- What equipment would you use to fix a bent frame? …
- What method would you use to help a customer select the perfect frame? …
- What would you tell a customer who was unsure whether to use glasses or contact lenses? …
- In your opinion, what should a basic optometry inventory hold?
First, before the interviewing process begins, it is important to have a clear outline of what qualities an ideal candidate should possess.
This includes creating a job description that clarifies the necessary competencies and other desired skills or talents. By tailoring the job description to fit the ideal candidate, it increases the interviewer’s chances of finding the best fit. Below is an example of a possible spec sheet an interviewer might use during an interview to ensure the candidate has the desired qualities:
Optometrist Interview Questions with Answer Examples
Why do you want to work in our practice (retail store)?
You should find something positive about their brand, or about the particular store. Perhaps you really like their selection of frames, for example for a particular demographic group, like children or women, or teenagers who look for some fancy spectacles.
Another idea is referring to the customer service at place. You’ve shopped there, or one of your relatives, or perhaps you even visit the place repeatedly, since you have some vision problems and wear glasses or contacts. You’ve been always impressed with the outstanding customer service at their place. Now, when a vacancy became available, you’d love to join their team and also provide an excellent service to their customers.
If you cannot find anything better, you can refer to the location of the place, or to their opening hours. You can say that you won’t spend eternity commuting to work, which is a huge benefit in your opinion, or that the working hours fit well with your other commitments (in family, school, in some other job).
Can you tell us something more about your previous working experience?
Optician (dispensing optician) is a specific job, and you can hardly get the fitting experience elsewhere. On the other hand, it is partially also a sales job–you will try to recommend good (and expensive) frames to the customers, and you will try to up-sell them on some additional merchandise, such as protective box for their glasses.
So basically any experience you have with selling, or with customer service, is a big plus. And if you have no experience, ensure them that you read the job description carefully, know what they expect from you in the job, and believe in your ability to handle it. Lack of experience isn’t typically a reason to reject your application, because in most cases you’ll work under a guidance of an experienced optician, at least during the first year in work.
So as long as motivation and confidence is there, they will give you chance to prove your skills in the job.
So, What are Optical Employers Looking for?
The top competencies that employers are looking for out of new candidates are.
Check out: The Top 10 Things to Consider Before Hiring Optical Staff
In the optical field, experience can often be helpful in getting the job, but sometimes having no experience is preferred.Some offices, for instance, like to train opticians from scratch so that they can ensure the optician learns everything within the structure (and under the supervision) of that specific company. This can be quite helpful as the companies with larger training budgets are likely to pay for the ABO certification and send their opticians to different CE events throughout the year.
Some offices, for instance, like to train opticians from scratch so that they can ensure the optician learns everything within the structure (and under the supervision) of that specific company. This can be quite helpful as the companies with larger training budgets are likely to pay for the ABO certification and send their opticians to different CE events throughout the year.
Other, smaller optical businesses that don’t have as much budget allocated to training, may prefer an optician with years of experience who can hit the ground running. Thus, as an interviewer, it’s important to ask questions that help the candidate paint an accurate picture of themselves. Asking the right questions gives the interviewer a better idea of how the candidate should fit with the culture of the office.
Questions should be open-ended and non-leading. A leading question would be, “Can you read a prescription,” obviously, when asked this type of question the candidate is able to anticipate what answer the interviewer wants to hear.
Instead, either role-play and show them an RX to see if they can explain it, or ask, “what would you recommend as a lens choice based on this patient’s prescription?” By asking open-ended questions, the interviewer is ensuring that they get more out of the interview than yes or no answers.
An open-ended question can most quickly be recognized by starting with “show me, tell me, how, please describe, etc…” Keeping the core competencies in mind, it’s always a good idea to outline possible questions before the interview begins.
By having some questions ready, the interviewer will be sure to discuss the important topics necessary to gauge whether the candidate will work well in their office.
Check out: The Top 10 Things to Consider Before Hiring Optical Staff
Though some interviewers thrive on organically asking questions as they come up in conversation, I prefer to be over prepared with questions and a well-thought out guide of exactly what type of candidate is needed for the position.
The interviewer may ask this question to assess your knowledge of the principles that apply to optical engineering. They want to know how well you can use these principles in your work and whether you have any experience with them. In your answer, try to show that you understand the fundamentals of physics and mathematics and how they apply to optical engineering.
Example: “If I made a mistake in an optical product design, I would first try to determine what caused the error. If it was due to my own negligence or lack of attention to detail, I would apologize to my team members and explain why I made the mistake. Then, I would work with my supervisor to create a plan to prevent similar mistakes in the future. If the mistake was due to a technical issue, I would report the problem to my supervisor so they could address it.”
Example: “I would first determine what I could do with $100. Then, I would look at binoculars that are currently on the market and see if there are any models that have similar features but cost less. If not, I would decide which features were most important to me and then find ways to cut costs by using cheaper materials or finding more efficient methods of production.”
Example: “In my last position as an optical engineer, I helped design a new line of eyeglasses for a major retailer. We were tasked with creating a more affordable product while still maintaining quality. To do so, we used a variety of different lenses to create multiple styles of glasses at various price points. This allowed us to offer a wide range of options for customers looking for something stylish but also within their budget.”
Example: “I think there is still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to eyeglasses and contact lenses. I’m excited about the possibility of developing new materials that could make these products more lightweight and comfortable. Another area where I see potential for innovation is in augmented reality technology. I believe we will continue to develop ways to integrate AR into everyday life.”
FAQ
What should I say in an optical interview?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
- What are your career goals?
- Why did you apply for this position?
- How would your coworkers describe you?
- Why do you want to work for our company?
- Tell me about your ideal work environment.
What are the 10 most common interview and answers?
- Tell me about yourself.
- What attracted you to our company?
- Tell me about your strengths.
- Tell me about your strengths.
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Tell me about a time where you encountered a business challenge?
What questions are asked in an optometry interview?
- Tell me about yourself.
- Who in your life mentors or inspires you most?
- What do you consider your greatest strength?
- What do you consider your greatest weakness, and what have you done to improve it?
- How would your friends or former colleagues and professors describe you?
How do I prepare for an optometry interview?
- Exhibit passion. Why do you want to become an optometrist? …
- Share insight into your shadowing experience. …
- Explain how you give back. …
- Show us you can lead. …
- Speak to your time management skills.
