Category: Interviews

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? I recommend working in a laboratory or with a classically trained optician who understands the history of the craft. It is important to understand the history and foundation of dispensing.   Why should anyone get certified/licensed? Certification can help your professional career advancement and foster respect in the field. It also serves to standardize the experience and quality that the patient experiences. Anyone who considers it as

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Know that you can learn the trade. What we can’t teach is the passion, ability to empathize, and care. Surround, network and connect with positive influencers in the industry. We love to help and support our all the new professionals coming into the industry. If you treat it as a career vs a job that will completely change the way you think about it. There are so

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Opticianry is one of the most rewarding and fulfilling careers that an individual can pursue today. There are few other professions which provide the same level of opportunity with as low of a barrier to entry. Most individuals have access to becoming a professional in a short period of time, and for the most part, can pursue a career while working and earning a living. My organization

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Be patient. There is soooo much to learn, from the medical aspect, lens options, prescriptions, troubleshooting, adjustments, insurance (ugh)…I remember wishing I could just be an expert and know it all immediately. I do believe that is what makes our career so fun though, all of the variety and different tasks we can learn. So be patient with yourself and enjoy the challenge.   Why should anyone

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Opticianry is an applied science so all the prism questions, vertex formulas, and indices of refraction are relevant to your role. You may not see the application immediately, or even before you achieve your basic certification, but as you learn more things will begin to click and you will be a better optician. Why should anyone get certified/licensed?   Optical is a field that one is usually

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Being an optician is an exciting career path – merging healthcare with customer service, the opticians needs to not only hold a wealth of knowledge to care for their patients, but also be able to converse and relate to them in a way that builds relationships and establishes trust. To become a successful optician, one needs to be able to spend time learning the theory behind why

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Don’t ever give up! Making a lot of mistakes can be discouraging, but keep your head up and keep going! Learn from every mistake and strive to be better next time.   Why should anyone get certified/licensed? Becoming certified has given me the tools I need to be able to troubleshoot problems patients may be experiencing. It also allows me to troubleshoot problems before they happen regarding

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? Think bigger! There is so much you can do as an Optician. You can start your own optical store. Work for a large chain that offers great wages, benefits and opportunities for advancement. Work with an Optometry or Ophthalmology practice and get to know the clinical side of the business. Work in education teaching Opticians. Work as an industry rep selling frames, lenses, contact lenses, pharma products

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician?   Like teaching this is a field where the successful members are driven by a desire to help people. If you have a passion for improving others’ lives, then it’s a perfect place for you and the industry will be richer with you in it. Why should anyone get certified/licensed? I worked in the business for almost 30 years before getting my license. It creates a level

What is your advice for someone working their way to become an Optician? For me, hands-on training was invaluable. Fortunately, while I was learning I worked in an office that had a wide variety of patients so I had real life examples of things I had to learn. It was much easier to learn the concept and how it was applied when I could see it in the lens or know the case from beginning to end. If you lack