We Asked What Advice You’d Offer to Folks Just Starting Their Optical Careers

question:

If you could offer one piece of advice to folks just discovering and starting their optical careers, what would it be and why?

• Be kind to everyone, because it is a small optical world. — Kristina J., Mishawaka, IN
• Be different! — Dave S., San Luis Obispo, CA
• Be curious, and learn all that you can about the industry. Get to know your patients and customers, their families, and their interests. Optical careers are rewarding in more ways than you can imagine. — Deb J., Bismarck, ND
• Learn everything you can about the whole industry. Ask to be taught how the office works from the front desk to the lab. It will help you become a well-rounded employee and open doors down the road. Stick with it, because it can be a great career. I started as an optician because I needed a job and ended up with a great career that led me to owning a successful optical shop. — Brent M., Lancaster, PA
• Be honest, sincere, and practice considerate service to others. It will come back to you. Additionally, keep improving all your skills, both personal and professional. — Dan A., Port St. Lucie, FL
• Be of service. — Jordan F., Baltimore, MD
• Immediately start getting comfortable being close to people’s faces. Poke them, prod them, and wiggle their glasses. After training a lot of people, including myself, on glasses fitting and adjustments, you cannot just go off of what they’re telling you. Neither can you just stand back and look at them. You have to get close and personal and feel for yourself what is going on. If your process of prodding leads you to reject a pair of frames for a customer before they buy them, you will both ultimately be much happier. And always, always, always check tilt. — Jen H., Sandpoint, ID
• Remember that your team is important. It is not a one-person project. It takes a team. Consult them often. Appreciate them and tell them so. Your team will treat your patients the way they are treated. — Melanie J., Spring Hill, TN
• Do not get discouraged if your first place of employment or position is not the right fit. There are so many different ways to be in the optical field. Find something that you can take pride in. — Amber S., Chester, VA
• Connect with people in the industry, even people you think are beyond reach. When I was starting out, it was the people I least expected who welcomed me with open arms. That embrace created an optical industry lifer. — Chris W., Portland, ME
• Immerse yourself both in your role and career, but also online. There is so much online video content, forum discussion, media reporting, and research that can help shape your knowledge pool. If you do not go looking for it, you are unlikely to be presented with outside insight beyond your role or employer. — Mollie T., Indianapolis, IN
• Learn to make repairs. It may not make money, but it definitely creates loyalty. — Jennifer L., Dansville, NY
• Do not compare yourself or your knowledge to those who have been in the field for years. We all were where you are at one point. Instead, learn as much as you can from those people. We all want to help the next generation, I assure you. — Jami K., Wausau, WI
• The feeling of truly helping people. If you work for a chain, that is not possible. — Rick R., Girard, PA
• Obviously, study the basics of optics, ocular anatomy, and the various eye conditions you see in a dispensary. Learn how to explain them in layman’s terms that patients can understand. Also, understand basic business and management concepts, because they will serve you well in managing an optical. — Whitney H., Missoula, MT
• Understand how light behaves. Technology and brands change constantly, but the laws of refraction are universal. If you understand the core science, you can master any new tool or lens design. — Jeanne H., Spring Hill, TN
• Do not do it. Just kidding. Actually, find a mentor and listen. — Ron C., The Villages, FL
• Do not accept insurance and do not apologize for it. — Bethany C., Holland, MI
• Be willing to learn something every day. After 40+ years, I have learned there is more than one way to do everything. If you are 100% certain you are doing something the right way, you are most likely wrong. — Steve B., Milwaukee, WI
• Do not assume customers will find you just because you have great products and great service. You need more than that. You need a marketing mix, and most importantly, you need to be able to afford the marketing effort. We have seen several optical shops come and go without much fanfare in our area simply because they did not have the budget to lose or break even for a while before turning a profit. — Harris D., Scarsdale, NY
• Before you own, make sure you really love it, or it will not be worth the trouble. — Susan E., Austin, TX
• Learn. And learn again. When you are positive that you know everything there is to know, start learning again. — Pablo M., Woodstock, GA
• Hire slow, fire fast, join a buying group, and remember you are in charge of your frame boards, not the reps. — Kathryn C., Lititz, PA
• Quality, customer service, and price. — Bob H., NYC, Burlington, MA
• It depends on the role, of course, but never think you have it all figured out. There is always more to learn or small tweaks to make things better. It is, and always will be, a people business, and we can all find new and better ways to interact with others. — Halston S., Ocala, FL
• Do not just learn products, learn people. What separates average opticians from the ones who crush it is the ability to understand people’s needs and provide a solution. Every individual’s needs are unique. — Caterina G., Wellington, FL
• Have passion for it. Never stop learning, listening, and most importantly, caring about your patients. We are helping people see, and that is a big deal. — Kelsey B., Winston-Salem, NC
• Soak it all up. Take it all in. Learn as much as you can with the numerous e-learning platforms. — Beth P., Slidell, LA
• Avoid the “you have to accept insurance” mindset. Innovate, care for people, and win with excellence. — A. Blake H., Alma, GA
• Try and purchase your own building. — Mark P., Orlando, FL
• Learn the business side as best you can. Strong marketing is key, and know that there will be ups and downs, but the ups outweigh the downs. — Cynthia S., Lewis Center, OH
• Go in open-minded. You must like working with people and be willing to sell. — Eryn S., Ortonville, MI
• Be okay with not knowing, and do not shy away from asking for help. — Ben T., Miami, FL
• Find an optician who has been in the business for decades, take them out for coffee or a cocktail, and listen to their stories. You can get ideas of how to take care of our clients, even though some of the tech may be old, but the basics are still the same. — Jennifer Y., Canandaigua, NY
• Find a mentor who will work with you on issues and questions you have. — Terri B., Alva, OK
• You need to be empathetic and caring and get to know your patients for solid retention and conversion. Patients want to feel like they matter. — Stephanie P., Mount Vernon, OH
• Dig in and stay on top of new trends. — Charlene G., Monroe, LA
• Watch experts in the field closely and see why they do what they do. Most likely it is for a reason, and it will help you overcome an obstacle you do not know exists. — Dierdre F., Littleton, CO
• Find the old gal or guy in the industry and soak up everything they know. — Joni S., Iowa City, IA
• Remember why you do it. For every grumpy, angry person, there is someone you are making a real difference for. Those are the patients that keep me going. — Cassie R., Portland, OR
• Do not be afraid to charge for your services. — Kimberly R., Ligonier, PA