how hard was/is it to get your first veterinary position with little experience?

[The Cat]

Hello everyone. Apologies if this is the wrong place for this question. I'm just a little desperate...

So I finished my second semester of my veterinary technology program and I am excited to find a job in a veterinary hospital/clinic/anything doing anything, even if it is kennel assistant, just want to get my foot into the door...problem is, I don't have formal experience in a veterinary setting. The most I have is my volunteer experience (most of it is socialization, some is medical like observing cats coming out of surgery and giving vaccinations).

I know I can and probably should go back to volunteering but being 23 years old, I really want to make some type of money during the summer.
I applied to a veterinary assistant position in my city but I really don't think I know enough yet to do the job...what can I do in my position? This is very frustrating for me because I want to WORK and learn more and usually volunteering is very one dimensional (doing the same thing over and over)unless you are there for years.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[SocialStigma]

I never managed to obtain a paid veterinary assistant position. All I did was shadow/volunteer and even then only 2 clinics had availability (others had a waiting list for volunteers). I volunteered 40 hours/week during the summer and it was very frustrating since it meant that for 2 summers in undergrad, I had zero income. But it was the only way I could obtain veterinary experience and in the end it was worth it since it got me into vet school.

 

[pinkpuppy9]

Hello everyone. Apologies if this is the wrong place for this question. I'm just a little desperate...

So I finished my second semester of my veterinary technology program and I am excited to find a job in a veterinary hospital/clinic/anything doing anything, even if it is kennel assistant, just want to get my foot into the door...problem is, I don't have formal experience in a veterinary setting. The most I have is my volunteer experience (most of it is socialization, some is medical like observing cats coming out of surgery and giving vaccinations).

I know I can and probably should go back to volunteering but being 23 years old, I really want to make some type of money during the summer.
I applied to a veterinary assistant position in my city but I really don't think I know enough yet to do the job...what can I do in my position? This is very frustrating for me because I want to WORK and learn more and usually volunteering is very one dimensional (doing the same thing over and over)unless you are there for years.

More often than not, a veterinary assistant is a starting position and clinics are willing to train you. I was very fortunate in that my first veterinary clinic job (receptionist) was offered to me through knowing the right people. My second job, an assistant position, was offered to me because out of all the applicants, I was the only person to follow up on my application. I was trained there. Be persistent! Since you are already in a tech program, you might have a better chance at an assistant position than you think. If you've already developed some clinical skills, make sure to highlight those on your resume/applications. Good luck!

 

[jmo1012]

I think interest in hiring seems to vary by region. I would be careful to down play your lack of experience and instead focus on your willingness to learn and current tech school status. Play to your strengths and abilities to adapt and expand your knowledge and that will make you a more appealing candidate

 

[sorasea]

I only ever shadowed to get veterinary experience, but in a different life, I would have looked for receptionist or kennel tech jobs (honestly no experience should be necessary, if you are reasonably competent and have people skills and a good work ethic). If the job postings say they require X experience, emphasize any time you have spent in customer service (waiting tables, retail, etc.), handling your own pets, and your volunteer experience. Visit vet clinics in person with professional dress, ask if they're hiring, and leave a resume/cover letter behind. If you have any pets, ask your usual veterinarian if he/she has any colleagues who might be hiring (yay networking!).

I had no trouble finding veterinary experiences in NC, but couldn't for the life of me get a vet to let me shadow in southern California. If your region just sucks, consider looking for jobs in cities where you have family/friends who'd let you couchsurf.

I applied to a veterinary assistant position in my city but I really don't think I know enough yet to do the job...

Instead of lingering on your lack of experience, emphasize that you're hard-working and excited to learn new things in your cover letter/talks with potential employers! Confidence is attractive to employers and key to success no matter where you are in life, and I think that comes from you knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and knowing that your weaknesses can be overcome if you're willing to work at it.

 

[missdarjeeling]

It'll probably vary by area, but I had an easy time finding my first vet hospital job in part because the specialty/emergency place always needed people. The only experience I had was a short volunteering stint at a shelter. Turnover was lower at GP hospitals, and it would've taken longer to get a foot in the door, there. Even looking for assistant jobs now in my new state, most postings explicitly say that experience is nice but that they're willing to train the right candidate. I've only come across one or two out of at least 20 postings that absolutely require experience. So I'd recommend taking the advice everyone else is giving -- play to your strengths, mention your volunteering and tech school, and show your enthusiasm and eagerness to learn. These are entry-level positions, and many, if not most, people walk into them with no prior vet hospital experience. Just cast your net as far and wide as you can and apply to any position you'd be able to make work.

 

[rockatiel]

It's going to vary by region. The experience in a vet tech program will certainly help you. I'm pre vet but I did complete two semesters of a vet tech program like you did. Even then, I couldn't find paid work in my field. And in my state, you don't have to be a R/L/CVT to make a tech salary! The only paid work I found is through a family friend. But I promise you, once you do get your foot in the door, the connections are endless. Of course I also only work when I'm not in school, so that may have affected my ability to find a vet job as well.

 

[huevosgood]

I don't know much for others, but I know that for my own situation, I managed to receive a veterinary assistant position fairly quickly after graduating from undergrad. I live in Orange County in Southern California, so there are quite a few small animal practices all over to meet the growing pet owner needs here. I did have to act fairly persistent to attain a chance to interview for a position though (I must have called 5 or so clinics before I found one willing to hire me).

After applying for my current position at an animal clinic, it was a couple weeks before I received any reply or feedback. I ended up calling them several times during that period just to check the status of my application and where they were reviewing it. It ended up being this persistence that rewarded me with an interview opportunity. During the interview process, I had no true work experience to highlight so I merely emphasized my previous retail work and volunteer experience at shelters to prove my customer service would be useful in a situation that interacted with a client and to prove that I had the background capable of handling small animals up to this point.

It may help if you are able to find a clinic in your area that has only been open for a few years or so because they'll most likely be in need of help first and foremost. And be sure to be active/forward in any veterinary setting you put yourself in because that usually leads to more opportunities in different areas later on (for my case, the clinic I work at has an orthopedic surgeon and a radiologist that occasionally come in for special patient cases and they have both offered me positions to shadow/work under them to expand my knowledge).

The best advice I can give you is to just be persistent and forward. Don't be discouraged if a clinic doesn't seem interested in hiring you, keep doing your best to let them know you're serious about this field!

 

[BullTerrierMomma]

I worked at PetSmart caring for all of the animals they sold, as well as a dog bather in the grooming dept. After working there for about 1.5 years, I was able to get a receptionist position at a vet clinic. I told them from the beginning that I wanted to attend vet school and wanted to work my way up to being a vet tech/assistant. They were more than happy to hire me as a receptionist and after a month or so, they started training me to assist the vets. Then I worked 1/2 the week as a receptionist and the other half as an assistant. Then finally I worked full-time as an assistant. After that I was able to obtain full-time tech/assistant positions at other clinics with no real problem.

I think if you show that you're a hard worker and are honest about what you want to do, it'll work in your favor. Being persistent is the key, believe me I know! I've been chasing this dream for a long time!!!

 

[The Cat]

I only ever shadowed to get veterinary experience, but in a different life, I would have looked for receptionist or kennel tech jobs (honestly no experience should be necessary, if you are reasonably competent and have people skills and a good work ethic). If the job postings say they require X experience, emphasize any time you have spent in customer service (waiting tables, retail, etc.), handling your own pets, and your volunteer experience. Visit vet clinics in person with professional dress, ask if they're hiring, and leave a resume/cover letter behind. If you have any pets, ask your usual veterinarian if he/she has any colleagues who might be hiring (yay networking!).

I had no trouble finding veterinary experiences in NC, but couldn't for the life of me get a vet to let me shadow in southern California. If your region just sucks, consider looking for jobs in cities where you have family/friends who'd let you couchsurf.



Instead of lingering on your lack of experience, emphasize that you're hard-working and excited to learn new things in your cover letter/talks with potential employers! Confidence is attractive to employers and key to success no matter where you are in life, and I think that comes from you knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and knowing that your weaknesses can be overcome if you're willing to work at it.

So you're saying, if the job description list some tasks I do not know how to do just yet, I can admit that, and tell them I am willing to learn? Is that really wise to do? I've always been told not to talk about skills I don't have. lol I'm all for admitting it and telling them I am willing to learn, I just don't want to be hung up on or scolded for wasting their time or something. lol

 

[Hopeful_DVM]

When I landed my first assistant job, all I had was some shadowing experience. I would recommend making a resume that lists your field of study and definitely putting in an objective statement or cover letter explaining what your future intentions are. I made a resume like this and dropped it off at 5 or 6 clinics. I was interviewed by two of the clinics and hired at one. Some vets love to help students out with school, as was the case with the first vet that hired me.

 

[stephrp]

I was hired as a receptionist with an associates degree, 4+ years of non-stop customer service experience, 100 hours of volunteer work with cats, and 100 hours of volunteer work (ongoing) with a local zoo. I also had won various customer service "awards" at my previous jobs. My cover letter was about my desire to "begin my veterinary career" with this hospital, and about my goal of applying to vet school. I was one of the only people to not show up in jeans, and I followed up after both of my interviews. I'll be starting as an assistant shortly.

Also I found the job on Craigslist... I was desperate.

 

[BullTerrierMomma]

So you're saying, if the job description list some tasks I do not know how to do just yet, I can admit that, and tell them I am willing to learn? Is that really wise to do? I've always been told not to talk about skills I don't have. lol I'm all for admitting it and telling them I am willing to learn, I just don't want to be hung up on or scolded for wasting their time or something. lol

You'll be more than scolded if you say you know how to do something and an animal (or a co-worker) gets harmed. If it's part of your duties, they need to know you don't know how to do it. I wouldn't word it bluntly like that...make it more about your willingness and eagerness to not only learn the skills, but to do them well.

 

[Jess Monster]

I've personally found breaking into a paid vet assistant position in a clinic to be very difficult. I live in an area saturated with pre-vets and vet tech students so jobs are rarely advertised and few clinics will accept people with less than a year of experience. In the last seven or eight years including undergrad and graduate school I've applied to about a dozen job postings but have only been contacted back three times. I was hired at one clinic briefly (a clinic with a really high employee turnover rate) and inadequately trained for the job which lead to a dismissal after a few weeks. In my most recent interview, the clinic essentially wanted someone younger and with less education who would be comfortable working there for multiple years.

I've had much better success getting non-clinical veterinary experience through various government/regulatory agencies.

 

[PrincessButterCup]

I didn't have any vet experience (not even shadowing) before I was hired as an assistant at my hospital, so it's definitely possible to be hired without having experience. My boss is really great and my interview with her went well. I didn't hear back so I called to check on the position, and they hired me right after that.

My boss has hired two volunteers in the past year. If you volunteer somewhere and develop a good relationship with the boss, I might recommend asking about a paid position. Maybe they'll say yes - if my Dr. likes someones, she's very willing to hire, even if we don't need person on staff.

If you don't know how to do something, or you have a question (even if you think it's stupid) - ask it! Someone was shadowing for an afternoon, and one of the doctors thought she was "just okay" because she didn't ask any questions. Asking shows that you're engaged and curious and eager to learn. All good things.

 

[The Cat]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. Now...I just have to work up the nerve to call them. I don't know why, but I am so afraid of rejection...and just plain nervous about calling them. I know I will probably stutter. I just don't want to sound stupid. Urghhhhh...whyyyyy...must I be like this.

 

[Minnerbelle]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. Now...I just have to work up the nerve to call them. I don't know why, but I am so afraid of rejection...and just plain nervous about calling them. I know I will probably stutter. I just don't want to sound stupid. Urghhhhh...whyyyyy...must I be like this.

Just do it! The more you get practice getting rejected, the easier it becomes.

Taking rejection gracefully is the most important part of being any type of private practice veterinarian where clients reject your recommendations 80% of the time

 

[lailanni]

I volunteered/shadowed at a clinic for a summer (or two?) plus school breaks and I eventually got asked to work as an assistant. I picked up whatever I could do confidently and offered to help when I could - staying through lunch so techs could eat, stepping in when someone was sick, staying late when it was busy, etc. I just tried to be as useful as possible and it worked - they wanted me around for legit.

 

[superkelpie]

If you don't know how to do something, or you have a question (even if you think it's stupid) - ask it! Someone was shadowing for an afternoon, and one of the doctors thought she was "just okay" because she didn't ask any questions. Asking shows that you're engaged and curious and eager to learn. All good things.

Yes yes to this! I had zero equine experience and my first day shadowing an equine vet, I asked her how they spay horses. She thought it was hilarious and asked me if I wanted to come back the next week (I think she thought my dumb questions were entertaining).

 

[Gemgrrrl]

Thanks everyone for the advice and encouragement. Now...I just have to work up the nerve to call them. I don't know why, but I am so afraid of rejection...and just plain nervous about calling them. I know I will probably stutter. I just don't want to sound stupid. Urghhhhh...whyyyyy...must I be like this.

I definitely think you should go for the job - and the advice given about admitting to your limitations while playing to your strengths and willingness to learn is all good. But I would not call if I was applying for a job. You should show up in-person, first thing in the morning, bright eyed and bushy tailed with your resume and cover letter in hand, and be ready to meet with the hiring manager.

Most likely that you won't get to talk to them. What's probably going to happen is that the receptionist will take your information and tell you that she'll pass it on. That's totally ok. Be very friendly with the receptionist - he or she is going to pass on first impressions. You're way more likely to get your foot in the door if the support staff likes you and thinks you'd be good to work with.

 

[The Cat]

GUYS GUYS GUYS I GOT A CALL BACK! From some other place I applied. They called me the day after I applied! I go in this week! OMGGGG I HOPE I GET THIS JOB. IT'S A VET ASSISTANT POSITION! GUYSSS I'M SO HAPP-OMG, I'M NERVOUS AND HAPPY-JESU

 

[The Cat]

Lol omg, I called the woman back and the call went well, but I have this nervous habit of not knowing when to end the call, I don't want to be abrupt and sound rude. It didn't feel too awkward but I hope she didn't notice...lol...I have no social tact.

Annnnnnd, I blurted out that I do not have my driving license (the hospital is a ways off and she asked for a fairly early time) and asked if I could come a bit later. All I had to say was "hey can I come in at this time instead?" instead of shooting myself in the foot! Ahhhh, I feel like I just ruined my chhhaaaances....

I can see now...it's gonna be a long journey for me to obtain social grace and tact....I'm just gonna prepare my mother's basement and set up shop to be there foreevvveeerrrr....

 

[BullTerrierMomma]

Lol omg, I called the woman back and the call went well, but I have this nervous habit of not knowing when to end the call, I don't want to be abrupt and sound rude. It didn't feel too awkward but I hope she didn't notice...lol...I have no social tact.

Annnnnnd, I blurted out that I do not have my driving license (the hospital is a ways off and she asked for a fairly early time) and asked if I could come a bit later. All I had to say was "hey can I come in at this time instead?" instead of shooting myself in the foot! Ahhhh, I feel like I just ruined my chhhaaaances....

I can see now...it's gonna be a long journey for me to obtain social grace and tact....I'm just gonna prepare my mother's basement and set up shop to be there foreevvveeerrrr....

That's great that you got a call back ! As for being nervous and anxious, that's totally normal. I'm a pretty anxious person myself, I'm 33 and I still bite my nails ALL THE TIME!! You just have to try and learn to control it. When you are working with animals they are not all going to be calm. If they feel that you're nervous they'll react to that. Also, don't set yourself up for failure by saying things like you're last sentence. I totally believe if you put it out there in the universe it's much more likely to happen. I know that sounds silly, just something I've come to believe over the years. Instead tell yourself positive things, like I will get this job and I will do it well...It works for me! :-D Good luck on your interview!

 

[dyachei]

As for being nervous and anxious, that's totally normal. I'm a pretty anxious person myself, I'm 33 and I still bite my nails ALL THE TIME!!

Probably want to work on that. Nail biting is a good way to get diseases in vet med. this is coming from a former nail biter.

 

[BullTerrierMomma]

Probably want to work on that. Nail biting is a good way to get diseases in vet med. this is coming from a former nail biter.

Yeah I know, nasty habit!! I'm majoring in microbiology and minoring in entomology and nematology and when I see all the parasites and disease I start imagining all the critters that could be floating around in my body! I don't even notice I'm doing it most of the time! I stopped biting them as much when I was working as a tech and at PetSmart. I used to always keep them painted and just pick at the nail polish instead. Now that I've been at home with my youngest son for the past 3+ years, I've gotten back into the bad habit...I really got bad during this application cycle...I'm hoping that when I start school again I'll be so busy that my hands will be kept busy!

 

[Staffie]

Maybe try some anti-nail biting polish?

Amazon product

 

[dyachei]

Maybe try some anti-nail biting polish?

Amazon product

That stuff doesn't work

 

[Innerspeaker]

My family was lucky enough to have connections, so finding an assistant position at the place where I currently work was fairly easy for me. Some clinics have very high standards and are picky about hiring people who have no previous experience or certification, but there are some that really appreciate passionate pre-vet students who want the learning experience and not just show up for a paycheck.

 

[WulfpackChica]

I was lucky enough to acquire my position... The vet I worked for just took over the hospital we where we took our family dogs. Get this one... We went in there to euthanize my very old lab and while we were I tears walking out of the room, my mom goes "if you are looking for help, my daughter is looking for some experience." This is as tears are running down her face. I tease my old boss that the only reason her gave me a job was because he felt sorry

 

[The Cat]

Thank you guys for all of your advice and kind words. So crazy how I created this thread with no hope at all and now I have a very good chance at getting this position that came out of the blue.

I went in today and things went great. I was nervous/shy but I functioned very well. I am rusty on my nursing math, there was some on the application (scared to death of math but study, study, study is what I must do-any other tips? lol) but I'll get through it. The vet and office manager were very nice and said to me that I impressed them and they want me back this Tuesday. This may be a bit unprofessional of me to ask you guys but I am so curious, (and I don't want to ask them) what is the going rate for veterinary assistants these days? The most I see is 12-14 dollars in my city.

Thanks again for the encouragement!

 

[bunnity]

It really depends where you live but in Philadelphia I would expect to start at $10-11 with no experience.

 

[GoldenGirl28]

At my clinic in downtown Chicago we start assistants at $9-$10 with no experience, but since you have veterinary technology training it might be a bit higher. Congrats on rocking the interview and hopefully you get good news on Tuesday!

 

[PrincessButterCup]

We start at $7.50 (no experience).

 

[The Cat]

We start at $7.50 (no experience).

Holy crap!! Are you SERIOUS?! I made more than that when I was a cashier at a pet store. Holy moly, that is low....-cough- -ahem- I mean, experience is everything, of course!

 

[The Cat]

It really depends where you live but in Philadelphia I would expect to start at $10-11 with no experience.

My city. Very nice bunny you have there btw. Really photogenic.

 

[bunnity]

My city. Very nice bunny you have there btw. Really photogenic.

Yay for Philadelphia! That's Sugar, the best bunny in the world. He says thank you

 

[GoldenGirl28]

Holy crap!! Are you SERIOUS?! I made more than that when I was a cashier at a pet store. Holy moly, that is low....-cough- -ahem- I mean, experience is everything, of course!

This very much depends on what state you live in. $7.25 is the federal minimum wage and if your home state hasn't enacted higher minimum wage laws (which PA has not), that's what a lot of businesses will start workers without any experience at.

 

[jmo1012]

I made $8 the summer before I started vet school with lots of experience...

 

[DVMDream]

I started at $5.50 back a long time ago. Slowly moved up to $11 with this same vet.

 

[The Cat]

How did you guys support yourselves? You had to have been still living at home, right?

 

[Innerspeaker]

Working only part-time hours due to needing to juggle classes and studying also didn't help much.

 

[dyachei]

I made $8 when I was in my first paid position and got up to $9.50. I was ecstatic when I made $12 at a summer job during vet school.

It all depends on where you live. Cost of living was lower when I lived in TN

 

[Minnerbelle]

Dude seriously, it's awful how underpaid people are in this profession. I started out with $12/hr doing tech work over the summer at a shelter in 2005, which sounds high compared to everyone else. But this was in the Bay Area where cost of living is one of the highest in the country. Babysitting during college was never less than $15-20/hr.... And most of that was watching sleeping kids as I rummaged through the fridge while studying.

 

[LyraGardenia]

I also live in Missouri in an area with a really low cost of living. At my first clinic job, I made $9 an hour starting out with my only experience being shadowing there the previous summer, and I was bumped up to $10 an hour after month. At my current job, despite that experience they started me at $8 an hour, and I got a raise to $8.50 after a year. Meanwhile, I now make $10 an hour at my call center job since they bumped up the starting wage there, I've been there for 7 months, and I got transferred to a department where we don't get commissions (I started out at $7.50 an hour plus commissions). Even though it's only a $1.50 difference, it seems ridiculous that I make more there considering how much less important/dangerous the work I do is compared to the clinic. But unfortunately we don't live in a world where the importance of your job determines your pay.

 

[The Cat]

But unfortunately we don't live in a world where the importance of your job determines your pay.

Such a shame because I really do want to work with animals for the rest of my life. Something I've been wanting to do ever since I could speak. Can't picture myself doing anything or even wanting to do anything else. The thought of maybe not being able to support myself outright scares me.

 

[Jess Monster]

At my vet assistant position last year I started at $9/hr and there was no system of raises. Actually, that job had basically no benefits for part-time workers and the limited benefits offered to full time workers didn't kick in until 12 months of employment had eclipsed. Some of the better vet assistant jobs I've applied to had starting salaries of $12/hr.

In contrast, my internship with USDA-Veterinary Services in undergrad paid $16/hr (in DC, so there is an inflated cost-of-living compared to Columbus, OH). My graduate internships in public health have paid $13-$15/hr, though most are not directly veterinary or animal related.

 

[missdarjeeling]

Congrats on getting this far! I hope they give you an official offer soon.

As for pay, I was paid $7.25 plus a 25 cent shift differential for evenings in emergency/specialty and was starting out with no experience. Even people with prior experience started off at that pay until they were officially cleared by the technician in charge of training as having met the requirements for the next level. It took months for me to complete the training because I was the only weirdo who was technically working in two departments, and it was tricky to coordinate training because of my weird shift hours. By the time they bumped me up, I was also due for a minor merit raise, so I ended up with $10.25/hr instead. This was up in New York State in a moderate cost of living area. I was only able to survive on it because I was going through my savings and relying on my husband to pay the bills.

I just accepted an offer for another assistant position, this time in GP, out here in Northern VA. They offered me $14/hr, and that's with almost 2 years of experience. It's about average for out here, from what I gather, but I've also been comparing it to the non-vet jobs I applied for in DC that would've paid me around the same but cost me over $15/day to commute to.

As for negotiation, at the first place, they made it pretty clear right off the bat that there was no room to negotiate, and with no experience, I didn't feel like I had any leverage anyway. I was pretty much going to accept whatever they gave me. If they ask you about money first, you might be able to get them to give you an idea by asking them if they had a specific range in mind. Otherwise, you might need to come up with a number to ask for. You'll have to decide whether to "play it safe" and quote a number in the typical range you're seeing of $12-14/hr or see if you can ask for more. I've never felt comfortable with negotiating and consistently lowball myself, so maybe someone else can chime in with advice on that. It may also be that they do what my first hospital did and just state that this is the pay for this position, end of story. In which case you won't have to worry about any of this.

 

[stephrp]

what is the going rate for veterinary assistants these days? The most I see is 12-14 dollars in my city.

I'm in MA. I started as a vet receptionist at $12/hr with a mandatory raise at 90 days. We also have 401k, quarterly bonuses, sick and vacation time, etc. When I start training as an assistant, I'll get another raise. I think this may have had to do with my experience and education. The highest I ever started in previous jobs was $9. $8 is minimum here.

 

[pirateyoho]

Such a shame because I really do want to work with animals for the rest of my life. Something I've been wanting to do ever since I could speak. Can't picture myself doing anything or even wanting to do anything else. The thought of maybe not being able to support myself outright scares me.

Yeah, this is really something to pay attention to. An underpaid vet assistant position is just the beginning of the problem if you're considering vet school/vet med as a career. Be sure to check out some of the threads on the cost of vet school and the current debt-to-income ratio crisis. It's better to be informed than taken by surprise, but a lot of new DVM grads are having a hard time making it work financially. Luckily, there's a lot of good information about it on these boards.

 

[Gemgrrrl]

Holy crap!! Are you SERIOUS?! I made more than that when I was a cashier at a pet store. Holy moly, that is low....-cough- -ahem- I mean, experience is everything, of course!

I volunteered for a few weeks before I got offered a paid position. Then I made $7.50, and moved up to $9 after my first year. Since we need the experience to get into vet school I would have continued to do it for free if I had to. So I viewed the money as a bonus. Otherwise I would have cried every time I got a paycheck.