Perfect your resume with our tips and tricks for Dog Trainers
Who doesn’t love animals with their cute eyes and wiggly tails?
Well, if you’re looking to be a Dog Trainer, you’re in the right hands -- or paws! The animal care industry is currently growing at 22%, and that number is only increasing as people are going back to work and need their quarantine pets cared for and trained.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
In this article, we’ll discuss
Owner and Senior Trainer, Riverside Dog Training
Service Dog Trainer, Hearts & Paws
Dog Trainer, PetSmart
So what’s the best format?
The first step to drafting your resume is deciding which resume format to use. This depends on your career experience and skillset.
You have 3 main options for resume:
However, it’s important to include only jobs relevant to the position to which you’re applying, so leave out any former jobs that don’t fit.
Have headers like “Customer Service” and “Administrative Support” with their respective skills listed in bullet points below. At the very end, include a brief snapshot of your work experience.
Tip: When in doubt, choose the Reverse-Chronological resume format.
For a Dog Trainer, hiring managers want to glance at your resume and get a sense of the following:
The best format for a Dog Trainer is the Reverse-Chronological resume format. Whether you’re a self-employed Dog Trainer or you work in a pet store, this format will show clients your work history and skillset.
Did you know that resumes are looked at for less than 10 seconds?
While this is certainly an optional section, your resume summary is one of the best ways to succeed in that short glance.
But first --- what is a resume summary?
A resume summary is one or two sentences at the top of your paper that summarizes your entire resume. It’s the punch line that gets the resume reviewer wanting to know more.
For a Dog Training career, include the following points in your summary
The best strategy in this section is to only include info that is relevant to the job.
Here is an example of a bad resume summary: Experienced Dog Trainer with a love of animals.
Here is an example of a good resume summary: 7+ years of experience training dogs in obedience, behavioral modification, and aggression management. 4+ years experience training service dogs for the blind. Passionate about working with dogs of all sizes and breeds to fit client needs.
For more information, checkout our guide on writing a killer resume summary.
The next step to drafting your resume is to list your work experience. This includes the name of your position (e.g., Senior Dog Trainer, Apprentice), the name of the location at which you worked, and the time period in which you worked.
Furthermore, write your resume experience in a way that anyone in your industry will understand. Don't use company-specific language.
For example, let’s say you worked at a place that called dog treats “oven-baked biscuits.” Not everyone is going to know what this means, so it’s best to stick with the common name, otherwise it may confuse the resume reader and throw them off track.
Relevant Skills
If you want to learn how to nail this section, read our guide on the proper way to include skills on your resume.
Dog Trainers do not require a formal education like a high school diploma or college degree. Nevertheless, many employers expect some form of education or certification. You can learn from an experienced trainer, or pursue a structured program.
There are several programs to choose from, but the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers (CCPDT) is one of the most reputable organizations in the business, and offers two different types of certifications. The first certification is knowledge-based (KA), which requires at least 300 hours of dog training in three years, and a signed attestation from a veterinarian or another CCPDT certificate holder. The second certification is skills-based (KSA.) In order to acquire this certification, you must already hold the CCPDT-KA credentials. Lastly, the CCPDT requires continuing education credits to maintain your certification.
Additional Certification programs include:
The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) is the largest association of dog trainers. It has a “Professional Member” classification, which is available to those who have been certified by one of the aforementioned certifications. Having this on your resume can help show employers your competency and professionalism.
In addition to the certifications mentioned above, many Dog Trainers pursue other certifications in order to specialize in an area like service dog training or puppy training.
Specialties include:
For more information on certifications, check out our guide on how to include certifications on your resume the right way.
Now it’s time for the fun part -- picking the aesthetics of your resume!
Here at EasyResume, we offer 4 different templates.
Your resume template should reflect the job to which you’re applying. For Dog Trainers, try a Professional or Modern format to keep the focus on your skills while still creating a stylish resume.
We’ve done it! Almost.
Now it’s time to get down to business -- actually creating the resume.
Here’s what you need to do:
You’ll be training your next pup in no time!
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