Veterinary Voices

Julie South | Veterinary Recruitment Marketing Strategist

Most vet clinics are proud of their culture. They know it's special — it's what makes them tick. What they don't know is how to share those stories in ways that mean something to other vets and nurses. That's culture storytelling. And Julie South — founder of VetClinicJobs — shows vet clinics how to do it. You'll hear real vets and nurses talking about what it's actually like to work at their clinics. Not the polished corporate version — the real moments that show how teams handle pressure, support each other, and why someone would actually want to work there. That's the kind of proof that builds trust before anyone's even looking. You'll also learn which stories to share and when, how to stay visible to great people even when you're fully staffed, and why the quiet months between hires are actually your biggest opportunity. Each episode gives you something specific to do that week — a story to share, a shift to make, a pattern to break. If you're tired of starting from scratch every time someone resigns, this podcast shows you how to become the clinic people are already watching.

  1. Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Veterinarian & Managing Director - Dr Greg Hall - pt 1/2 - ep.1024

    19H AGO

    Living and Working at Energy Vets Taranaki with Veterinarian & Managing Director - Dr Greg Hall - pt 1/2 - ep.1024

    Energy Vets Taranaki NZ | Culture Stories in Action (Part 1) Most vets and nurses know within a few minutes whether a clinic feels like their kind of place — long before they ever see a job ad. In this episode, Julie South is joined by Dr Greg Hall, Managing Director at Energy Vets in Taranaki, for a grounded conversation about what day-to-day veterinary life there actually looks like. They talk about the work, the people, the pace, and the place — from small animal caseloads across two clinics, to after-hours, weekends, lifestyle, and living in a close-knit community. This isn’t a recruitment pitch. It’s a real conversation about whether you can picture yourself working there — with your kind of people, in your kind of clinic. This is Part One of a two-part conversation with Energy Vets. In This Episode 00:00 – Introduction 01:10 – Why place and community matter in veterinary work 03:00 – What day-to-day life looks like across Energy Vets’ clinics 05:20 – Small animal work, variety, and real caseloads 07:50 – After-hours, weekends, and how rosters actually work 10:40 – Lifestyle, commute, and living in Taranaki 13:00 – Trust, relationships, and working in a tight-knit community 15:30 – The kind of vet who tends to fit best 16:38 – Closing If you’re an experienced small animal vet and what you’ve heard here resonates, you can find out more about current opportunities at Energy Vets at: vetclinicjobs.com/energyvets About Julie South Julie South is the founder of VetClinicJobs and host of Veterinary Voices. She works with forward-thinking veterinary clinics that want to show what working there is really like — not just list job requirements. Through VetClinicJobs, Julie helps clinics make their culture visible and recognisable, so vets and nurses can tell whether a clinic is Their Kind of Clinic long before a vacancy appears. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    20 min
  2. Breaking Through The “Follower Count Ceiling” and Why It’s Critical for Job Ad Success Today - ep.254

    3D AGO

    Breaking Through The “Follower Count Ceiling” and Why It’s Critical for Job Ad Success Today - ep.254

    Network Expansion: How Culture Stories Amplify Beyond Your Reach Most vet clinics don’t struggle to hire because their roles aren’t appealing. They struggle because the right vets and nurses never see them. In this episode of Veterinary Voices, Julie South explores network expansion — and why job ads keep clinics trapped under their own follower-count ceiling, while Culture Stories travel through networks clinics can’t access directly. Julie breaks down how culture stories move differently through social and professional networks, why peer sharing matters more than clinic claims, and how vets and nurses increasingly discover clinics long before a vacancy appears. This is a conversation about amplification, not reach — and why the clinics that build familiarity while fully staffed aren’t starting from cold when it’s time to hire. Stay to the end for a simple but uncomfortable question every clinic should be asking about the vets and nurses they’re failing to reach. In This Episode 00:00 – Introduction and why this episode focuses on network expansion 01:11 – The follower-count ceiling: why clinic posts only reach who already follows you 02:15 – Why job ads can’t travel beyond your own network 02:54 – How culture stories move differently through personal networks 03:58 – Network amplification vs addition and multiplication 04:47 – Why job ads stay locked under limited reach 05:51 – What’s changed: recognition before application 06:46 – Why starting from cold keeps clinics at a disadvantage 07:25 – Trust comes from peer voices, not clinic claims 08:43 – How permanent, shareable culture stories amplify through extended networks 10:07 – Being discovered before recruiting begins 11:51 – The question clinics should be asking instead of “How do we get more reach?” 13:11 – Closing reflections on discovery, familiarity, and network visibility About Julie South Julie South is the founder of VetClinicJobs and host of Veterinary Voices. She works with veterinary clinics that want to move beyond reactive job advertising by showing what working there is really like. Through Culture Storytelling, Julie helps clinics become recognisable across networks — so vets and nurses discover them through people they trust, not just job boards. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    14 min
  3. Living and Working at CareVets Gisborne with Alice Dawson - Regional Manager - ep.1023

    JAN 9

    Living and Working at CareVets Gisborne with Alice Dawson - Regional Manager - ep.1023

    CareVets Gisborne | REAL+STORY When vets and nurses think about changing clinics, they’re not just choosing a role. They’re choosing the people they’ll work with — and the support around them when things get busy or unpredictable. In this episode of Veterinary Voices, Julie South continues the CareVets Gisborne REAL+STORY series with a different perspective — stepping back from day-to-day clinical roles to hear from the Regional Manager who supports the clinic. Julie is joined by Alice Dawson, Regional Manager at CareVets, who looks after Gisborne alongside Wellington and Napier. Alice has been with CareVets for ten years and worked as a veterinary nurse for seventeen, so what she shares here comes from long-term, lived experience. They talk about what makes CareVets Gisborne work as a team — the family feel, the support behind the clinic, professional development, equipment, and the kind of vet who tends to fit best. This isn’t a recruitment pitch.  It’s an honest conversation about what working at CareVets Gisborne is really like — and whether it feels like your kind of clinic, with your kind of people. In This Episode 00:00 – Introduction and where this episode fits in the CareVets Gisborne REAL+STORY series  01:04 – Alice’s background: ten years with CareVets and seventeen years as a veterinary nurse  02:17 – The “family feel” and growing people from within  02:59 – Why CareVets isn’t a corporate in the way people assume  03:43 – Staying connected to Gisborne despite its geographic remoteness  04:03 – What stands out about the CareVets Gisborne team  04:40 – The impact of degree-qualified veterinary nurses in the clinic  05:18 – How CPD is used across nursing and veterinary teams  05:49 – The kind of vet who fits best at CareVets Gisborne  06:20 – Investing in equipment and diagnostics to support the team  07:04 – Gisborne as a place to live and work  07:31 – Case variety and why no two days are the same  07:54 – Closing reflections and recruitment invitation If you’re an experienced small animal veterinarian considering your next move, CareVets Gisborne is currently recruiting. You can find out more at vetclinicjobs.com/CareVetsGisborne. About Julie South Julie South is the founder of VetClinicJobs and host of Veterinary Voices. She works with veterinary clinics that want to show what working there is really like — not just list job requirements. Through VetClinicJobs, Julie helps clinics tell their culture stories so vets and nurses can recognise their kind of people and their kind of clinic before a vacancy appears. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    10 min
  4. Why Claiming "Great Culture" in Job Ads Doesn't Work Any More (and what to do instead) - ep.253

    JAN 6

    Why Claiming "Great Culture" in Job Ads Doesn't Work Any More (and what to do instead) - ep.253

    Vets and nurses scroll past job ads — not because they think vet clinics are lying, but because they’ve seen the same claims repeated over and over again. “Great team. Supportive environment. Work-life balance.” The words didn’t become untrue.  They lost meaning through overuse and under-delivery. In this episode, Julie South unpacks why claiming culture through job ads keeps clinics invisible — and why vets and nurses now decide which clinics feel like their kind of place long before a vacancy appears. This is a conversation about recognition, not reach — and what actually changes when clinics show what working there is really like, instead of telling people what they hope it is. In This Episode: 00:00 –  Introduction 01:39 –   Why vets scroll past familiar job-ad language 02:47 –  The quiet decision: choosing clinics they’ve been watching 03:34 –  Post-and-pray recruiting and the questions vets actually ask 05:51 –  How culture claims lost their power 07:37 –  What’s working now: seeing culture before advertising 11:35 –   The question every clinic should be asking 12:51 –   Closing About Julie South Julie South is the founder of VetClinicJobs and host of Veterinary Voices. She works with forward-thinking veterinary clinics that want to shine online by showing what working there is really like, not just posting job ads. Through VetClinicJobs, Julie helps clinics build and maintain their own Culture Storytelling Centre — where real team stories, everyday moments, and ways of working are visible and discoverable year-round. This allows vets and nurses to recognise a clinic as Their Kind of Clinic long before a vacancy appears. Links Connect with Julie on LinkedIn Learn more about Culture Storytelling Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    13 min
  5. Location Location Location - Why Vets and Nurses Stay Put Even When They Want to Move to Your Clinic's Location - ep.252

    12/30/2025

    Location Location Location - Why Vets and Nurses Stay Put Even When They Want to Move to Your Clinic's Location - ep.252

    A vet in Melbourne is scrolling job ads, actively looking to relocate. She sees a position in Hamilton, New Zealand. Good clinic. Competitive salary. Sounds fine. She clicks through, reads the job description, then keeps scrolling. Three weeks later, she accepts a position in Melbourne. Not better. Just known. What happened? The decision didn't happen at the job ad stage. It happened earlier — at a moment most clinics never see. In this episode, we're looking at why relocating vets and nurses so often default to what they already know, even when they're actively looking for change. And what's actually happening in that invisible moment where they close the tab and keep scrolling. I'm Julie South. I run VetClinicJobs and help vet clinics across Australia, New Zealand and beyond build Culture Centres through Culture Storytelling. I've seen hundreds of clinics add better location descriptions to their job ads, wondering why relocating vets and nurses never apply — while their competitors attract people who've already decided they could live there. Listen if: you've ever wondered why relocating vets and nurses never seem to apply — or why your location advantages don't seem to translate into applications. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    9 min
  6. 12/26/2025

    Living and Working at CareVets Gisborne with Rhonda - Clinic Coordinator - ep.1022

    CareVets Gisborne's Clinic Coordinator Rhonda moved from London to Gisborne five years ago. In London, her commute was 90 minutes. In Auckland, she never got out of second gear in traffic. In Gisborne? Five minutes. Through "5 o'clock traffic" means waiting for half a dozen cars at a roundabout instead of going straight through. "I go home for lunch," she says. Like it's nothing. But here's what made me want to record this conversation: Rhonda isn't a vet or a nurse. She came from corporate backgrounds in big cities. And she's the clinic coordinator at CareVets Gisborne — the person who keeps the machine running, who checks in with locum vets before they leave, who listens when the team says "we need to tell people what it's really like here." So when Rhonda talks about what makes someone stay five years, or what locums say about the nursing team, or what happens when things get busy — you're hearing it from someone who sees how the whole clinic actually works. At the time of recording, CareVets Gisborne is recruiting for a small animal veterinarian.  But whether you're looking or not — listen to what a five-minute commute actually means when you've spent years in traffic. I'm Julie South. This is Veterinary Voices. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    14 min
  7. Why Competing on Quality of Life Through Job Ads Doesn't Work Any More - ep. 251

    12/23/2025

    Why Competing on Quality of Life Through Job Ads Doesn't Work Any More - ep. 251

    You list protected meal breaks, no weekend work, and flexible hours in your job ad. So does every other clinic in your city. How do vets and nurses decide? They can't tell you apart. So they don't apply. Or they apply everywhere and mean nowhere. Meanwhile, down the road, another clinic fills their position in three weeks. Same benefits. Same salary. Same city. But vets and nurses already knew their team actually gets lunch breaks - because they've been watching it happen for months before that clinic even advertised. That's not luck. That's visibility before vacancy. I'm Julie South. I run VetClinicJobs and help vet clinics across Australia, New Zealand and beyond build Culture Centres through Culture Storytelling. I've seen hundreds of clinics add more benefits to their job ads, wondering why nobody applies - while their competitors show their Quality of Life at Work year-round and attract people who've already decided. This episode shows you why competing on Quality of Life through job ads keeps you trapped, how the system changed in three ways most clinics haven't noticed, and the one question that changes everything about how you think about Quality of Life at Work. I'd love to help you, if you'd like that - email me or connect with me on LinkedIn. Struggling to get results from your job advertisements? If so, then shining online as a good employer is essential to attracting the types of veterinary professionals who're a perfect cultural fit for your clinic. The VetClinicJobs job board is the place to post your next job vacancy - to find out more get in touch with Lizzie at VetClinicJobs

    13 min

About

Most vet clinics are proud of their culture. They know it's special — it's what makes them tick. What they don't know is how to share those stories in ways that mean something to other vets and nurses. That's culture storytelling. And Julie South — founder of VetClinicJobs — shows vet clinics how to do it. You'll hear real vets and nurses talking about what it's actually like to work at their clinics. Not the polished corporate version — the real moments that show how teams handle pressure, support each other, and why someone would actually want to work there. That's the kind of proof that builds trust before anyone's even looking. You'll also learn which stories to share and when, how to stay visible to great people even when you're fully staffed, and why the quiet months between hires are actually your biggest opportunity. Each episode gives you something specific to do that week — a story to share, a shift to make, a pattern to break. If you're tired of starting from scratch every time someone resigns, this podcast shows you how to become the clinic people are already watching.