Training and preparation for a new volunteer is a extensive. When we’ve decided to invest in a new volunteer it’s important to us that we know that we’re getting somebody who is excited and prepared to stick around. We’re also aspiring to prepare you for work in animal related careers – and part of that training is teaching commitment, timeliness and dedication. For these reasons, we require the following commitments for every volunteer before bringing them aboard:
- Commitment to work minimum 1 shift per week
- Commitment to work a minimum of 5 hours per shift
- Commitment to work a minimum of 12 shifts
- Commitment to show up at a set time each week and arrive on time, ready to work
- Commitment to show up clean, nicely dressed, with hair combed as is appropriate in a family retail environment (dress code will be supplied)
These are all just minimum requirements. If it seems mutually beneficial more time can be worked. If more time is desired it should still be scheduled beforehand and treated as a firm commitment.
The second set of requirements is largely related to the nature of the job. At Critter Cabana we’re always focusing on two major factors: people (our customers) and the animals. Most people when imagining working in a pet store picture caring for animals. There is a huge element of that, but there is a also a huge component of working with customers. It’s incredibly important that everybody on the crew is looking sharp and ready to chat animal with the steady stream of customers who naturally flow in throughout the day. For these reasons, we require the following characteristics for people joining the volunteer team:
- An outgoing personality
- High level of comfort chatting with strangers
- Comfortable confronting and correcting people who are improperly handling animals in a friendly, diplomatic fashion
- Must be able to memorize essential information about animals and be able to comfortably repeat it to people visiting the store
- Must be able to function independently and stay engaged with customers without being micromanaged