The market for veterinary jobs can be competitive. You may have the skills and education necessary to perform the job duties, but are you armed with the right skills to ace the interview and land the job?

Here is a look at 10 tips for getting hired in veterinary medicine:

1. Be better than the other candidates. Write a cover letter and make it specific to the practice at which you want to work. Do your homework and talk about why you want to work there.

2. Tailor your resume to the job posting. List out how your skills meet their requirements. Talk about what you've done successfully in the past (implemented a new protocol, cut expenses by managing inventory, etc.).

3. Don't be Elle Woods. Pink resumes are not cute. There are professional and tasteful ways to make your resume stand out. This is your first chance to make an impression. You want that impression to say "hire me" not "I'm going to be annoying."

4. Prepare for the job interview. Google interview questions and start thinking through how you'll answer. You'll come across as prepared and well spoken.

5. Think about your professional short- and long-term goals and be prepared to speak to them. What steps are you taking to meet those goals, and how does the job you're applying for fit in?

6. Show that you're interested. Are you just applying for this job until you find something better? Keep that to yourself.

7. Dress for the interview, not the job. Yes, you are in the veterinary profession. Yes, you wear scrubs every day. So does everyone else. Don't be everyone else.

8. Do your homework. Know what the practice does and does not do, and know how you can help them be successful.

9. If you have gaps in your employment or if you've been fired, be prepared to discuss it and what you learned from those experiences.

10. Remember that you are interviewing the practice as well. Is it the kind of culture you want to work in? Do you mesh well with your possible future boss? Remember, you'll spend more time at work than with people you chose to live with. Be picky, ask questions and know what you want.

Do you have any tips you'd like to share? Feel free to comment below.