Well, at least you got me to register.
I was told to register by a certain individual about a year ago. I never did although I wanted to. I somehow had the impression it cost money. My comments are in ( )
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Alan W
But, you know what really gripes me?
(Please see below for what gripes me.)
Lenscrafters, EyeMasters, WalMart, Cole, so on and so forth. They could say it, and don't . Because, they won't hire the good ones. Or, should I say, fire the good ones when they get over $12.00/hour. One foot on a rock....the other on a bannana peel or something.
Maybe WE should transfer to the garden center and show them how its really done. Yeh, that's the ticket! I mean we get treated like "it", maybe we should sell "it"!
(Okay, bad joke above SO I TOOK IT OUT, but this upsets me. You know what, I started life as somebody wanting to make something better of themselves. I've watched 4 threads going on where you do a superior dance and constantly rag on companies because they might have a garden department. So I guess I should be ashamed because I've tried to be a good optician in a department store and better face I can never measure up. Is that the point? Well maybe those are the people who gave me the chance to get a start in this business. And from what I know of you it's where you've been for years. Maybe that's okay, maybe if everyone wants to talk about perfecting opticians and the image to the public, the idea should be to embrace and mentor and assist ALL trying to do this job.)
We need to sell optical cookies and do optical car washes and pay our own way.
(Good, you the first to anti up the money to change things? You make some good points in all for sections your commenting in but you could sure do it without thinking you know every thing and deciding which catagories are worth nothing! (I hope you understand what I'm really saying here). [/QUOTE
But at least you got me to register!
Thank you for your comments
Quote:
(That's the real reason you were fired from all 4 of these companies? Geez, the rumors were so much more interesting! )
You seem to have a problem. I would ask the moderator to temper these comments. They border on some serious stuff.
It would be nice for an employer to contribute, sponsor, help promote local and state societies. Smaller, more professionally dedicated companies do all the time all over the country. If some of these biggies do so, great. It would also be nice if people who excel by the standards of the professional community be allowed to continue growing with an employer, and learn how to increase their productivity to maintain longevity. But, all too many seem to find the usefullness of emloyees diminsh as they approach the limits of payroll budgets. Then, its only a matter of time before some element of discontent, on either parties part, leads to a shortening of the relationship. There is also a "hit order" that is not uncommon in almost all specialty and general retail, optical or other, when some people outlast the old management and don't fit the next generation.
Several months ago I pushed for specialty certification which might give a good performer / accomplished optician a "leg up" in recognition and perhaps a better shot at advancement. It was so difficult to sell the idea that I stopped discussing it. That's one example of what some of us might mean by fruitless and frustrating, and that's over internal development of opticianry and setting the standards, as MV Eyes stated; not even in the 3 O community.
I withdraw the bad humor. Not that it is not said behind closed doors. But, because it attracts needless and ethically compromised reaction. (But, then, who am I!) To those folks who work in those places, I encourage you to participate in the educational opportunities offered by BOTH colleagues outside your workplace AND by employers who have a wider window of opportunity to grow TECHNICALLY. There are Optiboard members who's workplace is a culture of technical opportunities that don't have as limited a repertoire of technical dialog as many of the mass merchandisers or mass specialty merchandisers. To give you a better idea of what I mean.....
you might take some of the postings from the Ophthalmic Optics Forum and ask management and other coworkers at some of the mass merchandisers the same questions. See what you get for an answer. Be your own evaluator, rather than sling mud or fib.
Re: Thank you for your comments
Quote:
Originally posted by Alan W
You seem to have a problem. I would ask the moderator to temper these comments. They border on some serious stuff.
You know I love ya Alan and I would, but you brought the chains into this discussion and isolated them from the topic yourself so you gotta take your lumps. Besides, I believe that we need to work towards the security of all Opticians; lab, independent and chain. There are some good people in all of those why should we leave some behind when we talk about raising the bar? Or am I mis-reading your post?
PS - I know one of those chains offers loans to employees who wish to persue formal education in their field as long as it is done through accredited colleges.
Re: Thank you for your comments
Quote:
Originally posted by Alan W
You seem to have a problem. I would ask the moderator to temper these comments. They border on some serious stuff.
Be your own evaluator, rather than sling mud or fib.
No I don't have a problem. I can temper my own comments, so I have, without anyone asking me to. I regret that I sunk to a level as low as some others. But I am curious, if you really think I slandered you why you didn't contact me directly to tell me so and say WHAT you think was slander? Besides, i said it was a joke. I have nothing to be concerned about other than maybe behaving like what I complained about in you.
At any rate, it had the desired effect, although still (in my opinion) highly biased, at least your following comments were not as diragatory to us who don't have the opportunity to achieve the lofty German training you CLAIM to have. And maybe we want just as bad to take good care of our customers and want opportunities to learn too.
So maybe you should be your own evaluator and not sling mud. Ask yourself if it's reasonable to expect that you are unbiased in your accessment of chains and those who work in them. And when you say I'm a fibber, where do you say how many chains you've worked for. Because it looks to me like you pretend you didn't.
But I am sorry I upset you, but, slander, naw, get an attorney, he won't agree. You upset me too.
Universal "Formal" education is not realistic!
Speaking as an Optician trained through a formal apprenticeship and holding a degree at the same time BBA (management)........my opinion follows.
Given the history of our profession, and the advancement of Optometry through formal education, I would state that our training through formal education is a worthy goal but somewhat unrealistic.In licensed states, statutes governing the licensing of Opticians usually provide for credentialling through a two year "formal" education program (associates degree) OR an apprenticeship program of not less than 3 years or 6000 hours.Rhode Island is a noteable exeption, eliminating apprenticeship a couple of years ago.
The problem becomes one of legislating out something which was once permissable in your own state,and will continue to be permissable in other compareable states.You have to be VERY crafty to get that by a legislature.I would LOVE to know how Rhody pulled it off without a court challenge!In any event it takes a lot more to move a state legislature than noise.
Given that most of us have come up through apprenticeship, who are we to say that education is the only way? On the contrary, we are in a better position to judge where the best opticians come from....and I daresay academia will come in second.I have heard a lot about recognition in this and other similar threads, as if formal education is the basis for this recognition or "respect" as some say.
If you know what you are doing, and are the best you can be....and are willing to continue to learn and improve yourself....you will have all the recognition you need, as well as the respect of your peers and other practitioners of the 3 O's.The proof is in the pudding, not the recipe.
best to all hj
PS I defy anyone to prove to me that the level of optical service provided by a qualified optician is any less because that optician is employed by a national chain operation.Its time to BURY that myth along with the bitterness and rancor borne of insecurity.
There IS something we can do......
Before I start, I want to clear up last nights post if it is cloudy to anyone.I favor a formalized degree program for Opticians.I would also favor an additional year spent as a practicum in order to obtain that degree.Its just that it is not realistic to eliminate apprenticeship programs for reasons stated above.
There is something that can be done, and it can be done quickly. My thought would be to create the differentiation between the words "Registered" and "Certified".Certification being ONLY obtainable by degree.Right now theres no differentiation between the two, and the ABO will "Certify" anyone who passes their examination.I would love to see them change that to a "registration" and proceed with a "Board Certified" program, similar to that of the other professions.We are trying to change things from the bottom.When will we collectively realize That cannot be done! The body will follow where the head leads it!Hashing it out here accomplishes nothing other than a continuing frustration.
off to my second cuppa- hj
Would that it could be that simple...
Hello MV!
The point I was trying to make is that nothing can be done from here.While Optiboard has become an important forum for us, the fact remains that at a membership of 1400 or so we are still very small in terms of numbers, and it is my guess that in those numbers there are yet a smaller amount that even BELONG to the organizations which effect change, and of that smaller number, there is an even smaller of our members who are in the leadership positions that can get the ball rolling.
Those who ARE in the leadership positions should be making a concerted effort to involve the officers in these associations in Optiboard, and bring about some effective dialog.Until that happens,you can disagree till the cows come home, but NOTHING will happen from here.
MV, that was a Blueprint ....not a put down.Congratulations again on being featured member this month, and your dialog is ALWAYS welcome.
hj
Re: Would that it could be that simple...
Quote:
Originally posted by hcjilson
Those who ARE in the leadership positions should be making a concerted effort to involve the officers in these associations in Optiboard, and bring about some effective dialog.
Harry,
I agree with you 100% on this point. We are the Opticians that organizations are supposed to represent. Not only would their involvement in OptiBoard give everyone a great way to touch base it would also act as a mini membership drive because of the exposure they would get.
Hi Long Lost Optiboarder,
and FABULOUS POF President,
The study was conducted by Tom Woods in NYC Tech, and Roger Hill from Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training (NOSTRA) and was conducted by William and Mary college statistics dept. and was funded by Essilor. I posted the study here a while back, maybe I can dig it out and post it again.
You are correct in that the study found that the general public already assumes that we are formally educated.
: )
Laurie
(Tampa, remember??)