Optometrist Jobs Overview
Are you considering a career in the medical field that still allows you to have a good work-life balance? Perhaps one in which you’ll help people take care of their vision? Look into optometrist jobs. Not to be confused with optician technicians or ophthalmologists, these professionals play a crucial role in identifying and treating eye disorders early on, allowing people to see clearly.
Some of the duties that the optometrist job entails are:
- performing eye exams using appropriate equipment
- diagnosing eye conditions and diseases such as farsightedness, astigmatism, and glaucoma
- prescribing appropriate treatments or vision aids
- counseling patients about eye health and answering patient questions
- prescribing pre- and postoperative care to patients undergoing eye surgery
Are you looking for other types of healthcare jobs? Explore Monster’s job openings in:
Education and Skills for Optometrist Jobs
Students aspiring to become optometrists are required to possess at least three years of post-secondary education, although many chose to pursue bachelor’s degrees in science such as pre-med or biology. Then, you need to pass the Optometry Admission Test (OAT) to access the Doctor of Optometry (O.D.) degree. This is a program that lasts four years and includes both theoretical and practical supervised clinical parts.
On top of that, you need to pass the National Board of Examiners in Optometry exam to be licensed and renew it throughout. After obtaining their degrees, most optometrists chose to specialize in particular eye care areas by following a one-year residency program.
Fundamental skills to perform an optometrist job well include:
- active listening and clear communication
- personal relationship building
- emotional intelligence
- client service orientation
- medical knowledge
- computer and other optometrist software knowledge
Update Your Optometrist Job Resume
When medical professionals need to write their resumes, one of the most common struggles is being able to fit an extensive education and list of experience in just a one or two-page document. There are a few tricks to keep in mind to learn how to summarize. First, read the job offer carefully to understand what kind of experience they are looking for. Simply leave out anything redundant or not in line with that, especially if it makes you go beyond the page limit.
Then, scan the same offer for relevant keywords that you’ll have to include in your resume. Finally, try to describe your experiences in a quantifiable way. For example, you could list how many patients you operated on for a certain eye condition, or how many returning patients you have. If you’re preparing your first resume or you’d like to start from scratch with your current one, download and customize our doctor resume sample.
Finally, increase your chances of securing an interview by writing a compelling cover letter. Here you can add that extra detail and explain what that role would mean to you and how you could be an asset to that specific medical facility if hired.
Interviewing for Optometrist Jobs
One of the best interview preparation tips you can follow is to practice your answers in a mock job interview. Take our health care professionals interview questions and answers for instance, and use them to practice with family and friends, or record yourself and listen back to improve. To make yourself stand out we also recommend you address every question you can with the STAR method. It will help you show concrete results for your actions and appear as a more reliable candidate.
How Much Do Optometrist Jobs Pay?
The median salary of an optometrist sits at $115,410 per year. Of course, depending on your education, experience, and location, you could be making even more. Take for instance, New York or Los Angeles where the median annual wages for this profession reach $129,753 and $120,161 respectively.
Wondering about other cities or positions? Just look up them up on Monster’s Salary Tool. You’ll also find the salaries for similar roles and ideas on expertise to work on to improve your professional outlook.
Want to Learn More About a Company You’re Interested In?
The optometrist job can be performed in a variety of facilities and work teams. Would you like to learn more about a specific one or discover new ones in your area? Head to Monster’s company section and browse through the profiles. In each you’ll get to know the:
- company overview
- employee welfare programs
- the latest job offers available
Don’t Fall into Recruiters’ Blind Spots, Find Optometrist Jobs on Monster
Monster helps you envision and achieve the career you want. Start by setting up a free account and uploading your resume. Pick the type of offers you’d like to apply to and you’re good to go. We’ll send you job opportunities based on your preferences as soon as they’re published. Plus, we’ll promote your profile to companies and recruiters searching for candidates in our database.