they are genuinely yours. Keyword overlap is one input to a resume's score, not a verdict.

maintain facilities

What this job rates as most important

O*NET rates every skill for importance to this occupation. These are the highest rated, in order.

01Monitoring
02Active Listening
03Coordination
04Judgment and Decision Making
05Reading Comprehension
06Service Orientation

Knowledge areas

The subject knowledge this occupation draws on, rated by importance.

Customer and Personal Service
Administrative
English Language

What qualifications people in this job have

From O*NET's survey of people doing this work. This is what postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.

64%High School Diploma, or the equivalent
14%Associate's Degree
13%Bachelor's Degree

What level this role is pitched at

O*NET places this occupation in “Some Preparation Needed”. These occupations usually require a high school diploma.

Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.

Common questions

What does a Animal Caretaker do?: Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Day to day that includes work like feed and water animals according to schedules and feeding instructions and Provide treatment to sick or injured animals, or contact veterinarians to secure treatment.
What skills should a Animal Caretaker put on a resume?: O*NET rates Monitoring, Active Listening, Coordination, Judgment and Decision Making, and Reading Comprehension among the most important skills for this occupation. Name the ones that are genuinely yours and show where you used them. A resume that lists skills you do not have is weaker than one that lists fewer.
What software should a Animal Caretaker list?: Software recorded for this occupation includes CEEJS The Pet Groomer's Secretary, DaySmart Software 123Pet, DaySmart Software Appointment-Plus, Envision Pet Grooming, and Groom Pro. Applicant tracking systems match on the exact product name, so write the tool as the posting writes it rather than describing it in general terms.
What other job titles cover Animal Caretaker work?: O*NET records 40 titles for this occupation, including Aquarist, Dog Groomer, Groomer, and Kennel Technician. Searching only your own job title hides most of the openings you could apply to.
What qualifications does a Animal Caretaker need?: In O*NET's survey of people doing this job, 64% reported their level of education as "High School Diploma, or the equivalent". That is what current postholders reported, not a requirement any single employer sets.
Will this resume pass an ATS for a Animal Caretaker role?: No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer's system is configured, including ours. What you can control is that the resume parses cleanly, names the work in the words the posting uses, and does not claim anything you cannot back up.

Related roles

Occupations O*NET records as closest to this one, and worth looking at if this search is not moving.

What this page cannot tell you

No tool outside an employer can tell you how that employer’s ATS is configured, including ours.
This page makes no claim about pay, demand or how many people hold this job. O*NET does not publish that here and we will not estimate it.
Keyword overlap is one input to a resume’s score, not a verdict on you. A resume that names skills you do not have is worse than one that names fewer.

If this is the job you are aiming at, the guide to tailoring a resume covers how to aim one posting properly, and building and exporting a resume here is free.

Occupation data from the O*NET 29.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under CC BY 4.0. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. SpartanResume is not endorsed by USDOL/ETA.