Briefcas EMPLOYMENT
Why did you choose to work for Purina ?
Leaving practice was daunting as I couldn ' t imagine how I ' d adapt to the transition , but the job at Purina used some of my veterinary skills , which made me feel valued . I joined as a nutrition and health advisor in the PetCare team , supporting customers with their pets ' health and nutrition via phone , email and letters . I was able to apply the clinical knowledge and experience I ' d gained in practice to a customer care role , and could often be seen on a call to a customer explaining how to body condition score a pet while moving my hands around as if I were performing the technique in person .
Were there any drawbacks to leaving veterinary practice ?
I still had the knowledge I ' d obtained from my VN training and experience , and could transfer some of this to my new role at Purina , but I missed the daily contact I had with animals in practice . Fortunately , I had a dog at home so I could get my fur therapy in the evening .
What are your aims in this role ?
I want to engage and excite people around nutrition and help all members of the practice team to feel confident about starting nutritional conversations . This includes discussions about life-stage nutrition , handling objections , and myth-busting on all sorts of nutritionrelated topics , such as how nutrition can therapeutically support some conditions .
What advice would you give to a VN thinking of progressing their career beyond veterinary practice ?
The skills , knowledge and experience you gain as a VN are transferable in so many ways – not only to other types of practice or within a practice environment but also beyond , to the wider veterinary industry . When I first came out of practice , I found it reassuring to remember that I ' d always have my qualification to fall back on and could go back to practice one day if I ever wanted or needed to – but I haven ' t returned yet !
Tell about your career progression since joining Purina .
I started as a nutrition and health advisor in 2002 and , since then , every role has developed my career and skill set further . I moved into the veterinary sales team when Purina was still a small player in the field , so my job involved building relationships and creating opportunities for Purina to demonstrate its capabilities . I then progressed to overseeing half of the PetCare team , which helped me develop my management skills . This prepared me for my next position , which was managing the specialist customer service team . In that role , I needed to understand the supply chain as well as customer service , and I developed the skills needed for my next role as grocery customer service manager .
As a grocery customer service manager I looked after larger customers at head-office level , which was really interesting . This , along with my previous experience , gave me the skills and confidence to move into a customer-demand planning role , in which I learned about accurate planning from a business and customer perspective . Following this , I moved into a veterinary nutrition partner position , supporting practices with nutrition and helping them incorporate it in practice . Every role has built on the one before , right back to when I was a VN .
What is your current role with Purina ?
I moved into my current role in June 2022 . I ' m now a veterinary nurse development manager , which involves raising awareness of Purina ' s veterinary diets and helping VNs develop their knowledge of nutrition , so they can support their practice , clients and , most importantly , the pets in their care .
Volume 38 ( 3 ) • June 2023
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