Opticians – A Finite Body Of Knowledge

If you nose the web a little you will find a The OptiBoard, a well designed and popular message board or forum dedicated to the field of opticianry. I look at it every once in awhile and happened to stumble upon an interesting posting. In the post was a statement, “… I consider myself new to the field since I have only been in it for twelve years…” I assume the individual posting it was being self-effacing but it did give me concern.

Assuming we work in a career path from our twenties to our sixties this individual claims that they have spent one-third of their working career in a single occupation, yet feel they are still a beginner. I certainly hope that in reality they are a quicker study than that!

To be a competent optical professional you need common sense, some mechanical ability, the ablity to perform basic math, and the ability to picture things in three-dimensional form. If you wish to work with the public 1 to 1 then you also need a good personality. Anyone possessing these characteristics could easily become a skilled optician in a matter of a few years if they are working in a busy environment with an experienced mentor.

To be a competent optical professional you do not need a college education. I wish everyone did have one but that is another subject.

The opportunities and growth that education has provided me are incalcuable. Education is important and education can be transformative but let us face it, education within opticianry is finite. The search for knowledge is not finite. Let us hope that man’s need to explore, learn, grow, challenge, and change is infinite. However, the body of knowledge necessary to perform the role of an optician is certainly not infinite.