If you’re someone who is passionate about providing high quality eye care, then has it ever occurred to you to take your enthusiasm overseas? Whether you’re hoping to qualify as an optometrist and help people with conditions, such as myopic eye, or you simply want to dispense glasses and prescriptions to those who need them, combining the eyecare industry with overseas travel is certainly an opportunity worth exploring.

Uprooting your entire life and moving overseas to work as an optician can sound daunting, with work permits to put in place, travel plans to arrange and other factors such as accommodation and your finances to consider, it’s easy to think that you may have bitten off more than you can chew. However, with some careful planning and patience, you’ll be able to offer your expertise to those with eye health or correction needs, anywhere in the world.

Before we get stuck in, it’s important to note that you need to research which country you plan on heading to before booking your flight, as different optician requirements and certifications will be needed in different places. Make sure you have what it takes – it’d also probably be sensible to check out jobs and apply before you set off to ensure that you are able to secure a role. Now, let’s explore some amazing reasons to work abroad as an optician.

Live As a Local

Embracing a new culture and immersing yourself in a new town, city or village is the opportunity of a lifetime. While we all enjoy visiting new countries and resorts on holidays, it’s difficult to get a real sense of local culture and explore your destination fully, away from the tourist areas within a restricted time. Working overseas as an optician or optometrist, means you’ll get to live, work and breathe as a local, meet your community and actively make a difference to their lives with your knowledge and passion. You’ll get to strike up real conversations, enjoy local cuisine and get used to a completely different lifestyle that you might even prefer!

It Looks Incredible on Your CV

You may not plan to stay overseas as an optician forever, but plan to return to your native country or move on to somewhere else in the future. Whatever the future holds, working overseas as an optician looks great on your CV. It shows you’re confident, highlights your independence and your ability to blend and mix with other nationalities, regardless of any potential language barriers. Good communication skills are essential in any role, and having this on your CV can help you stand apart from your competitors.

It’ll Broaden Your Mind and Open Your Eyes

Whether you choose to work in a modern metropolis or you’re working within a poorer community and offering your help to younger children, working overseas and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone can help broaden your mind and open your eyes to what else is happening in the world. You’ll discover new ways of doing things, a better understanding of different cultures, discover new interests, and how to appreciate what you have back home! Working as an optician or optometrist overseas means meeting lots of people from all kinds of backgrounds, something which will help you stay grounded and stay with you for the rest of your life.

Final Thoughts…

Working overseas as an optician is a wonderful and eye-opening career choice. Where in the world would you go?