“I have never been to a job where I am actually excited to go to work every day.”

Vet Nursing Career Growth in Shoalhaven Heads

When Tayla moved from Tweed Heads to Shoalhaven Heads, she was not only changing towns. She was changing direction.

She had worked in customer service, spent time in real estate reception and carried a long-held interest in animal care. But it took a move to the South Coast NSW, a phone call to Berry Vet Clinic and a team willing to see her potential for that interest to become a real career pathway.

Now Tayla works as a receptionist at Berry Vet Clinic while studying a Certificate II in Animal Studies, with plans to continue into Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing.

“I am in my Cert II for Animal Studies, and then I will be doing my Cert IV in Vet Nursing,” she says.

Getting a Foot in the Door

Tayla’s entry into the clinic came through a direct approach. After moving south with her partner, Taj, she started looking for a way into the veterinary industry. Berry Vet Clinic was the first place she called.

“I called the clinic one day, one of the business owners conveniently answered the phone, and I asked if they had any positions available,” Tayla says.

At the time, Tayla had strong reception and administration experience from real estate. She had also spent five years working at Woolworths from the age of 15, building customer service skills, speed, confidence and calmness under pressure.

Those skills mattered. A veterinary reception desk is not a quiet front counter. It is phones ringing, clients arriving, animals barking, team members asking questions and emergencies needing quick judgement.

“It is a lot sometimes when you have got the phones going, people walking in, dogs barking, things beeping out the back,” she says. “It is a lot, but I love it. I love chaos. I love busyness.”

From Real Estate to Animal Care

Tayla grew up in Tweed Heads and finished Year 12 before entering the workforce. For years, veterinary nursing sat in the back of her mind as something she wanted to do. Then she experienced a traumatic loss involving her dogs, which made the pull toward animal care stronger but also harder to step into straight away.

“It is always something I had wanted to do, but I was not ready after such a big traumatic thing,” she says.

She tried real estate instead. The work gave her administration, communication, organisation and attention to detail. It also showed her what she did not want long term.

“I thought I would give real estate a crack,” she says. “It really was not for me at all.”

When she and Taj moved to Shoalhaven Heads, Tayla decided it was time to pursue the career she had kept coming back to.

“When we move, I am going to pursue working in a vet and try and get my foot in the door there,” she remembers telling him.

A Fresh Start on the South Coast

The relocation happened quickly. Tayla and Taj were accepted for a place and had a month to pack. She says it felt surreal until the night before they left, when goodbyes with family made the move real. She and her mum even got matching tattoos before Tayla drove 12 hours south.

“We got in the car and we were like, oh, this is happening,” she says.

Shoalhaven Heads quickly began to feel right. Tayla describes the town as small, quiet and exactly what she needed. She lives in a small granny flat with her partner and their cavoodle. The drive to work is only 10 minutes.

“It is perfect for us,” she says. “We do not need anything else.”

That lifestyle shift has been significant.

“It has been nothing but good since moving here,” Tayla says. “I actually have never been as happy.”

Learning on the Job at Berry Vet Clinic

At Berry Vet Clinic, Tayla found more than an entry-level role. She found a place where study, work and career direction connect. Learning on the job has helped her understand the theory in her animal studies course, while the course gives her language and structure for what she sees each day in the clinic.

“I find it really helpful because not doing anything like this before, I am doing my course and I am like, oh, that makes sense,” she says. “So I know at work now when that applies.”

The hardest part has been learning how to understand symptoms over the phone and identify what needs urgent attention.

“Working in a vet clinic as a receptionist, you get called all the time and you get told symptoms,” Tayla says. “I found that challenging at first, figuring out what was an emergency.”

Her confidence has grown. So has her certainty that this is the career she wants.

“I had worked for a couple of weeks and I said to my partner, this is really what I want to do,” she says. “I love it.”

A Workplace Worth Showing Up For

That feeling is new for Tayla.

“I have never been to a job where I am actually excited to go to work every day,” she says. “And that is how I am every day.”

The team has played a major role in that. Veterinary work is emotional. Some days are sad, busy and difficult. Tayla experienced that early when an animal she had been involved with passed away. The moment hit her hard, but the team stepped in.

“Everyone came in and gave me a hug and was like, it is really hard,” she says.

That support helped her return to reception and keep going. For Tayla, it reflects the culture of the clinic.

“They are the best,” she says of the team. “Everyone is so supportive and has each other’s back.”

She describes Bryden and Sarah as business owners who care deeply about people, not only processes.

“They care so much and they always want the best for their team,” she says. “Even if in that time they cannot provide, they always figure out a way to make it happen for the team.”

Turning Transferable Skills Into Vet Nursing

For young people thinking about a regional career, Tayla’s story is a strong example of how transferable skills matter. Customer service from Woolworths helped her handle pace and people. Real estate reception taught her organisation and attention to detail. Her move to the South Coast gave her the chance to combine those skills with the industry she wanted.

Her future at Berry Vet Clinic feels clear.

“I am so excited because it is only up,” she says. “I am going to start doing my vet nursing, learning more, getting involved more, doing a bit of everything.”

Tayla does not see this as a short stop.

“I do not plan on leaving until they drag me out,” she says.

For someone who took a 12-hour drive away from home and started again, that says a lot. Tayla found a quieter town, a stronger sense of direction and a workplace that helped her turn interest into a career.

Shoalhaven Heads gave her a fresh start. Berry Vet Clinic gave her a way forward.

Useful Links for Vet Nursing Careers

For readers interested in animal care and vet nursing pathways, Berry Vet Clinic is a family-owned mixed general practice in Berry, NSW. TAFE NSW offers Certificate II Animal Care, and TAFE NSW offers Certificate IV Veterinary Nursing for people wanting to build skills in veterinary and animal care work.