Opticians specialize in helping you see the world in all its clarity and
color. If an optometrist or ophthalmologist (eye doctor) has prescribed glasses
or contact lenses for you, an optician should be the next person you visit.
Opticians help you choose the right frames and lenses and determine the
correct lens placement according to measurements taken of your eyes. They
may also be involved in filling the prescription -- actually crafting the
lenses on site. Or they may send detailed specifications of your prescription
to an optical lab to be filled.
Specially trained opticians also help fit patients with contact lenses.
To do this, they will measure the contours of the client's eyes and face to
provide the information the manufacturer will need to make the contacts.
People in this field are also responsible for demonstrating or explaining
the proper use and care of contact lenses or glasses.
All of this work demands a steady hand, so manual dexterity is important.
But in spite of this aspect of the job, opticians say it's brain dexterity
that really counts. "Being an optician is not physical work. It's mental work
and that can that be really tiring," says Richard Weiss, an optician in New
Jersey.
Opticians are employed in ophthalmologic and optometry offices, retail
eyewear establishments, wholesale laboratories, hospitals and clinics. The
work environment in these settings is generally comfortable, healthy and stable.
Most people in this field work a 40-hour week. Hospital or retail opticians
can expect irregular hours because retail outlets are often open late. Hospital
opticians may need to be available for shifts around the clock.
If you can envision yourself as an optician, you're on the road to a great
career. "It's a challenging, satisfying career. For me, it was a good opportunity
to be a professional without spending years and years in school," says Michigan
optician Ron Luhtala.