I’m on the search for a local job related to horses, whether it’s something as simple as a ranch hand, to being an employee at a major facility. However, most online horse employment search sites are asking me to post a resume to finish my profile, which is understandable. I don’t know how to make my resume, though, since this’ll be my first job in the horse industry. I’ve always worked in “traditional” jobs like a dry cleaners, or Target. I have a good amount of horse experience, I’ve been around horses for over 10 years, self taught rider, my grandma breeds Arabians and I help work them with my friend, who is also my grandma’s trainer. How do I make a resume for these sites to land a job, when I’ve never had official work experience in the horse industry?
Do you want to clean stalls, groom, grounds maintenance, office work?
You don’t say where you are, if close to a race track, farms training race horses, show barns, dude ranches, breeding farms?
Self taught just means someone is going to have to take the time to teach you what they need from you, especially if you want to be riding in any kind of professional barn.
There are jobs geared for that also, as working students mostly.
Hard to say without knowing more of your interests and goals and opportunities in the horse industry you may be interested in, it is rather large.
I’m open to anything from being a ranch hand, groom, exerciser, etc. I have a very strong interest in genetics, and have been considering making a career out of it. I also find equine medicine fascinating. I live in Texas, so it’s mostly breeding, board, and rodeo here.
How about working in a veterinary clinic, maybe even one geared to reproduction?
Once you start, they will help you with continuing education, certification, etc.
Fairly broad question, but to start off, try putting yourself in the employer’s shoes for a moment. What traits would the employer find desirable when hiring a new staff member? As you outline your “traditional” work history history on your resume be sure to call out desirable traits or accomplishments such as “team oriented” duties, tasks that require “attention to detail”, responsibilities that required “self motivation”, or “organization”. Mention a stellar attendance record if you have one, or a progression of increased responsibilities.
If it is accurate, weave the experience at your grandmother’s into the resume under “Other Interests” or “Relevant Experience”. Note your “volunteerism”, the years you have been involved, your acquired skills and experiences. I probably wouldn’t mention on your resume that the farm belongs to your grandmother; preferring to save that information for the live interview if asked.
One last thing to keep in mind is that employers don’t typically spend hours trolling Y&G or other equine sites for candidates. It is extremely useful and advisable to have a profile online that the employer can reference, but you should plan to be the one to initiate the contact.
These are very different directions. How old are you?
Anyone of any age or experience can probably get a job cleaning stalls somewhere if they are physically fit, have a good work attitude, and apply for the job. However most of these jobs pay minimum wage and are part time.
I would start by researching all the full board Stables within reasonable commute for you and ask if they need basic barn help.
Where I live the local race track is also entry level for jobs for grooms.
It’s another step up to people letting you ride, exercise, or train their horses. In general at boarding stables I think those opportunities tend to go to junior coaches or working students who have come up through that barns lesson program. You could however start as barn help, take some lessons, and see where it goes.
Ranch hands usually need to know about handling cattle and machinery and tend to select for adults.
You might nhowever very much enjoy a summer job at a dude ranch or riding camp. They tend to hire young adults.
Genetics and vet are a very different trajectory and require university science degrees. No one is going to let you near that end of things right now.
Perhaps a plan might be to get a job cleaning and grooming locally by applying in person as a start. You don’t want to be going away for a job of that calibre really either.
You might also look at resume writing websites that have tips for people who are new to the workforce and how to make the most of relevant unpaid or volunteer or hobby experience.
To answer a few questions that jumped out at me, I’m 20 years old, I’ve been applying at all the local vet clinics 2 or 3 times a year since I was 15, but they pretty much have had their staff for over 12 years and don’t ever need new positions. I plan on going to school for something equine related, not sure if I want to follow through with vet tech or something in equine genetics yet. I tried one year of college right after high school and I definitely wasn’t ready for it, I enjoy working.
I’ve got my general resume well made and I easily land a basic job with my little bit of work experience and references. My problem is finding a way to make the resume to apply for horse related jobs. After reading this I’m getting the feel that my resume will basically have to be tweaked to not focus so much on the exact things I did in my past jobs, but general traits and skills it required that are applicable to any style of job, and to just put my “horse stuff” in my activities section. Is that really all I can do right now?
What kind of jobs are you thinking of applying for? As far as I know my coach just hires her barn help by word of mouth. They clean stalls, feed, and do turnout/turnin.
I would go around to local barns introduce myself and ask if they are looking for help.
Vet tech is a low paid job that requires at most a college certificate. Genetic research on the contrary would need a graduate degree in biology.
Anything that involves riding or train ing other people’s horses is going to require most likely an apprenticeship under a coach or trainer.
So as a first step you need to think through what it is you want to do with horses and where you want to go. It’s not like there’s a career progression from mucking stalls to being a vet tech to being a trainer to doing genetics. All these jobs lead in different directions require different skillsets and different commitments.
I think you could probably find a local job cleaning stalls very easily because the work is hard, the pay is low, and there’s a lot of employee turnover. But that job won’t lead anywhere unless you are also in lessons and with a coach as a working student which is basically an apprentice trainee or coach.
