You value your job, your team, and your boss. But the fear of creating awkward tension by wanting to talk about money, a more flexible approach to scheduling, or bumping up your CPD allowance makes it tempting to stay quiet and wait for them to notice your hard work.

Waiting rarely works, but structured preparation does. Viewing this conversation as a mutually beneficial opportunity to reset expectations rather than a personal favor can help remove the emotion and help you both focus on the facts. Separating the process into setup, negotiation, and outcomes will anchor your request in undeniable value. Discover how to make it happen…

Your practice has been advertising for a veterinarian for months. You’ve had some applications, and two were worth interviewing, but neither accepted your offer. Meanwhile, that brilliant vet you met at the regional conference last year – the one with the progressive approach to pain management and natural communication style with clients – hasn’t even glanced at your job posting. She’s busy, is OK where she is, and frankly, the last thing on her mind is scrolling through employment websites after a 12-hour surgery day.

This scenario plays out daily across veterinary practices in New York, Sydney, and London. The candidates you actually want…experienced, passionate professionals with strong clinical skills and emotional intelligence…remain invisible to traditional recruitment approaches. They’re not unemployed or desperately seeking change; they’re settled in roles that meet their basic needs, even if those roles aren’t perfect. The hidden truth? This 85% of the veterinary talent pool is actually interested IF the role is ideal for them. But that requires an entirely different approach than posting job ads and hoping…

When was the last time you truly switched off from work? For many of us in veterinary medicine, the answer might, unfortunately, be…you can’t remember. Between emergency calls, complex cases, and the emotional weight of caring for our patients, the line between professional dedication and personal time often blurs until it disappears completely.

Yet there is hope. Veterinarians, nurses, and techs across our profession have found ways to reclaim their time and energy while maintaining excellent patient care. From thoughtful scheduling to setting clear boundaries, these are real strategies that work in real clinics, with real teams, treating real patients. Whether you’re early in your career or a few years in and wondering how long you can keep this pace, there’s something here for you…