Every hiring season, I see the same question being asked:
“What are the red flags you notice in vet applicants?”
Honestly, I stopped looking for red flags.
Over time, I realized that applicants are not just resumes. They are people with different needs, different timelines, and different pressures. Some are driven by financial urgency. Some are following a partner. Some want faster growth. Some want stability. Some are still figuring out what kind of vet they want to become.
And that is normal.
As a clinic owner, I no longer blame myself if I do not get the applicant I hoped for. I also do not take it personally if someone declines my offer.
Life does not revolve around my clinic.
And their life does not revolve around my hiring decision.
Sometimes we forget that employment is about alignment, not control.
If our vision matches, if expectations are clear, if culture and values fit, then go. Let us build something meaningful together.
If it does not fit, there is no need for bitterness. No need to label someone as a red flag just because their priorities are different from mine.
Sometimes it is not a red flag.
It is simply a different road.
Maturity as an employer means understanding that not everyone is meant to stay. Not everyone is meant to choose you. And you are not meant to choose everyone either.
No drama. No ego. No overthinking.
If it fits, it fits. If not, move forward.
That is growth.
Dr. Geoff Carullo is a Fellow and the current President of the Philippine College of Canine Practitioners.
Sharing this helps others understand what it really means to be a vet. Like and follow if you’re with us.
