How to add side-gig pet services to your CV without hurting your professional brand

Turn your pet-sitting side hustle into a career asset — without undermining your professional brand

Struggling to fit your dog-walking or pet-sitting work onto your CV or LinkedIn without looking unprofessional? You’re not alone. Students and early-career professionals often hide gig work that actually shows entrepreneurship, reliability and client-facing skills. In 2026, employers value multi-skilled candidates more than ever — if you present those skills correctly.

Why pet services matter for your CV right now

Pet services — dog walking, pet sitting, grooming support, and short-term boarding — are no longer just casual side income. Since the mid-2020s, the UK gig economy has matured: platforms, micro-entrepreneur tools and local demand in London boroughs expanded, and many young professionals balance freelance projects alongside early careers. That makes pet-care gigs a credible signal of entrepreneurship, client management and operational responsibility — all transferable to office, remote and hybrid roles.

The core problem

Most graduates and early-career hires either (a) omit gig work altogether, losing proof of initiative, or (b) list it raw — “dog walker” — which hiring managers may dismiss as irrelevant. The goal: keep honesty while reframing the work with metrics, outcomes and business language so it fits your target role.

How employers view side gigs in 2026 (what to signal)

• Reliability: Managing appointments and client needs on short notice.
• Customer service: Building trust with owners — highly relevant to client-facing roles.
• Operations: Route planning, scheduling, invoicing and handling payments.
• Risk management: Pet first aid, insurance, and managing emergencies.
• Growth mindset: Building a client base, repeat bookings and local reputation.

Where to put pet services on your CV and LinkedIn

Placement depends on volume and relevance.

High involvement (recommended placement: Experience / Freelance)

Use this if you ran it like a business for at least 6 months, had repeat clients, or earned a steady income.

• Title: Freelance Pet Care Operator or Pet Care Entrepreneur
• Company: Your trading name or Marketplace (e.g., Rover / Pawshake) — or simply “Self-employed”
• Dates: Month/Year – Month/Year (or Present)
• Location: Borough (e.g., Hackney, London) — useful for local roles

Low involvement (recommended placement: Projects, Activities, or Volunteer)

If you did it occasionally (e.g., for friends, or while studying) list it in a short Projects or Activities section with 1–2 accomplishment bullets.

LinkedIn

Put it under Experience if it’s significant. Use the “Services” feature (established in 2024–25) or the Featured section to show testimonials, photos and short videos. LinkedIn’s creator and services tools in 2025–26 make side-hustle portfolios more discoverable — use them.

How to write CV bullets that highlight transferable skills

Use metrics and business-first language. Avoid listing tasks; list outcomes. Here are templates you can plug your numbers into.

Top CV bullet templates (ready to paste)

• Built a client base of XX regular clients in X months, achieving YY% repeat-booking rate through personalised service and efficient scheduling.
• Managed an average of XX walks/day across YY boroughs, optimising routes to reduce travel time by NN%.
• Handled scheduling, invoicing and payments using [tool name], maintaining 100% on-time payment and zero disputes.
• Responded to urgent animal-care incidents, applying certified Pet First Aid and liaising with vets and owners to resolve issues safely.
• Implemented customer-feedback process and increased average rating to 4.9/5, driving word-of-mouth and platform visibility.

Sample CV entry (realistic)

Freelance Pet Care Operator (Self-employed) — Hackney, London
Sep 2023 – Present
• Scaled local client portfolio to 35 regular clients in 18 months; maintained a 78% repeat booking rate.
• Streamlined booking and payments using Square and Calendly, reducing admin time by 3 hours/week.
• Trained and certified in Pet First Aid (2024); led emergency response during a vet referral, preventing escalation.
• Managed social media and local ads, increasing direct bookings by 25%.

LinkedIn profile language and headline examples

LinkedIn needs clarity and keywords. Your headline can combine your professional ambition with your pet services brand.

• Headline example 1: Student | Marketing Assistant | Founder — Local Pet Care Service
• Headline example 2: Junior Analyst & Freelance Pet Care Operator — Route Planning & Client Ops

About section (two short variations)

Concise — for general/analytical roles
“Analytical second-year Economics student with experience running a freelance pet care service in East London. I combine data-driven route optimisation and client ops to deliver reliable, highly-rated care. Seeking internships in operations, logistics and customer experience.”

Concise — for creative/customer roles
“Aspiring marketer and pet-care entrepreneur. Grew a local pet service to 30+ regular clients through social content and referral programmes. Skilled in client communication, content creation and small-business growth.”

What to include in a pet-services portfolio or Featured section

• Short client testimonials (copy permission required).
• Before/after or service images (no owners’ faces without consent).
• Ratings from platforms (e.g., 4.9/5 across 120 reviews).
• Certifications (Pet First Aid, animal handling, DBS if relevant).
• Short video (30–60 seconds) explaining your service and process — great for LinkedIn and Instagram Reels.

Addressing common employer concerns

Recruiters sometimes worry that gig work is a distraction or signals instability. Counter this by showing structure.

Concern: “You were distracted by side work”

Signal time management. Example phrase: “Balanced part-time studies and a client-facing pet service, maintaining a 90%+ on-time performance for university deadlines and client bookings.”

Concern: “This isn’t relevant”

Match pet-care outcomes to the job’s competencies. If applying for customer success, emphasise client retention and feedback scores. For operations roles, highlight scheduling optimisation and route efficiency.

Concern: “Is it professional?”

Present it as a micro-business: list tools you used (Xero, Square, Stripe, Excel), show record-keeping, insurance and safety training. That shows discipline and risk awareness.

Legal, safety and reputation checks — what every London-based pet carer should know (2026 update)

Operating in London in 2026 means higher client expectations and more local rules. Cover these basics on your CV or portfolio to build trust:

• Insurance: Public liability and care, custody & control insurance. State you are insured (largest platforms often require it).
• Training/certification: Pet First Aid, animal handling, or industry-recognised courses (list provider and year).
• DBS checks: Not always required for pet work but useful for in-home services; include if you have one.
• Local licensing: Some boroughs have regulations for dog daycares or boarding; check your borough council. Include compliance if relevant.
• Data protection: Briefly explain how you store client data (e.g., secure invoices via Xero, encrypted contact records).

Showcasing entrepreneurship without oversharing

You want to demonstrate initiative while keeping your CV focused. Use this 4-step framing:

1. Business label: Use professional-sounding titles — “Freelance Pet Care Operator,” “Founder — [Service Name]”.
2. Quantify outcomes: Clients, revenue, retention, efficiency improvements.
3. List systems: Tools and processes that show you run it like a small business.
4. Keep it concise: 3–5 bullets in Experience; deeper proof in an online portfolio or LinkedIn Featured section.

Examples by target role — quick rewrites

Below are three short examples that translate pet-care experience for specific job types.

Customer Success / Account Management

“Managed relationships with 35 pet-owner clients, achieving a 78% repeat-booking rate through proactive communication, personalised care notes and a formal feedback loop.”

Operations / Logistics

“Optimised daily walking routes across six boroughs using route-planning software, cutting travel time by 20% and enabling 25% more bookings per week.”

Marketing / Social Media

“Grew Instagram audience to 4k local followers and increased direct bookings by 25% using targeted content and a referral incentive program.”

How to get evidence and metrics if you haven’t tracked them

• Start tracking now: number of regular clients, average weekly bookings, revenue, cancellation rates.
• Ask for short testimonials after jobs — a one-line quote is enough for LinkedIn/portfolio.
• Export platform reviews or screenshots (with dates) and add them to your Featured section.

Dos and Don’ts — quick checklist

Do

• Use business language and metrics.
• List certifications and insurance.
• Match language to the job ad — use relevant keywords.
• Keep LinkedIn visuals professional and consent-compliant.

Don’t

• Don’t call it only “dog walking” — reframe.
• Don’t overshare sensitive client information.
• Don’t claim formal titles or experience you don’t have.

30/60/90 day plan to turn your pet side-gig into a CV asset

Follow this short plan to get CV-ready fast.

Days 1–30: Evidence & Clean-up

• Collect testimonials and review screenshots.
• Buy basic insurance if not covered.
• Take photos and a 30s intro video for LinkedIn Featured.
• Record baseline metrics (clients, bookings/week, ratings).

Days 31–60: Reframe & Publish

• Write your Experience entry with metrics and 3–5 bullets.
• Update LinkedIn headline and About section using the templates above.
• Add Featured items: testimonials, images, video.

Days 61–90: Amplify & Target

• Tailor your CV bullets for three target roles and save versions for ATS submission.
• Ask for referrals from your best clients and add them to your portfolio — then use a simple pitch (see pitch templates) to request referrals or testimonials.
• Practice a 30-second pitch about your side gig for interviews — highlight outcomes, not fluff.

2026 trends to leverage

These developments make now a great time to highlight pet gigs on your CV:

• Platform professionalisation: By 2025 platforms introduced verification and service badges — showing you meet those standards on your CV signals credibility; see guides on local recruitment and platform standards.
• AI hiring tools: ATS and recruiter tools increasingly scan for entrepreneurship and client ops keywords — use terms like “client retention,” “route optimisation” and “bookings management.”
• Video-first profiles: Short professional videos are increasingly surfacing on LinkedIn in 2025–26 — a quick clip explaining your processes boosts trust. Consider compact creator kits for capture workflows (see related guides on creator capture kits).
• Hybrid work and local demand: With more professionals working hybrid, local pet care demand remains strong in London boroughs; if you specify your borough, you show local market knowledge.

Tip: Use tools like Calendly, Square, Xero and simple CRM notes to show you run your side gig like a small business — recruiters notice systems.

Final checklist before you apply with your updated CV

• One-line title that sounds like a business role.
• Three bullets that show outcomes with metrics.
• Certifications and insurance listed.
• LinkedIn Experience + Featured items live.
• Tailored CV version for each job application.

Parting advice — present, don’t apologise

Pet services are a legitimate demonstration of initiative and real-world work. In 2026, employers expect young hires to show hustle and practical skills outside academia. Frame your side-gig as a small business you operated: show systems, metrics and outcomes. That storytelling turns a casual income stream into a persuasive piece of evidence for your employability.

Ready to update your CV and LinkedIn? Use the templates above, gather a handful of testimonials, and publish a short 30-second video in your Featured section this week — it’ll set you apart.

Call to action

Need a CV review or a tailored LinkedIn About built from your pet-care experience? Book a 30-minute CV clinic with our London careers advisor or download our free “Side-Gig CV Kit” to get ready for your next application.

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