# Competences — veterinary receptionist

Source: ESCO v1.2.1 occupation-skill relations (http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/f00154a5-d27f-429e-b9a4-1d65c672cee7).

## Essential

- **animal welfare** (knowledge)
- **animal welfare legislation** (knowledge)
- **apply animal hygiene practices** (skill/competence)
- **apply safe work practices in a veterinary setting** (skill/competence)
- **biosecurity related to animals** (knowledge)
- **communicate by telephone** (skill/competence)
- **communicate with customers** (skill/competence)
- **deal with challenging people** (skill/competence)
- **handle customer complaints** (skill/competence)
- **handle veterinary emergencies** (skill/competence)
- **have computer literacy** (skill/competence)
- **maintain administrative records in the veterinary office** (skill/competence)
- **maintain reception area** (skill/competence)
- **manage animal biosecurity** (skill/competence)
- **manage infection control in the facility** (skill/competence)
- **manage veterinary practice waiting area** (skill/competence)
- **monitor the welfare of animals** (skill/competence)
- **perform multiple tasks at the same time** (skill/competence)
- **process booking** (skill/competence)
- **process payments** (skill/competence)
- **provide support to veterinary clients** (skill/competence)
- **receive veterinary clients and their animals for appointments** (skill/competence)
- **safe work practices in a veterinary setting** (knowledge)
- **signs of animal illness** (knowledge)
- **use different communication channels** (skill/competence)
- **veterinary terminology** (knowledge)

## Optional

- address problems critically (skill/competence)
- anatomy of animals (knowledge)
- animal behaviour (knowledge)
- apply numeracy skills (skill/competence)
- calculate rates per hours (skill/competence)
- collaborate with animal related professionals (skill/competence)
- create solutions to problems (skill/competence)
- handle financial transactions (skill/competence)
- interview animal owners on animals' conditions (skill/competence)
- maintain stocks of veterinary materials (skill/competence)
- maintain veterinary clinical records (skill/competence)
- make decisions regarding the animal's welfare (skill/competence)
- manage a small-to-medium business (skill/competence)
- manage clinical environments (skill/competence)
- physiology of animals (knowledge)
- sell veterinary materials (skill/competence)

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## Market evidence (job-ad analysis, 54 ads, as of 2026-07-20)

Share of analyzed job ads mentioning the item (threshold ≥ 20 %). Source: JSearch/Adzuna APIs.

### Hard skills

- appointment scheduling — **67 %**
- customer service — **54 %**
- client communication — **28 %**
- medical record maintenance — **24 %**
- payment processing — **19 %**

### Responsibilities

- greeting clients — **41 %**
- client communication — **26 %**
- managing phone system — **19 %**

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