If you're eying a career change, you're going to need to take a closer look at your optometrist resume. This document highlights your education, expertise and skills to prove that you're the right fit in the office or medical institution where you plan to work. So how do you keep your resume looking extra sharp?
Resume.io is here to help. With 300+ occupation-specific resume examples and writing guides, we're an expert resource for job seekers in all fields and at all levels of their careers. In this optometrist resume example and guide, we'll cover the following topics:
- What does an optometrist do?
- How to write an optometrist resume (tips and tricks)
- The best format for an optometrist resume
- Advice on each section of your resume (summary, work history, education, skills)
- Professional resume layout and design hints.
What does an optometrist do?
Optometrists are "eye doctors" – specialists who evaluate, diagnose and treat patients to achieve optimal vision health and manage visual issues and disorders. Optometrists prescribe eyeglass lenses and contacts, fit patients for glasses and contacts, provide pre-operative and post-operative care and provide vision treatments and therapy. They also counsel patients on how to achieve optimal vision health and manage loss of vision. Optometrists may also provide early intervention treatment and therapy services to patients suffering from vision problems. They also look for warning signs related to disease. Optometrists may run their own practices or work for hospitals, rehabilitation centers or other healthcare facilities.
If you're looking for even more tips, you may benefit from reading the advice in our related medical resume examples, including our doctor resume example, healthcare resume sample, occupational therapist resume example, nurse resume example and physician assistant medical example.
How to write an optometrist resume
An optometrist resume will need many of the standard sections found on most CVs, including:
- The resume header
- The resume summary (aka profile or personal statement)
- The employment history section
- The resume skills section
- The education section
An optometrist resume should clearly showcase a candidate’s education, certifications and experience in providing eye healthcare to patients. Optometrists perform vision tests, analyze results, diagnose problems, and help patients to manage eye disorders and injuries. Your resume should call attention to your understanding of all optometry services and your ability to communicate effectively with patients regarding their eye health. Your resume should also indicate your experience in examining patients prior to eye surgery, as well as post-surgery. Be sure to indicate your knowledge of the most up-to-date vision procedures and treatments. You should also highlight your experience in educating patients about eye health, and vision-loss prevention. Your resume should also showcase your ability to prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses and medications.
Choosing the best resume format for optometrists
Since medicine is a formal field, there is really only one option for your resume format: the reverse chronological structure. This format centers on an employment history section where you can list your previous experiences, dates worked and skills performed. This is the format favored by hiring managers since it allows them to gauge your experience in just a few seconds. It's also preferred by the Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) in use at many large hospital networks.
While other resume formats exist, they are best suited for career starters or others in highly technical fields. If you believe your specialized experience might lend itself to a functional or hybrid model then you may want to check out our guide to resume formats.
If you plan to upload your application to an online portal, chances are it will be up against an ATS. These resume scanners hunt for keywords on resumes and rank them against the other applicants. Only the top-scoring candidates are passed to the hiring manager for review. While there's no way to guarantee you won't get filtered out, there are some concrete steps you can take to reduce the chances:
- Read the job description closely and look for duties and skills emphasized by the employer.
- Place those "keywords" in the appropriate resume sections, using the exact language from the job description.
- Add common section headings to your resume like "Employment History" or "Education" to tell the ATS exactly where to look for information.
Resume summary example
While resumes have the reputation for being rather impersonal, the summary is the one place that you can communicate directly to the employer. In these 3-5 sentences, highlight your biggest accomplishments and attributes. Give a sense of the care and empathy you offer patients and the passion that motivates your work. You should also call attention to the most noteworthy employers or other career achievements on your resume. Remember to use as many powerful action verbs and as much job specific information as you can. Highlight your area of expertise when it comes to optometry treatments and care. Check out the adaptable summary from our optometrist resume sample below.
Experienced optometrist with over three years of experience providing optometry care to patients. Adept in performing vision tests and accurately analyzing results and diagnosing disorders. Experienced in diagnosing and treating vision problems and diseases such as, nearsightedness, farsightedness, astigmatism, presbyopia, and glaucoma. Adept in prescribing the proper care, treatments and medications to achieve optimal health. Bringing forth a commitment to excellent vision and patient care.
Employment history sample
Since your relevant experience proves your knowledge, it's important to pay attention to the employment history sample. Make sure to list all former employment relevant to an optometrist position going back about 10 years. Offer the employer name, job title, dates worked and location. Then, create 4-5 bullet points that list your responsibilities and achievements. Remember to use powerful action verbs and mention job specific accomplishments that prove you are an excellent candidate. Check out the employment history section from our resume sample below.
- Worked to provide the absolute highest quality vision care for all patients.
- Accurately diagnosed eye and vision problems in thousands of patients over the span of eight years.
- Used advanced equipment and procedures to test patients’ depth and color perception, and their ability to focus their eyes.
- Effectively managed diseases affecting the vision of patients, including diabetes, auto-immune disorders, glaucoma, and retinas pigmentosa.
- Introduced helpful new vision products to clients.
- Maintained a high level of patient retention and referrals.
CV skills example
Coupled with your knowledge, your skills are at the core of your job as an optometrist so make sure to highlight them in this CV section. Since the bullet point format lends itself to skills and can be described in a word or two, this is the best place to call the employer's attention to your areas of expertise on your CV. While you should include technical abilities and hard skills mentioned in the job description, you shouldn't forget the soft skills – or personality traits – that make you a great optometrist. Check out the skills section from our resume sample below.
- Optimal Vision Care
- Physiology
- Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis
- Strong Analytical Thinking Skills
- Pre- and Post-operative Care
- Decision Making Skills
Optometrist resume education example
You can't be an optometrist without a strong educational background so make sure to list all degrees and certifications here. Any honors or distinctions should be noted here as well. Since you almost certainly have earned an advance degree, there is no need to list your high school. You may also create a separate memberships or certifications section if you have many to show. Here is the education section from our optometrist resume example.
- 2013 American Board of Optometry, Certified
- 2007-2013 NYU, Doctor of Optometry NY, NY
- 2003-2007 NYU, Bachelor of Biology NY, NY
Resume layout and design
Doctors (optometrists included) need to instill confidence in their patients that they are professionals and experts on the matter at hand. Your resume layout and design serves the same purpose for your application. You'll need to make sure your layout is formal, attractive and error-free. Below you'll find some of our best formatting tips.
- Keep a balance of white space to text so that the page is easy on the eyes
- Use the same 1-2 font styles throughout your resume
- Consider using a resume template to eliminate formatting mistakes
- Change the margin sizing to cram in more text
- Go overboard with colors or images in your header
- Forget to proofread before you submit
Key takeaways for an optometrist resume
- An optometrist will need a professional resume that highlights their expertise and puts the hiring manager's mind at ease.
- The summary is the one place to add a bit of professional personality to your resume while drawing attention to your biggest accomplishments.
- Don't forget to quantify your experience in the employment history section and use action verbs wherever possible.
- Check out our optometrist resume sample for more ideas on creating a great page layout.
