A: This is a great question, as most of your time will be spent at work. Finding the right fit as a job applicant requires the following:

KNOW YOUR CAREER GOALS

Identify what you are looking for in a position. To figure this out, ask yourself:

• Do I want to be an associate doctor without managerial responsibilities?
• Is there a practice setting (commercial, private, O.D./M.D., VA, etc.) I’m most interested in?
• Do I want to become a partner or sole owner? If so, is there a timeline I’m expecting this?

The answers will help shape the type of employer that would best suit you. For example, if you want ownership or partnership in a private practice, asking whether this would be available in the future is important when interviewing for a position.

CONSIDER LOCATION

Commutes can be killer. Also, if the position requires working at multiple locations that may be farther from your home, you need to ask yourself whether you’d be OK with this. Finally, you should ask yourself whether you’d be willing to move for the right opportunity. For example, would you be willing to move from Florida to a practice in Minnesota?

KNOW YOUR PERSONALITY TYPE

If you’re a type A, self-motivated go-getter, it might drive you insane working for a laid-back, relaxed manager who isn’t interested in improving the practice. Conversely, if you have a type B, relaxed, go-with-the-flow personality, having a high-strung, micromanager as an employer would be equally unappealing. When interviewing, make sure to ask the manager or owner about their management style.

KNOW YOUR EXPECTATIONS

Look at the practice as a whole. Does it meet your vision for how patients should be treated? Does the practice have a team or individual mentality? Does either matter to you? Does the practice have the latest technology? I find that many recent graduates are looking for the latest and greatest of everything: OCTs, fundus photography, automated phoropters, topographers, etc., because they were trained on such devices. If these devices are important to you, clearly, you want to work for a practice that prides itself on being technologically advanced. Are you permitted, as the doctor, to prescribe the products you believe are best for your patients? Does that matter to you? You can ask about these items and also arrive at many answers upon completion of a practice tour.

NO PRACTICE IS PERFECT

There are a lot of fantastic opportunities for employment in optometry. Finding the right fit is about identifying the job characteristics that matter the most to you and matching them with a position. Keep in mind, though, that the “perfect” job for any vocation doesn’t exist. There is always something that an employee feels could be different or better, so keep your expectations realistic. OM

DR. O’BRIEN is an associate at Vision Source Studio 20/20 in Charlotte, NC. She is heavily involved in private practice student programming with Optometric Insights, the Vision Source MentorOD Program and works with iCare Advisors to help others pursue their cold-start private-practice dreams.