how do I go about finding a job working for an optometrist?

[Suey]

Over this summer, I want to work for an optometrist so I can see what the profession is like and to get some experience. Howevever, how do I go about doing that?? Should I call places and ask if they're hiring? Or should I walk-in and ask? Also, if I walk in, should I bring a resume with me?? And do optometrists usually just hire for summer or do they think it's a waste of time? Can optometrists themselves and/or people who worked for optometrists help me?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Batlauren]

Hi Suey,

A lot of people start volunteering with an optometrist first to gain experience, then they look for a job or get hired by the optometrist that they volunteer for. Most places want to hire someone who has some experience. If the doctor hires you after you volunteer for a while it shows you worked hard and earned their trust. Your relationship progressed and this makes for a good letter of recommendation.

If you are serious about working right away and don't have the time to volunteer you might be able to find a job on your college's career website. (ex: www.jobtrak.com) Some places have "will train" in the job description. If there are optometrists by your campus, they're used to hiring students and are more likely to give you a chance.

It depends on the optometrist if they will let you work only in the summer. Usually, they want more of a commitment. If you can eek out a couple of hours during the school year, this should raise your chances of getting hired significantly.

If you have optometry related stuff on your resume, it would definitely help to bring it into offices. A lot of places ask you to fax your resume over. That's usually my experience with trying to find a job. Most places if you just call out of the blue and ask if they're hiring ask you if you have any experience.

It really all depends on the doctor or office manager. Also, the economy is kinda bad so not many places are hiring right now. Your best bet would be to volunteer for 2 hours a week for someone. BY summer you'll have a lof of experience going into your job search.

GOOD LUCK,
BaLauren

 

[r_salis]

A friend of mine at school got lucky last summer looking for a job with an optometrist. She had no experience, but went to visit a few places (I believe they were all commercial places, in malls and strip malls) and explained she was a pre-optometry student and wanted to get some experience in the field. She didn't bring a resume, and visited places when they weren't busy. Most people she talked to were very receptive to her, but like Batlauren said, not a lot of places were hiring. She ended up getting a job as a receptionist at a small commercial place, and quickly made friends with the optometrists there and was able to spend time observing and helping out where she could. She kept working there part-time during classes because she liked it so much.

I got my experience through a combination of shadowing and volunteering. I found optometrists to talk to and shadow mostly through friends-of-friends types of connections, and some through just walking in and saying "hi, I'm a pre-optometry student..." kind of thing. I also volunteered at a hospital last summer and got to observe some ophthalmologists (and surgeries, very cool!) and optometrists there.

Let us know how it works out! 🙂

 

[FutureOD]

Hi, I agree that the best thing for you to do is probably just to volunteer somewhere a few hours a week. Most optometrists are willing to let them observe you if you tell them you are a pre-optometry student. That is basically what I did. I actually started volunteering with my own optometrist and went to the office like 3-4 hours a week. I did that with a few other optometrists as well. After you have had a chance to observe the doctors and experience volunteering for them, you will have a better chance of obtaining a job somewhere. One thing I would suggest is to look in your school newspaper if you have one. I looked in the classified section of my school paper and that was how I found my vision therapy job (that I held for 1.5 years). Another thing that helped me was the pre optometry society at my school which would regulary post any job or volunteer opportunities. Good Luck on your search!!!

🙂

 

[rpames]

I would be careful of just looking at commersial places. Many OD schools are very pro private practice, such as ICO. If you have a ton of experience at a chain store, it may not really help you. It would look much better if you go to a private OD's office. The only mean OD I have met is that OD who comes on this forum some times. I know my father is very receptive to students when they have asked. Shadowing a private OD would look much better than working as receptionist in a mall.

At least this is my opinion.


Down with commercial medicine!!!😡

 

[Eyegirl2k7]

I completely understand and respect your views on commercial medicine, rpames.

I get depressed sometimes because I'll probably end up in it for a while because no one pays for my education (or anything else for that matteR) but me.
Sigh.
Eyegirl

 

[r_salis]

Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that the only or best place to look for experience was at a commercial chain -- my friend hit those up first because they were easier to approach (hey, we're all from the mall-rat generation 😉 ).

 

[Suey]

Thank you guys for giving your input! They really help! I never knew that optometry schools looked down upon commercial chains. Why is that?

 

[rpames]

Chains give optometry a black-eye for all the reasons that have been mentioned in this forum in the past. I believe schools are pro-private practice because those OD's seem to be much more involved in the optometric community. Look at the school's position, what looks better in their records: "Our students succeed in private and group practice" or "Our students graduate with doctoral degrees and work in malls."

I totally understand the financial draw of commercial practice when we look at 200k of debt. This commercialization of optometry is just very scary, look at pharmacy. There are basically no private pharmacies left. Where will optometry be in 10 years? So many people enter a chain right out of school with the genuine intent to leave after a couple years. But in reality, very often they don't. You can enter a chain and easily make 80-100k/year. You can make a lot more in private after several years in practice, but how many people in their right mine would leave a job paying that much and open up a practice and make close to nothing the first few years? It is a trap from which is very difficult to escape. My biggest fear of entering optometry is being forced into a chain someday. I have actually made the decision to leave the field before giving up my practice to a chain. I can't condemn a recent grad from working at a chain for a couple years, but I really can't stand the thought of someone doing it for a carrier.

An OD in my town just left Shopko after 20 years! I was very happy when he left, but then I saw his new building...he has a giant pair of NEON GLASSES ON HIS ROOF!!! Could he look any more cheap! 😱 You won't believe what Shopko did when he left. They hired a new doctor with the same last name. Now if you call and ask if Dr. XXX will be doing the exam, they say; "Yes he will." Kind of low if you ask me. The chains have no loyalty to you. They have you there for one reason, which is to be their Rx writer. If they could make more money without an OD, they would fire them the day the accountant broke the news.

I am very sorry if I have offended anyone, but I have seen how chains affect optometry, it is not pretty.

 

[rose13]

Rpames noted that chains have no loayalty; in general corporate america is like that. I agree 100% that commercialization is bad for optometry, and it is a route that I do not plan to take. Though I won't start school until the fall, I've been planning now; it's never too late. I've been looking at places that I would not mind practicing, and I plan to start contacting people in those areas. Also, Suey, you may want to see about shadowing an OD at a hospital (I know the VA uses OD's as well as some private hospitals). I spoke to as many OD's in different settings as possible (including retail), and chronicled my experiences in a journal. The OD in retail only did glasses and eyeglasses whereas the ones in other settings did pretty much everything. I also spoke with a student who was externing at the clinic I where I did my shadowing; he had his job lined up (working for the OD he worked for prior to optometry school and buying him out in 3 years). I think it is up to us to buck the retail trend after optometry school. If we want to be perceived as health care providers, then we need to present ourselves as such. While retail is attractive (we go where the people are), it diminishes respect for the profession via commercialization. If we want to go where the people are, then we should consider setting up our practices in medical plazas/medical office locations across the street from the mall. Okay, I'll stop rambling now. 🙂

 

[rpames]

rose13 makes a great point. Shadowing an OD in VA hospital would be a great idea. VA hospitals are a wonderful place to shadow any type of doctor. They are usually very receptive to students.