Your Guide to a Optometry Career

When you are new to optometry and trying to make a name for yourself, it may not be easy to know where to start. In fact, optometry students are even more confused about career growth. For example, students have to think about studying and board exams and may not have time to even think about career growth. It can be tempting to focus on academics and let career-building steps wait until you graduate. Conflicting information on the internet is the worst thing that you have to deal with. Your parent might tell you to focus on school while a professor may strongly encourage you to start networking without further delay. As a veteran growth consultant and practice owner. Dr. Morris shares some of the most important advice for optometrists who are new to the industry.

1. Start thinking about your optometry career early!

Dr. Morris has hired hundreds of optometrists in the past. In fact, the professor recommends that you start the job search as early as possible. He says that great people start early even when you are still in school and that great dispensing optician jobs are never posted.

For example, reliable employers in the industry post ads, and the only way to see these ads is to give you enough time to look for such ads. The best way to do so is to put yourself out early there. Dr. Brett Kestenbaum says that you should never look for a house once you sell your own house. Instead, you should look for a new house before you put your house on the market. For example, you should make a proactive decision of buying a new home and not a reactive decision. The same is true when it comes to optometry jobs. A successful optometry career starts even before you obtain the license. If you have already got the license, you should start networking as soon as possible.

2. Know what you’re looking for in an optometry career!

If you are new to the field, this can be a tough decision for you. Do you want a private practice or corporate career? Do you prefer a family-like environment or do you like to be a part of a large team? Do you prefer to explore specialty practice? Do you prefer to get involved with dispensing glasses or not?

A value checklist will help you identify key aspects of your personality that affect how much you enjoy specific career trajectories vs other ones. Take the necessary time to think about what you enjoy and value the most. Sometimes, it might be difficult to know what feels right for you until you have shopped around. This is why networking should be key to your success.

Don’t be afraid to ask employers for a quick interview. For example, you can request to visit a practice and most practice owners will happily oblige.

3. Don’t settle for less!

Once you determine what you need out of your job, Dr. Morris advises you to be true to yourself. In fact, you shouldn’t settle for something less. For example, you may not be able to draw a 10-year veteran salary as a new grad, but you should not settle for anything less than what you want in your optometry career – whether that’s as .

If you have to be satisfied with a lower salary, you can always save money and live frugally. But you should remember that it is much harder to recoup lost hours that a soul-sucking job could steal from you.