Our lovely city of Surrey is in the heart of province of British Columbia, Canada It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. It is the province’s second-largest city by population after the city of Vancouver.

The six”town centres” the City of Surrey comprises are: Fleetwood, Walley/City Centre, Guildford, Newton, Cloverdale and South Surrey.Surrey’s population, according to the 2006 Census, is 394,976. Surrey is strategically located at the Pacific Rim, boardering Greater Vancouver and the United States. A central location means easy and convenient access to two international airports, two international border crossings into
the U.S., an efficient road system consisting of national and provincial
highways, rail and a deep sea port which all provide ideal opportunities for
transportation of goods and services worldwide.

Universities and Colleges

Surrey is home to the third campus of Simon Fraser University (SFU), which opened in 2002. SFU Surrey offers a number of cutting-edge programs, including TechOne and Explorations; first-year cohort options; and studies in Applied Sciences, Criminology, World Literature, Business Administration, and Interactive Arts and Technology.

Another important university is the Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Kwantlen opened  in ;late1981. Since then, it has expanded to provide satellite campuses in Richmond, Langley, a trades and technology centre in the Cloverdale Town Centre of Surrey. The Surrey campus focuses on sciences, business, arts, and health, including a publicly accessible wellness centre, while the new Cloverdale campus trains apprentices for the skilled trades industries.

Surrey also has various private post-secondary educational centres to choose from including;

• Sprott-Shaw Community College,
• CDI College
• Vancouver Career College
• Holy Cross Regional High School

Finding Veterinary Jobs can be difficult, particularly if you must work in Surrey However, if you know where to look then it can be easier, though you may have to settle for a veterinary locum job until you find a permanent position.

Cultural Events:

As one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse comunities in Canada, Surrey offers residents and visitors a wide variety of functions, celebrations, attractions and live performances. Surrey has the youngest population within British Columbia, with nearly one-third of all citizens under 18, it has become well recognized  for its annual Children’s Festival. The free, multi-day festival features circus and clay arts, world rhythm music and movement, popular children’s performers, storytelling sessions, and a parade. Surrey also hosts the largest Canada Day event of its kind in Western Canada.

As one of the fastest growing major cities in Canada, Surrey is a centre of innovation and creativity, constantly buzzing with busy sidewalks and exciting things happening.  Surrey offers an exiting as well as emerging arts scene and was honoured as the Cultural Capital of Canada in 2008.

For example: The Arts Council of Surrey is a non-profit organization that works on behalf of the local arts and cultural community promoting awareness, appreciation and
pride in local creative achievements. Through its monthly magazine, Spotlight on
the Arts, it highlights opportunities for visitors and locals to attend  concerts, theatre shows, festivals, visual art exhibits, films, plays, and author readings.

Important Contacts:

The Surrey Visitor Centre is located in South
Surrey at the corner pf 176 Street and 8 Avenue, and is open during public holidays as  well as normal business hours. These are: May 18 to September 15  Open 9-5pm, 7 days a week.September 16 to May 17  Open 9-5pm, Monday to Saturday.

Shopping:

Our City is home to BC’s second largest shopping mall, located in GuildfordTown Centre and ths state-of-the-art office and shopping district. The brand new urban lifestyle villages of The Shops at Morgan Crossing and Grandview Corners also recently opened. With a total of 135 shops between the two tourist hotspots, including trendy boutique shops, outlets and services like, Pure Nail Bar, Blo Dry Bar, Carter’s Osh Kosh, H&M, Kitchen Therapy and Cupcakes, it’s a shopping experience for the whole family. This unique outdoor shopping and  dining experience combines pedestrian friendly streetscapes, indorr parking with a vibrant neighbourhood feel.

Jobs and Employment

Temp staff tend to findit easier to find work than those seeking permanent employment since current laws offer many opportunities for maternity or paternity temporary vacancies. Such work tends to be longer term – months rather than days, and offers vets the opportunity to gain more experience that can be added to their CV. However,like any job in any profession, you must go about finding work the right way

1.  Know Where to Look

You can look for jobs in professional publications or use the services of your local
job centre.  If you do so, then register with the professional services that deals with veterinary work and other professionalwork.  The local press sometimes has
locum vet jobs, but for permanent or locum work you will likely be best using a specialist  employment agency. There are several good agencies online that can offer you long term or short term work.

2.Make Your CV Look Professional

Photograph or No Photograph?

You are a professional,and your CV should reflect that. Of all the tips on finding veterinary jobs you should pay attention to, your CV is the most important. Have it laid out properly and don’t include a photograph unless you are photogenic. Many people
have been rejected for an interview because the employer didn’t like the look of them! So Brad Pitt or Angelina Jolie yes, but Lon Chaney, no!

Presentation Order

A good CV should start with your name and contact details: home telephone number and postal address at minimum, with mobile/cell phone and email address if you have one. Then, beneath these, add a statement of your skills and aspirations. State any core skills you have and details of the work you are looking for; in your case permanent or even work as a Locum Vet Nurse?

Then provide details of any previous positions – starting with the most recent. Unless important to fill in time gaps, don’t bother with any non-veterinary jobs. After that you
should detail your professional qualifications. Employers are not interested in your GCEs, just your degree and secondary subjects studied at university or veterinary college. A-levels can be listed, but no further than that.

Unless you feel confident of doing it yourself, it’s worth having your CV professionally prepared and bound. Everything else being equal, the look and presentation of your CV will definitely make the difference with many employers. It demonstrates an attention to detail that may also indicate you are the same in your work. Your CV indicates more than just your experience and qualifications to prospective employers.

3.  Be Positive

If you are invited to an interview, be positive. Dress well, since many potential employees will expect their employees to make an effort when finding jobs, and a t-shirt and jeans won’t hack it! Be confident about your abilities – practice with your family or a friend. Get them to ask any awkward questions they can think of, and you practice your answers. Be prepared to answer questions relating to your desire for temp work. Thank the interviewer verbally, and follow up after a couple days, thanking them again and providing your contact number.

4.  Be Flexible

You must be flexible in the work you are prepared to take on. You won’t always find veterinary jobs that are perfect for you, but by displaying a willingness to take on any work, you will not only impress potential employers but also gain a breadth of experience that may be invaluable in the future.

Perhaps you have certain experience and qualifications, but if you hold out for only that type of work,then you will be liable to lose out. Once you have been without work for a
certain period, employers will wonder what’s wrong with you and you will find
it harder to find work – on a locum or permanent basis.

Finding permanent jobs can be as difficult or as easy as you make it, because they are there and it’s usually simply a matter of locating them and making sure you apply and are accepted. That’s where veterinary recruitment agencies can be invaluable, because they tend to have the vacancies and also the information you need to be successful in your application.