Career Details :: Opticians, Dispensing
Description
Design, measure, fit, and adapt lenses and frames for client according to written optical prescription or specification. Assist client with selecting frames. Measure customer for size of eyeglasses and coordinate frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription. Prepare work order for optical laboratory containing instructions for grinding and mounting lenses in frames. Verify exactness of finished lens spectacles. Adjust frame and lens position to fit client. May shape or reshape frames.
Experience
A minimum of two to four years of work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is needed for these occupations. For example, an accountant must complete four years of college and work for several years in accounting to be considered qualified.
Education
Most of these occupations require a four-year bachelor's degree, but some do not.
Training
Employees in these occupations usually need several years of work-related experience, on-the-job training, and/or vocational training.
Tasks
- Measures client's bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical centers of eyes, using measuring devices.
- Verifies finished lenses are ground to specification.
- Recommends specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames to suit client needs.
- Heats, shapes, or bends plastic or metal frames to adjust eyeglasses to fit client, using pliers and hands.
- Assists client in selecting frames according to style and color, coordinating frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescription.
- Grinds lens edges or applies coating to lenses.
- Instructs clients in adapting to wearing and caring for eyeglasses.
- Fabricates lenses to prescription specifications.
- Repairs damaged frames.
- Evaluates prescription in conjunction with client's vocational and avocational visual requirements.
- Determines client's current lens prescription, when necessary, using lensometer or lens analyzer and client's eyeglasses.
- Prepares work order and instructions for grinding lenses and fabricating eyeglasses.
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Important Abilities
General Work Activities
- Performing for/Working With Public
- Getting Information Needed to Do the Job
- Handling and Moving Objects
- Communicating With Persons Outside Organization
- Evaluating Information Against Standards
Important Skills
Frequent Work Context
- Importance of Being Exact or Accurate
- Job-Required Social Interaction
- Indoors
- Importance of Being Sure All Is Done
- Provide a Service to Others
Institutions Offering Related Majors
No institutions found.