Ensure your CV format is structured to best highlight your unique experience and life situation.
Optometrist CV template (text format)
PERSONAL STATEMENT
Seasoned Optometrist with over 6 years of professional experience providing eye care services for children and adults. Extensive knowledge of innovative and patient-centred approaches to diagnosis and treatment procedures, and committed to providing exceptional optical care. Seeking to deploy expertise to provide high-quality optical services while achieving personal and organisational goals.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Optometrist
Robb Clinics, Aug 20XX–Present, Manchester
- Manage a team of 4 staff to diagnose and treat eye disorders through prescription, repair, and adjustment of eyeglasses as needed by patients
- Implemented approaches that reduced diagnosis time by 20% to increase productivity and customer satisfaction
- Perform 6+ diagnoses daily and provide clinical advice on treatment plans and choice of spectacles or contact lenses
- Reduced average duration of medical eye care visits by 50 minutes through the use of up-to-date devices, such as autorefractors and retinoscopes
- Provide six months of training to new staff and grade performance based on clinic development plan
Optometrist
Parfait Eye Clinic, May 20XX–Jul 20XX, Rochdale
- Oversaw all phases of patient assessment and treatment plan overhaul, improving recovery time and reducing frequency of medication side effects
- Advised patients on corrective measures for eye disorders, including amblyopia and astigmatism
- Worked with other doctors to assess general health, referring 50+ clients monthly to ophthalmologists and other appropriate specialists for treatment
- Improved vision of 120+ patients over 2 years through examinations, diagnoses, and tailored prescriptions
- Expanded scope of practice to include clinical advice on low vision, therapeutic medicine, and juvenile myopia control
Optometrist
Johnsons Eye Care, May 20XX–May 20XX, Ashby-de-la-Zouch
- Worked with three ophthalmologists in a fast-paced environment, delivering quality eye assessment and treatment advice to an average of 20 clients daily
- Awarded Practitioner of the Year for dedication and excellence to service in 20XX and 20XX
- Achieved 100% rating for customer satisfaction in 20XX and 20XX
- Tested 50+ patients for vision depth, colour perception, and visual field to provide accurate drugs and lens prescriptions
- Diagnosed eye disorders including signs of injury, ocular diseases, or abnormality with 98% precision
EDUCATION
PhD in Vision Sciences
University of Cardiff
20XX–20XX
BSc (Hons), 2:1, in Optometry
University of Bristol
20XX–20XX
KEY SKILLS
- Optical design
- Clinical assessment
- Vision testing
- Vision therapy
- Teamwork
- Attention to detail
- Organisational skills
HOBBIES & INTERESTS
- Avid cyclist, regularly participating in regional races
- Amateur football player
- Enjoy socialising with friends
How to write your optometrist CV
Before you begin writing, make sure you know how to write a CV in a way that best emphasises your strengths.
To land a job as an optometrist, you’ll need to show employers you have the right medical knowledge and care skills to ensure patients are well looked after. Here are three ways to make your application stand out to employers:
1. Include the right optometrist skills
As medical professionals, optometrists need a variety of technical skills to diagnose and treat their patients. Your optometrist CV should demonstrate these skills in particular:
- Ability to conduct eye examinations.
- Diagnosis skills
- Expertise in prescribing lenses and other vision aids
- Knowledge of optometry tools (e.g, retinoscopes, ophthalmoscopes)
- Ability to provide patient education on eye care
- Understanding of contact lens fitting and care
Additionally, demonstrating strong people skills will demonstrate your ability to build rapport and deliver excellent patient care. You should do this by adding specific examples to your work experience section and giving context to these wins when you make your cover letter.
2. Highlight key qualifications
To work as an optometrist in the UK, you must be registered with the General Optical Council (GOC) and hold a minimum of a 2:2 bachelor’s degree in optometry from a GOC-approved course.
Make it clear to employers that you’re fully certified by including your GOC registration status in your personal statement:
Then make sure your other qualifications are correctly formatted in your CV’s education section. You can use this example as a template:
Professional Certificate in Glaucoma
University of Bradford, Bradford
January 20XX – December 20XX
2. Detail your clinical experience on your optometrist CV
As a qualified optometrist, you‘ll have completed a 12- to 18-month placement as part of your training, so employers expect to see details of your clinical experience, even if you’re targeting your first job.
Put your clinical experience under your CV’s work experience section. For each previous position, include three-to-five bullet points detailing your achievements and any skills you developed.
Ensure your bullet points are results-focused. As an applicant for an optometrist position, you’ll be competing against candidates with similar educational backgrounds, so employers will look at what you’ve done on the job as a way of separating you from the other applicants.
Use numbers to quantify your work experience and make it easier for employers to scan:
Optometrist job outlook in 2024 — things to know
According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), optometrists in the UK earn an average annual salary of £28,654.
You can find information about the gender pay gap for optometrists on the ONS’ website.