Recommendations for ways to find a good optician (to hire)?

[Ecliptic]

I already posted in the job forum here, as well as craigslist. We have had some hits, but still haven't found the perfect fit for our office. Anyhow, I just wanted to know if anyone had suggestions about where to post or where to look to find more people looking for optician jobs. We're pretty honest here so we'd never try to "steal" another office's people... so any good ideas? ;)

Thanks!

[Ecliptic]

We also tried to reach out to the local tradeschool (which has an optician program), but they only had 1 candidate who was within 30 miles of here :(

[harry888]

Ask your frame and lab sales reps.

They know who is available and don't want to burn any bridges.

Harry

[braheem24]

Opticians are losers, I say that knowing the people on this board are probably in the top 5% of opticians around the country. I cant get people to come in for an interview.

5 no shows in 1 year, one "optician" with over 30 years experience working for the city driving a truck dumping tar in pot holes.

[rbaker]

If your organization enjoys the finest reputation among your peers you will never have trouble hiring new employees, they will flock to you like bees to honey. If you are just another run of the mill operation the highly skilled and motivated professional will avoid you like the plague.

[Yeap]

get someone with the correct attitude and train him/her up.. then it will be what you want..

[cocoisland58]

In the old days I would hire an eager smart person with the right personality and train them from scratch. All of my former "trainees" are working opticians still which makes me very happy. Now I work for a busier place and no time to train so when we need to hire we cross our fingers and wait. It took four months of working short staffed to find the one we just hired but she's a great fit with ten years experience. RBaker is right, if your company or practice has a good reputation the right people will find you and yes your wholesale labs and frame reps are excellent sources for finding someone. I found my current job just by putting the word out with the reps that I wanted to work in a certain area and asked them to keep an eye out.

[FVCCHRIS]

Psssss.......in case you hadn't heard...........nobody wants to do this anymore.

[AngeHamm]

one "optician" with over 30 years experience working for the city driving a truck dumping tar in pot holes.

He's probably making triple your salary.

[wmcdonald]

Wow! The negative vibes here are deafening, and I am quite sorry that most are feeling this way. It is not uncommon, but is it realistic? Opticians make a very good living in most parts of the country, and most have 0 invested in education/training. The average salaries are in the 40K range and that is not too bad. Someone will turn up. I can't say that Craig's list in where you will find them, but this is a good place. The imatters folks are fantastic as well. But keep in mind, a good Optician will cost money. I am not certain what the pay scale is in California currently, but the average Optician is around 40K. If you want a good one, it will be more.

Good luck in your search!

[braheem24]

He's probably making triple your salary.

I offered him almost double his through a phone interview.

[AngeHamm]

I found my current excellent job on Craigslist.

[Spazmonkey]

Because the city pays better. No doubt.

[Spazmonkey]

Opticians are losers, I say that knowing the people on this board are probably in the top 5% of opticians around the country. I cant get people to come in for an interview.

5 no shows in 1 year, one "optician" with over 30 years experience working for the city driving a truck dumping tar in pot holes.

Every time I apply for another job as an Optician I'm offered ten dollors per hour and have to work up to a higher salarie. Sorry but you try living on Ten dollors per hour. Sorry but just a little tired of seeing how low opticians are valued. Twenty five years of expereince and I'm thinking of working for the city.

[Spazmonkey]

Wow! The negative vibes here are deafening, and I am quite sorry that most are feeling this way. It is not uncommon, but is it realistic? Opticians make a very good living in most parts of the country, and most have 0 invested in education/training. The average salaries are in the 40K range and that is not too bad. Someone will turn up. I can't say that Craig's list in where you will find them, but this is a good place. The imatters folks are fantastic as well. But keep in mind, a good Optician will cost money. I am not certain what the pay scale is in California currently, but the average Optician is around 40K. If you want a good one, it will be more.

Good luck in your search!

Wish I would have that offer. Sorry just dont like being called a loser. In the midwest your lucky to be offered over 25K a year.

[wmcdonald]

I know of several in the midwest who are doing fine. At 25K I would not blame you for seeking a new career? Getting on Optiboard complaining will not make it better, but there are places you can go. Do you have ABO/NCLE certification? If so, you may be eligible to seek licensure in a couple of states where the income is much more lucrative. Let me know if I can help you.

[wmcdonald]

Every time I apply for another job as an Optician I'm offered ten dollors per hour and have to work up to a higher salarie. Sorry but you try living on Ten dollors per hour. Sorry but just a little tired of seeing how low opticians are valued. Twenty five years of expereince and I'm thinking of working for the city.

Valued? What do most do? Measure PDs, take seg heights, and say thanks, give me 400 dollars and come see me when you need an adjustment. Remember, I am a professional. Get real, until it requires some effort to enter this profession and we begin to expand our scope a bit we will do nothing but continue to decline. It is unfortunate but true. I just completed a series of CE seminars. Most in the audiences even in licensed states could not do even the simplist computations. Determining vertical imbalance or effective power? They look at me like they have never heard these things before. You know why? Because they largely have not. Susie trained them at the local big box to sell and made them great "opticians".

The average salray for an Optician in an unlicensed state is just under 40K according to a number of surveys. Why is yours this low? Should you look to additional training or certification?

[cocoisland58]

In the midwest your lucky to be offered over 25K a year.

Well I'm working in the most economically depressed midwestern state there is, switched jobs last year and am making quite a bit more than that with two raises already. Maybe you need to present yourself differently. Even in an unlicensensed state you had better get that ABO and know your stuff.

[abberated]

I'm not exactly local, but we have many contacts out here in Sacramento at NCE school. Please email me and I will help you get the word out, as well as check our database. I have someone in mind that may be near, and available. MichaelRJensen@gmail.com

[opticman]

The problem of finding a decent paying position is the economy. Many locations are hurting for business and one of the largest expense to a business is labor. What is not realized is that an experienced optician that has the knowledge will save money by avoiding errors. The experienced, knowledgeable optician can usually do it all and possibly save on additional (part-time) labor. A good optician is an investment not an expense.

[ih8wlmrt]

Opticians are losers, I say that knowing the people on this board are probably in the top 5% of opticians around the country. I cant get people to come in for an interview.

5 no shows in 1 year, one "optician" with over 30 years experience working for the city driving a truck dumping tar in pot holes.

where are you located? - no chance I would bail on an interview. are you still looking for some one?

[Ecliptic]

We're still looking here in SoCal... didn't realize how few opticians would be looking... especially in a densely populated area like Los Angeles :hammer:

[AngeHamm]

We're still looking here in SoCal... didn't realize how few opticians would be looking... especially in a densely populated area like Los Angeles :hammer:

Wow, that's rough for you guys. Sorry to hear it. Though I could conceivably be moving out there in a little while, and that bodes well for me, as someone who DOES show up for interviews...

[Barry Santini]

Every time I apply for another job as an Optician I'm offered ten dollors per hour and have to work up to a higher salarie. Sorry but you try living on Ten dollors per hour. Sorry but just a little tired of seeing how low opticians are valued. Twenty five years of expereince and I'm thinking of working for the city.

Geez. Employers dont even value opticains.

Why should we expect the public to?

B

[Johns]

The problem of finding a decent paying position is the economy.

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