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Here are some tips to consider when writing your ad.

First Impressions Count:

• Be brief, clear and to the point – keep the ad content under 800 words maximum;
• Stand out from the crowd – include what makes your practice different;
• Incorporate key words/sentences/section titles that stand out to the reader – we may use these in our app/smart phone compatible Job Search function.
• Don’t use AI – it’s just not sophisticated enough yet to understand the ins & outs of our industry and will often include errors.

Know Your Target Audience:

• Have an idea of who your ideal candidate is, who they are, what they want, their potential interests and what you can say to them to make them want to work for you, but be prepared to be flexible;
• Be creative, engaging, personal, and totally focused on the needs and desires of your target audience – this is about appealing to applicants, not about what you want from the new vet;

Your Practice Description:

• Approach this as a story – how did the business end up where it is today;
• Describe the working environment in a friendly and welcoming manner;
• Explain why your practice is different to others – sell the practice, team, location and job;
• Be friendly, yet professional;
• Include links to your social media as a picture paints a thousand words – when advertising with Kookaburra Vet Employment you can also send us up to twelve photos for a photo page, all inclusive in your advertising cost.

What The Applicant Wants to Know:

The point of an ad is not to lay out everything about the position on offer.  It is instead meant to attract attention from the sort of vet you want to work for you and interest them enough that they want to contact you for more information. So don’t tell them everything there is to know – whet their appetite for more as, if you can get them to contact you, that’s more than half the battle. Only offer enough information that the reader can pre-screen themselves.

Securing the Contact:

• Include a salary or salary range as research shows this is a critical factor in the decision whether or not to contact you;
• Offer a name and a variety of means of contact – practice phone, email, personal mobile, any of the social media private communication systems you use, etc;
• Include potential career progression – let the vet know you are thinking of their future within the practice.
• Demonstrate you are open to innovation and improvements.

Author:

Paula Strong
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

One thing that came up recently in the office was the discussion around AI and its possible uses for everyday life. Amazon’s recent release of their “Just Walk Out” AI stores performance and subsequent cancelling of the pick up and go experience brings to mind the question – “What can AI actually do?”

Machine learning and continual development of AI could bring better efficiency, diagnostic tools and research results within the industry. With the implementation of AI in clinics, we could see reduced workload of admin tasks, freeing up of nurse & support staff for more time to focus on patient care and customer service, as well as AI assisting vets to achieve improved patient health outcomes.

How could using AI in your clinic help with diagnosing medical cases?
Utilizing an AI’s ability to analyse vast amounts of data (e.g., patients medical history, available genetic data, known treatment responses etc..) it could help reduce the chance of an adverse reaction and assist Veterinarians with making informed decisions to achieve the most effective treatment/patient care solutions and diagnosis.

There has also been advancements with AI systems being able to assist with interpreting and analysis of medical imaging, CSIRO published a good article on the human medicine side recently.

What about the creative side of things, like advert writing or graphics for media use?
Most will have heard of or experienced by now, ChatGPT, and its ability to punch out cover letters, resumes and assignments. There is AI out there that is specifically being designed and developed for Ad Copy, Image and Video creation too. These could be a great tool for those clinics low on free time to get a written draft organised to edit for a more personalised advertisement, update & create social media banners or even generate images and organise a template for patient information handouts/printouts.

A Kookaburra tip – always check the work generated by AI, especially the free versions of AI. They might seem like a good tool but they are free for a reason. We have come across adverts with missing or completely irrelevant information for the clinic (e.g., info for different suburbs, blank sections or <insert name here> fields).

The tools being developed may still have a bit of a way to go, but the AI field is making steady progress with improvements and ironing out of bugs. Have you noticed improvements in AI-powered chatbots handling basic online inquiries lately?

From scheduling appointments and providing basic information for pet owners to analysing patient data and providing detailed suggested treatment plans, how far would you look at integrating AI in your clinic? Do you think we will see automated AI assistant surgery machines in the future? I think it’s fair to say we won’t see ChatGPT perform surgery tasks, but maybe an AI will eventually come along that could.

To sum it up, in the Veterinary industry, there are many applications and instances where AI could be used to enhance, streamline or even automate completely within clinics. Just how much we want handled by AI and how long it will take to get the AI functionality required is the question.

Interested in trying out some current AI models or seeing what is out there? Check out below!

OpenAI – ChatGPT (Test version) – https://chat.openai.com/

OpenAI – Sora (Text to Video) – https://openai.com/sora, YouTube example https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HK6y8DAPN_0

Microsoft Copilot – https://copilot.microsoft.com/

Adobe Firefly (Image AI) – https://www.adobe.com/au/products/firefly.html

Google Gemini – https://gemini.google.com/  / https://ai.google/

If you’re interested in what other AI are being developed you can check out this community – https://huggingface.co/, there is a free chat version as well (limited to 2 prompts as a guest) – https://huggingface.co/chat/

Author:

John Maude
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

There’s good news for Australian vets and vet nurses seeking to work in the UK, and vice-versa, with the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA). 

For UK passport holders who apply for Australia’s Working Holiday visa, the new arrangements will see an increase in the eligible age range and removal of specified work requirements.

• Since 1 July 2023, UK passport holders have been able to apply for a Working Holiday visa between the ages of 18 and 35 years. This is a five year increase from the current maximum age of 30 years inclusive. 
• From 1 July 2024, UK passport holders will be eligible to be granted Working Holiday visas up to a total of three years without having to meet any specified work requirements. (such as work in a rural or regional area )
• There is currently an exemption to the six-month work limitation per employer  – From 1 January 2024, you can work for the same employer in Australia for more than 6 months without asking permission if you work in different locations for the same employer, as long as work in any one location does not exceed 6 months. In addition, if you submit a request for permission to work longer than 6 months for the same employer, Home Affairs may give you permission if you 
  • have applied for a visa allowing ongoing full time work and are awaiting the outcome of your application, or
  • undertake work that is critical to your employer, and have attached a supporting letter from your employer to your request.

Similarly, for Australian passport holders who apply for the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS), the new arrangements will also see an increase in the eligible age range and the ability to stay in the UK for up to three years.

• From 31 January 2024 Australian passport holders will now:
  • be able to apply for a YMS visa between the ages of 18 and 35 years. This is a five year increase from the current maximum age of 30 years inclusive; and
  • extend their YMS visa for a third year if they choose. This also applies to New Zealand passport holders.

Author:

Wendy Nathan
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.

Information below has been sourced from the Department of Home Affairs website www.homeaffairs.gov.au in September 2023.

Skilled Occupation List

The Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List (PMSOL) was temporary and existed while Australia recovered from the COVID pandemic.

It has now been replaced by the Skilled Occupation List. This combined list comprises occupations on

• the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL),
• the Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL),
• the Regional Occupation List (ROL)
• or the Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) ROL List

The following visas, which may be of interest to vets and vet nurses, are available to individuals qualified to work in the eligible skilled occupations. Please see www.homeaffairs.gov.au for details of additional visas.

• Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482)​
  • See extra information below
• Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 494)
  • Regional areas – all areas of Australia except for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane
  • Length of stay – up to 5 years
  • Under 45 years of age (some exemptions exist)
  • 3 years’ experience
• Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186)​
  • This is a permanent visa
• Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187)
  • This is a permanent visa, for workers transitioning from a 457 or 482 visa & continuing to work for their sponsoring employer

Employers – Standard Business Sponsor

Before an employer is able to nominate a vet to sponsor in the TSS 482 or Regional 494 visa categories, they must be, or have applied to become a standard business sponsor. Once approved, this status lasts for 5 years.  ( Further eligibility requirements exist in order to be an Accredited sponsor, including NOT being a sole trader or partnership ). As of 6th September 2023 this is the direct link for information on the procedure:

https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/becoming-a-sponsor/standard-business-sponsor#Overview

Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)

The Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) replaced the old 457 visa in March 2018.

TSS visa holders can work in Australia in their nominated occupation for their approved sponsor under one of three streams:

Short-term stream

• Length of stay – up to 2 years
• Vet Nurses are currently on the Short term Skilled Occupation list (STSOL)
• Requirements for eligibility include English language requirements, skills assessments (by VETASSESS for VNs), nomination by an employer, health and character requirements.
• Must have worked in the nominated occupation, or a related field, for at least two years
• There is no age requirement
• The current link for skills assessment for migration for Vet Nurses is https://www.vetassess.com.au/skills-assessment-for-migration/professional-occupations/application-process

Medium-term stream

• Length of stay – up to 4 years
• Vets are currently on the Medium term Skilled Occupation list (MLTSSL)
• Requirements for eligibility include English language requirements, skills assessments (by AVBC for Vets), nomination by an employer, health and character requirements.
• Must have worked in the nominated occupation, or a related field, for at least two years
• There is no age requirement
• The current link for skills assessment for migration is https://avbc.asn.au/for-veterinarians/skills-assessment-for-migration/ You can only apply for a skills assessment once you hold full registration with an Australian Veterinary Registration Board.

Labour Agreement stream

• This stream is available if your employer wishes to sponsor you (as an overseas worker) and has entered into a labour agreement with the Department

Application for the Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa (subclass 482) involves a three-step process:

Step 1: a sponsorship application by the employer

Step 2: a nomination application for a skilled position by the employer

Step 3: a visa application by the proposed employee

Labour Market Testing requirement –  Subclass 482 (TSS) and Subclass 494 (Regional)

For a nomination to be approved, the Department must be satisfied that a suitable qualified and experienced Australian worker is not available to fill the nominated position.

For most nominations, advertising must be done within the 4 months immediately before lodging a nomination application. Advertising must meet all of the below (further requirements may apply – please see www.homeaffairs.gov.au for up to date information – the direct link is currently https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/employing-and-sponsoring-someone/sponsoring-workers/nominating-a-position/labour-market-testing  as of September 2023):

• the nominated position has been advertised in Australia
• the advertisement was in English and included the following information:
  • the title, or a description, of the position
  • the name of the approved sponsor or the name of the recruitment agency being used by the sponsor and
  • the annual earnings for the position ( unless the annual earnings will be greater than $96,400 ) It is acceptable to publish a salary range.
• at least two advertisements were published:
  • on a national recruitment website. Note: a general classifieds website is not an acceptable method
  • in national print media
  • on national radio or
  • if the sponsor is accredited – on the business’ website.
  • advertisements, including on websites, are expected to have run for at least 4 weeks

Kookaburra Veterinary Employment can supply a statement on request with information regarding your job advert, the period that it was listed, and the total cost of advertising.

Additional Requirements for nominations lodged on or after 1 October 2020

In September 2020, the Australian Government introduced new labour market testing measures for employer sponsored applications. 

In addition to the 2 advertisements mentioned above:

• the nominated position must be advertised on the Government’s jobactive website ( https://jobactive.gov.au/ )
• the jobactive advertisement must have included all of the information required to be included in the other 2 advertisements mentioned above
• jobactive advertisements are expected to have run for at least 4 weeks
• applications or expressions of interest for the advertised position must have been accepted for at least 4 weeks

Note: advertising may have been undertaken by a third party if authorised to do so by the sponsor (for example, an associated entity or a contracted party, such as a recruitment agency) – there is no requirement that the sponsor placed the advertisement themselves

Evidence of a total of 3 advertisements, including an advertisement published on the Government’s jobactive website, must be provided at the time the nomination is lodged.

Meeting TSMIT requirements

Both the Annual Market Salary Rate (AMSR) for the nominated occupation and the guaranteed annual earnings that will be paid to the nominated overseas worker, excluding any non-monetary benefits (for example, accommodation or car provided to them as part of their salary package), must not be less than the TSMIT (Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold).

TSMIT is currently set as AUD$70,000 for applications lodged on and after 1 July 2023, as specified in the relevant legislative instrument. For applications lodged before 1 July 2023, it was AUD$53,900.

The requirements and process for visa application can be very complicated and there are more conditions than are listed in this article – you can find more information at www.homeaffairs.gov.au

Migration Agents

If you are considering engaging a migration agent, you should ensure they are registered with the Office of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (OMARA). This registration demonstrates they have sufficient expertise and are a fit and proper person to provide immigration assistance. The OMARA registrar can be found at portal.mara.gov.au/search-the-register-of-migration-agents/. It is recommended that you look up a migration agent to ensure they are on the registrar before engaging their services.

Author:

Wendy Nathan
Kookaburra Veterinary Employment

This information includes the views and opinions of Kookaburra Veterinary Employment and is of a general nature only. Factual information is believed to be correct at the time of writing, however, should not be relied upon and any person should confirm details with the relevant authorities and through their own research prior to acting on any of the suggestions in this article.