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- Help create and fit glasses and contact lenses for the public
- Requires excellent verbal communication skills, to be thorough and pay attention to detail and the ability to sell products and services
- Opportunities to progress into management, self-employment or train to become an optometrist
Using an optometrist's prescription, you'll calculate vision distances and angles, provide advice and information on a customer's options for lenses, measure for spectacles or contact lenses, use your sales and communications skills to talk to people about types of spectacle frames, and fit, adjust and repair frames. You could also show customers how to use and care for contact lenses.
DAY-TO-DAY DUTIES
- Calculate vision distances and angles
- Provide advice and information on a customer's options for lenses
- Measure for spectacles or contact lenses
- Use your sales and communications skills to talk to people about types of spectacle frames
- Fit, adjust and repair frames
- You could also show customers how to use and care for contact lenses
DAY-TO-DAY ENVIRONMENT
You'll work in an opticians or a shop.
You'll need
This role would be ideal for someone with the ability to deal with scientific and mathematical information, accuracy and attention to detail for frame fitting and keeping records, practical skills to handle equipment, and selling skills.
You'll need to complete a course approved by the General Optical Council, and pass the Professional Qualifying Examinations from the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO).
You can qualify by taking a two-year, full-time diploma course, followed by one year working under supervision, a three-year, day release course if you're in suitable employment or a three-year distance learning course, including a four-week residential block, offered by the ABDO - you'll need to be in suitable employment.
You'll need to be registered with the General Optical Council (GOC) and you could join the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, for professional development and training opportunities.
You'll also need to pass enhanced background checks.
As a student you must join the student register of the General Optical Council before you carry out any clinical work.
If you qualified in another area of the EU or EEA and want to work in the UK, you need to check with the General Optical Council that your qualifications meet UK requirements. If your qualifications are accepted, you would then need to contact the Association of British Dispensing Opticians for details of their Professional Qualifying Examination.
CAREER PROSPECTS
With experience, you could become an assistant manager or become self-employed. You could work as a consultant to a lens manufacturer, or as a sales representative selling ophthalmological instruments. You could also work in a hospital, or in teaching. You could also train as an optometrist. You'll need to keep your GOC registration up to date.