Optician (Opticien)
Information on this skill...
An optician is an eye specialist who has specialized in fitting glasses and contact lenses. The profession of optician therefore has everything to do with the vision of people, in which an optician specializes. Some important activities of an optician are performing eye measurements and advising customers with regard to frames, glass types, contact lenses and the eyes themselves. But also the repair of spectacle frames and the grinding of spectacle lenses belongs to the work of an optician. Because most glasses nowadays are seen as a fashion item, it is important that an optician knows how to give good advice with regard to frames and the style of glasses. An optician uses modern machines to measure the eyes of clients and to sharpen the spectacle lenses. As an optician, it is therefore important that you can handle machines and tools well. An optician is not only specialized in fitting glasses and contact lenses because an optician can be seen as a sales employee. In other words, it is also important that an optician has a commercial institution. Despite the fact that the work of an optician can be regarded as specialized activities, the profession of optician no longer has any protection. Everyone can and may just call themselves an optician. This does not alter the fact that it is important that an optician has a recognized professional training. An optician is therefore responsible for various activities that have to do with people's vision. The most important activities are the measurement of facial abnormalities and the fitting of glasses, contact lenses and sunglasses. In general, an optician has to deal with customers who want to have their eyes checked without a referral. In some cases, there is a referral. This usually concerns general practitioners, optometrists or ophthalmologists.
An optician is therefore specialized in performing eye measurements and fitting glasses and contact lenses. An optician cannot be regarded as an optometrist because this is a different profession. An optometrist is specialized in examining eyes for any diseases and / or abnormalities. In addition, the profession of optometrist has professional protection because an optometrist is an eye care provider. An optician is not a healthcare provider and works within the retail sector. The profession of optician has no further professional protection. An optician may have to deal with healthcare providers who refer customers. As described earlier, this usually concerns general practitioners, optometrists or ophthalmologists. As an optician, you have to deal with different customers who want to have their eyes checked. An optician does this by measuring the refractive errors of the eyes. Refractive errors can best be described as a calculation error of the eyes, as a result of which people do not see objects sharply. This can usually be remedied by fitting glasses, contact lenses, or by having the eyes welded.
WORKING AS AN OPTICIAN
A modern optician is not only an eye specialist, but also a sales specialist and image consultant. Glasses are seen by people as an important fashion item, which must match the appearance of people. Most opticians therefore offer many different eyeglass frames so that there is a suitable pair of glasses available for everyone. Prescription sunglasses are also usually available in many different frames. Depending on the optician, it is also possible that an optician has specialized in fitting hearing aids. A specialist in hearing aids is called a hearing care professional.
THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD VISION
Having good eyesight is important for people because without good eyesight, someone has trouble seeing sharply, which is very tiring. Also, simple tasks quickly become difficult due to poor visibility, such as driving a car or reading a book. About half of all people have limited vision, which can have various causes. There are also quite a lot of people who do not notice that their eyes are bad or have deteriorated over the years. The optician is in most cases the right person for these types of people to do something about this, by means of glasses or contact lenses.
VARIOUS ACTIVITIES OF AN OPTICIAN ARE:
- Interpreting prescriptions of optometrists and ophthalmologists;
- Advising and fitting glasses with regard to spectacle frames;
- Maintaining the various machines and tools;
- Performing administrative work;
- Performing eye measurements;
- Cleaning glasses and lenses;
- Adjusting glasses;
- Sharpening glasses;
- Repairing glasses.
WHAT DOES AN OPTICIAN DO:
TRAINING TO BECOME AN OPTICIAN
If you want to follow a vocational training to become an optician, it is best to follow an MBO training optician at level four. The MBO optician course will usually take three years to complete. During the training, you will regularly do an internship under the guidance of a teacher and internship supervisor. The various exams you will take will be taken both at school and in practice. Some important points during the training to become an optician are advising customers, selling to customers, making and repairing glasses and lenses, assortment management and of course performing eye measurements. But also subjects such as the Netherlands, mathematics and English will be extensively discussed during the programme. In addition, there are also plenty of external training institutes where you can follow a course. Accounting is also important as an entrepreneur.
COMPANIES WHERE AN OPTICIAN CAN BE EMPLOYED
An optician works within an optician's shop or is the owner of an optician's shop. Most opticians are employed and not employed as entrepreneurs. There are fewer and fewer independent opticians to be found due to the rise of large national chains. In many cases, an independently working optician can also be regarded as a medium-sized business owner.
COMPETENCES OPTICIAN
The most important competence of an optician is the professional knowledge of optics. In addition, further training is important because innovation and technology within optics do not stand still. But you will also have to be highly skilled in communication because as an optician, you have to deal with different people on a daily basis, who all have their own specific wishes. Within the optician's shop it is also about turnover, and you will therefore have to have a commercial attitude. Generally important words are customer-friendly, listening, advising, planning, organizing, sense of responsibility, performance and precision.
LABOUR MARKET PERSPECTIVE AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES AS AN OPTICIAN
The labour market perspective of an optician is generally good if you have the right training. As described earlier, everyone can now call themselves an optician. In other words, the competition among opticians can be fierce. The career opportunities of an optician should be seen in obtaining a managerial position, such as in the position of branch manager or possibly starting your own optician's shop. Continuing to become a technical ophthalmic assistant (TOA) is also possible.
TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT AND SALARY OPTICIAN
At the Dutch Union of Optics Companies you can find more information regarding the employment conditions of an optician. An optician will usually earn a salary between 1900 and 2500 euros gross per month, depending on age, education and any further responsibilities within the organization. An independent optician can usually earn more, provided that the optician knows how to start a well-running optician's shop. That will usually not be easy, because of the great competition.
The content on this page has been automatically translated from the Dutch language. For this reason, texts and videos on this page may contain small errors.
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