Anyone wanting to follow their passion and go into a career working with animals has some solid options such as pet grooming or obedience training. But is a love for animals enough to base your career choice on?
Embarking on a new career is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make in your life so you should not take it lightly. While no one can know beforehand whether or not they are well suited for a particular career, you should make every effort to understand what to expect. For example, you could shadow or talk to a professional or read articles written by people in the field.
For any career you are considering, you should learn the answers to the following questions:
· What are the educational requirements?
· Do I need a license before I can work?
· What salary can I expect to earn?
· Are job prospects good?
· Will I have to relocate in order to get a job?
· What are the physical requirements?
· Do I have the personal characteristics to be successful?
· What are the most challenging aspects of this career?
Often, digging deeper reveals a few surprises.
Pet Grooming Pros and Cons
Pet grooming is a great example of a career that people might rush into without really understanding what it entails. They love animals and want a job where they get to be around them all day, so they think: grooming!
True, it is fun to meet people’s pets all day and make them clean and pretty, but you know what’s not so wonderful?
· Handling a furious wet cat
· Working with a nervous dog who does not want to be on your grooming table
· Getting nipped or scratched
· Having to end your day stinky, wet, and covered in hair
· Constantly being on your feet, lifting and bending
· If you have to pay for your own tools, grooming equipment is costly
· Trying to please fussy clients
If you can accept the cons, however, the pros are amazing! Dog groomers get to:
· Make all the dogs and cats feel clean and healthy
· Be creative every day
· Establish relationships with puppies and kittens that will last a lifetime
· Enjoy flexible hours—and if you don’t want to do it full time, grooming makes an awesome side gig
· Make a difference—a pet comes in matted, dirty, or worse and leaves you, the groomer, transformed, healthy and beautiful—that’s job satisfaction!
· Have a great opportunity to open their own business
· Enjoy a lot of variety. Dog breeds have different coat types and styles of cut, so you’re not doing the same thing day in a day out. There’s a lot to learn!
· Love on pets and get lots of wet “thank you” kisses
Start Your Career at Animal Behavior College
If you have done your homework and think that a pet grooming career is right for you, getting certified through ABC should be your first step. ABC has a great program that combines online learning and lots of hands-on experience with a local mentor. Once you have earned your ABC Pet Groomer Certification you will be confident and ready to go to work!
You’ll learn all about working with the tools of the trade, breed characteristics, pet CPR and First Aid, grooming techniques, and everything else you need to know to launch a successful career. The pet grooming course also includes a helpful section on career building. And as an ABC student, you will receive a free 35+ piece groomer’s toolkit to help you get started.
You can enroll in the ABC pet groomer program anytime. To learn how you can get started today, please call 800-795-3294. An admissions counselor will be happy to help you.