Dog Walker Resume Examples
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Professional Resume Samples for a Dog Walker
Create a professional dog walker resume with expert examples
Dog Walker Resume Tips and Ideas
Dogs are man’s best friends and as any owner will know, their welfare can mean the world. Taking care of a dog is a major responsibility and despite how much many owners try they can’t always dedicate the time necessary to give a dog all his or her daily excersize. That’s where dog walkers come in.
With a pet dog being so precious to many owners, people aren’t going to let just anyone take care of their beloved companions. That’s why you need to make sure your dog walker resume is well groomed if you want to work closely with other people’s pets.
Being a dog walker is a role that requires a lot of trust and skill and in the following guide, we’ll explain how to make sure your experience shines through to a recruiter and how to get your resume looking the part. If you want to make your document look extra professional easily, take advantage of our online resume builder to create a stylish resume in minutes.
Top Tips
- Recommended: Reverse chronological
- For entry level: Combination
- Write in legible 12 point font
- Use a clean and clear layout with well-defined sections
- Break up text into easy-to-read bullet points
No
- Contact information
- Resume objective/summary
- Work experience
- Skills
Required:
- Education/training
- Certifications
- Awards
- Hobbies and interests
Optional:
1 x letter page (8.5” x 11”)
Format
The best format for a dog walker resume is a reverse chronological layout. This will place your most recent work experience in the most prominent position on the page, which is just what a prospective client will want to know right away.
However, if you’re branching out into professional dog walking for the first time, you may have less experience to show off. However, there are a few ways that you’ll be able to get around this and still create a great resume. This could be done with a combination format document, which will highlight your skills as much as your experience and help you take your first steps towards walking dogs professionally.
Design
Your dog walker resume is a professional document first and foremostly. The design of your application document, therefore, needs to communicate your expertise as well as conveying your love of animals and dog walking skills, whilst being easy to read. Still, there are a few ways that this can easily be done.
First of all, use a template that splits the document into clear and tidy sections with prominent headers and subheaders. Secondly, you should use an easily legible size 12 font such as Arial or Times New Roman. Finally, split your work experience and the more text-heavy parts of your page into bullet points so your achievements stand out better and everything can be easily scan-read.
Photo
You normally won’t be required to use a photo on your resume for a dog walking job. In the US profile photos aren’t usually an expectation for professional resumes due to strict discrimination laws. Generally speaking, hiring managers will be more wary to progress resumes with photos on them, so this is not recommended.
Sections of a Resume
A hiring manager is going to want to know a number of things straight away when they pick up your dog walker resume. By making their job easier and preempting the information they’ll want to see, you’ll have a big advantage in the hiring process. To do this always be sure to include the following sections on your resume:
- Contact information
- Resume objective/summary
- Work experience
- Skills
In addition to the information above, you can also embellish your document with extra details. If you’ve got any special achievements that prospective clients will want to know, be sure to include one or more of the following optional sections:
- Education/training
- Certifications
- Awards
- Hobbies and interests
Resume Length
A dog walker resume doesn’t need to be very long. The recommended length is just a single letter page. The most important thing that the document needs to do is quickly communicate that you’ve got recent experience and the right skills for the job. This can all be detailed in just a page. Potential clients may be put off by a longer document so, a surefire way to success is to avoid extending to 2 pages or beyond.
Dog Walker Resume Section Headings
Objective
In order to get hired you need to grab the hiring manager’s attention right away. Therefore you should start your document with an effective and focused resume summary. As recruiters only spend 6-10 seconds reading an individual resume, doing this right could make or break your chances of getting the job.
In just a couple of sentences, summarize your best achievements, a little about yourself and explain your motivation for getting the job. If done right, this can easily get the prospective client to read on further. Just think of it as your resume’s dog-whistle to catch the recruiter’s attention.
Work experience
Your work experience section is, in most cases, your key for getting the job, so it’s got to look good. Note down as many recent positions you’ve held as a dog walker as you can and include the dates you were employed, the company, agencies or client names in addition to the duties you performed.
For each position, detail the most important information, such as how many dogs you took care of and what services you provided such as grooming, training, and nutrition. Be as specific as you can with these points and aim for breadth as well as depth when explaining your work history.
To save space and avoid repetition, don’t list any recurring tasks you did in multiple jobs more than once. Only list them once in the first job that you encountered them in. This will help you create a resume that conveys broader experience as well as career progression.
Skills
A dog’s owner won’t just let any stranger walk their prized pooch. They’ll want to pick someone who can keep their canine companion happy, healthy and well behaved. Therefore they’re going to want to see evidence of your training and skills, so be sure to list one or more of the following hard skills on your resume:
- Physical fitness
- Veterinary training
- Grooming skills
- Record keeping
- Animal training skills
- Canine nutrition
- Animal obedience expertise
However, as dogs are animals with unique personalities your personality is going to be under scrutiny too. Prospective clients will be highly interested in knowing more about your positive character traits and how this might work with their faithful friend. Thus, it’s a good idea to get a few of the following soft skills on the page:
- Teamwork
- Discipline
- Trustworthiness
- Attention to detail
- Communication
- Time management
Dog Walker Resume Vocabulary & Writing Tips
Speaking the language of dogs will surely help you in your career looking after animals, however, on your resume you need to use the correct language of professional dog walkers. These days it’s especially important to use industry specific vocabulary on your resume as some employers may use applicant tracking software to monitor incoming documents. Furthermore, using the right terms will demonstrate your deep understanding of the profession itself.
Finally, don’t forget to carefully check your finished resume once you’re done with the writing. Any grammar or spelling mistakes could well see your application end up in the trashcan.
Words to Use
- Schedule
- Food
- Safeguard
- Safety
- Leadership
- Socialization
- Leash
- Water
- Obedience
- Companionship
- Behaviour
- Kennel
- Boarding
- Games
- Dependable
- Needs
Action Verbs
- Ensure
- Fetch
- Collect
- Train
- Clean
- Exercise
- Groom
- Feed
- Watch
- Provide
- Handle
- Pick up
- Report
- Conduct
- Organize
- Prepare
Resume Samples
1. Candidate seeking dog walker and trainer role:
Trustworthy qualified dog walker and trainer with a passion for all things dog as well as a drive to improve canine health and wellbeing.
- Trained pets in proper behavior with a respectful but commanding demeanor
- Walked all dogs safely and effectively to maintain a healthy canine lifestyle
- Ensured all dogs being walked were properly groomed and tended to
- Kept detailed report cards and records on all dogs walked
- HSDiploma
- 4 yearsexperience
- Certifieddog trainer
- Expertbehaviour management
2. Candidate seeking neighborhood dog walker role:
Patient and energetic dog walker with experience of handling multiple breeds of dog and maintaining an authoritative and caring presence with animals under my care.
- Maintained leadership and discipline of a pack of 5 dogs
- Ensured that all waste on the sidewalk was properly collected and disposed of
- Refreshed all animals under my care with water and treats (if permitted by the owner)
- Created exemplary rapport with clients to ensure all their individual pet’s needs were taken care of
- HSDiploma
- 2 yearsexperience
- Volunteer atanimal shelter
- Excellentcustomer feedback