Why Veterinary Jobs Are Becoming More Competitive for New Graduates

If you’ve recently graduated veterinary college, congratulations! You’re entering the industry at an exciting time, with demand for qualified vets currently at a critical level.

However, even with plenty of demand, securing the right first role can still feel quite challenging.

Perhaps the biggest factor influencing competition for new graduate veterinary jobs is simply that there are more UK graduates entering the profession. According to the RCVS, UK graduate registrations increased by 16% in 2024 compared with 2023, followed by a further 9% increase in 2025. This growth has been driven by larger pass lists as well as the addition of new veterinary schools.

On top of this, there have been signs that the graduate jobs market is becoming more competitive. In March 2026, Vet Times reported concerns around the availability of graduate positions, including reports of some larger employers reducing their graduate intake.

That doesn’t mean new graduate veterinary jobs are dwindling. But with more graduates entering the profession, you might find yourself competing with more candidates for the opportunities that offer the location, support, development and workplace culture you’re looking for.

There’s a few factors making the market more competitive, which means taking stock of what you should be looking for in your first role. All hope is not lost though as there’s ways can you give yourself the best chance of securing the right opportunity.

Why are new graduate veterinary jobs getting more competitive?

It might seem a bit strange talking about competition when the veterinary profession continues to have such a high demand for vets. But scrolling through lists of the best veterinary jobs available doesn’t mean every opportunity is going to be right for a new graduate.

For your first role, support matters above all else. You’re going from college and clinical placements into an environment where you’ll gradually be expected to make decisions and manage cases. So naturally, practices that have a good reputation for graduate support are going to stand out.

This means many who are searching for veterinary jobs for new graduates can end up looking for similar things: experienced mentors, structured graduate programmes, good CPD opportunities, manageable rotas and a workplace culture where they feel comfortable frequently asking questions.

Location can narrow things down even more. If lots of graduates want to live and work in the same areas, competition for the most attractive graduate vet jobs can quickly go up. This is one reason why many UK vets are looking for opportunities abroad.

Tempus Tip: Don’t limit your search too early. Being flexible on location can open up more opportunities, especially if you’re willing to consider practices outside the most popular towns and cities.

What should you look for in your first veterinary job?

Your first role is a big step. While vet salary will inevitably be one of the things you compare when looking at vacancies, it’s worth looking beyond the number on the job advert.

An average vet salary can give you a very useful benchmark, but a slightly higher salary isn’t going to make up for a lack of mentorship, an unsustainable rota or limited opportunities to develop your clinical skills, especially at graduate level.

Think about what the practice is actually offering you. Here’s a few good questions to ask:

• Who will be responsible for my mentorship?
• How much time will I have to discuss cases?
• What does the practice do when a new graduate encounters something they haven’t seen before?
• How quickly will I be expected to work independently?

You should also think about the team you’re joining. Meeting the people you’ll be working alongside can tell you a lot about whether you’ll feel comfortable asking for help, learning from mistakes and just simply growing your confidence.

Tempus Tip: Pay close attention to how the practice talks about its team. If people have stayed for years, progressed internally or if previous graduates are still there, that’s a good sign about the working environment, and tells you much more than the job advert can.

Your first job can shape your veterinary career

There’s a lot of pressure to find a job after graduating, but as important as it is, your first role shouldn’t just be about getting your foot through the door,

Those first few years can have a huge influence on your confidence and the direction of your veterinary career down the line.

You might discover you’re more interested in surgery, dentistry or diagnostic imaging. You may realise you prefer emergency work, or decide that a particular type of practice is where you do your best work.

Tempus Tip: You don’t need to have your whole career mapped out right off the bat, but look for a first role that gives you exposure to different cases, lets you build your clinical confidence and helps you discover what it is you really enjoy.

What kind of vet jobs are there for new graduates?

For a lot of veterinary graduates, a permanent first-opinion companion animal role will be a natural starting point, providing the support and structure needed to build confidence.

But it certainly isn’t your only option.

Depending on your interests and experience, you could explore mixed, farm or equine veterinary jobs, before potentially moving into specialist positions, emergency work or locum veterinary work later in your career.

That’s why it’s worth thinking about where you want your veterinary career to take you, without feeling like you need to plan the next ten years. Your first role doesn’t have to define your entire career, but it should give you a solid base to build from.

Tempus Tip: Keep it simple. Look for a first role that gives you exposure to different cases, lets you build your clinical confidence and helps you discover what you actually enjoy.

Four things to remember when applying for graduate vet jobs

When several graduates have similar qualifications and levels of clinical experience, trying to compete on experience alone isn’t going to get you very far.

Instead, you could give practices a sense of the vet you’re capable of becoming.

Use your placements and EMS experience.

Perhaps there was a case where you weren’t sure what to do next, so you asked the right questions and learned from a more experienced colleague. Maybe you received feedback that changed how you approached a particular task.

These kinds of examples can tell an employer a lot more than simply listing the procedures you’ve observed or assisted with.

You don’t have to be confident about everything.

Knowing your limitations and being comfortable asking for help are good qualities to have as a new graduate. A practice isn’t hiring you expecting a finished product; they’re looking for someone who can learn, communicate well and gradually take on more responsibility.

Think about what makes you memorable.

Maybe you’ve developed a particular clinical interest, had a slightly unusual EMS placement, volunteered outside university or simply have a clearer idea of the kind of vet you’d like to become than most. Give the interviewer something to remember you by when they’re discussing candidates afterwards.

Interviews are a two-way conversation.

It isn’t just about convincing an employer to hire you; it’s also your opportunity to find out whether the practice can offer the support and opportunities you need to grow.

Tempus Tip: Before an interview, try and prepare one example of something that went well, something that didn’t, and one piece of feedback that changed how you work. Those three stories can help you stand out to an employer more than any rehearsed answers about your strengths and weaknesses.

Don’t just compete for a job… find the right practice

When you’re applying alongside other graduates, it’s easy to treat the process as though you simply need to get an offer before somebody else does.

But it’s not about finding any job… it’s about finding the right one.

Before accepting an offer, think about what your day-to-day experience will look like. Find out who will support you, how the practice approaches development, what the rota involves and what opportunities you’ll have to build your skills.

There are plenty of vet jobs out there, and the most attractive new graduate veterinary jobs may be very competitive, but that doesn’t mean you should rush into a role that only meets some of your criteria.

Take the time to assess your options, ask plenty of questions and think about what you need from your first practice.

Your first veterinary job is the beginning of your career. It’s an exciting time and so you should find a practice that helps you keep up that sense of excitement with the right support and experience behind it.

Tempus Tip: Instead of asking what support is available, you could ask what happens when you have a difficult case or make a mistake. That could give you a better idea of what support looks like when you actually need it.

Exploring veterinary jobs for new graduates? Our friendly team at Tempus Veterinary Recruitment can help you understand what’s out there and find opportunities that genuinely match what you’re looking for from your first role.