Animal Caretaker Career

Job Description: Feed, water, groom, bathe, exercise, or otherwise provide care to promote and maintain the well-being of pets and other animals that are not raised for consumption, such as dogs, cats, race horses, ornamental fish or birds, zoo animals, and mice. Work in settings such as kennels, animal shelters, zoos, circuses, and aquariums. May keep records of feedings, treatments, and animals received or discharged. May clean, disinfect, and repair cages, pens, or fish tanks.


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Animal Caretaker Career

What skills are required for Animal Caretakers?

Importance Skills
Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Service Orientation - Actively looking for ways to help people.
Reading Comprehension - Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Judgment and Decision Making - Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Writing - Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Complex Problem Solving - Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Time Management - Managing one's own time and the time of others.

What knowledge is needed to be an Animal Caretaker?

Importance Knowledge
Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administrative - Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Education and Training - Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
Administration and Management - Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
Psychology - Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Public Safety and Security - Knowledge of relevant equipment, policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions.

Work Styles

Importance Styles
Integrity - Job requires being honest and ethical.
Dependability - Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Self-Control - Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Attention to Detail - Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Cooperation - Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Stress Tolerance - Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high-stress situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility - Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.
Concern for Others - Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Independence - Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative - Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Persistence - Job requires persistence in the face of obstacles.
Leadership - Job requires a willingness to lead, take charge, and offer opinions and direction.
Achievement/Effort - Job requires establishing and maintaining personally challenging achievement goals and exerting effort toward mastering tasks.
Analytical Thinking - Job requires analyzing information and using logic to address work-related issues and problems.
Social Orientation - Job requires preferring to work with others rather than alone, and being personally connected with others on the job.
Innovation - Job requires creativity and alternative thinking to develop new ideas for and answers to work-related problems.