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why are so many optometrists exploring domiciliary roles?
true, genuine, actual flexibility
‘Flexibility’ has to be one of the most overused words in Optometrist job adverts - but there is a big difference between saying what people want to hear, and genuinely providing it. Well, the domiciliary brands we work with are certainly the latter and offer genuine flexibility.
Though a lot of high-street brands have the right intentions and do what they can, they’re still limited by the realities of retail demands – and this just isn’t a challenge in domiciliary.
Put simply, whatever your specific requirements, you can expect a genuine conversation about making it happen. For example, we have recently helped Optometrists find roles offering school hours, no weekends and even term-time only contracts.
shift away from the high-street
Some Optometrists we support have reached a stage where they’re looking for something different in their careers. Something with less commercial drivers, more variation, more time with patients and more clinical focus - that’s where domiciliary ticks the boxes.
Although we work with several outstanding high-street brands who provide excellent careers for Optometrists, it’s just a reality that some Optometrists look for something different and domiciliary really does provide that.
no weekend working
Need we say more? Domiciliary work is all about providing eye care to those who can’t reach the high-street, which means it isn’t constrained to retail hours. So, you can forget working late nights, weekends and bank holidays – it just isn’t a part of the industry.
As you can imagine, working Monday to Friday is massively appealing to optical professionals (who’ve spent most of their careers working weekends) and it is one of the main drivers for people considering domiciliary.
change lives with your clinical skills
In a nutshell, Domiciliary Optometrists provide critical eye care to those who cannot make it to the high-street - but it’s so much more than that. Domiciliary patients are often vulnerable people who may not have had an eye exam (or even a visitor) for some time, and rely on their sight for not only their quality of life, but their safety too.
Domiciliary Optometrists encounter a lot of interesting pathology due to the patient demographic, so they are constantly utilising and developing their clinical skills and going beyond traditional eye tests. That’s why they’re equipped with a wide range of market-leading technology and always have support on hand should they need a second opinion from a fellow professional.
salary and benefits
On top of all of that, some of the salaries and benefits on offer from domiciliary brands are really outstanding. We’re talking £80,000+ packages, including circa £70,000 basic salaries, monthly bonus and additional welcome bonuses of up to £10,000.
Given it’s domiciliary, you can also expect a new company car to drive around in, with most brands now offering electric vehicles. Great pensions, private medical insurance, life assurance and all the benefits you’ve come to expect also come as standard, plus a range of smaller benefits that all add up to make the packages some of the best in the industry.
optometrist insights.
So, what are the Optometrists who recently started careers in domiciliary saying about it? Well, we asked them. Many admitted to worrying about certain misconceptions before starting, only to find that they’re exactly that – misconceptions.
Domiciliary is incredibly rewarding and offers excellent work-life balance - particularly with no weekends and term-time contracts. It is often described as a midpoint between high-street and hospital optometry and many are surprised by how clinically engaging the role is, how advanced the technology is, and how good the level of support on hand is, too.
Our advice? Take that antiquated image of lugging lots of outdated equipment into care homes where you do a run of routine eye tests with no access to a second opinion, and chuck it out the (car) window. Then get in touch so we can tell you more about what it’s really like.
what's the process?
We’re not here to talk you into something that isn’t right for you – that’s not how we do things. Our job is to guide you on the journey to discovering a new career that will make your life better, whether that be domiciliary or not. So, we’ll support you one (non-committal) step at a time.
We get it, it’s a unique offering and you probably have a lot of questions. So, if you want to, you can kick things off with an informal (and confidential) chat with us, where you can quiz us to your heart's content. From there, you’ll have the opportunity to organise a shadow day and/or chat to another Optometrist who’s doing domiciliary and interview with the hiring manager, should you want to.
Our job is to help you find your perfect job, and (not to toot our own horn) we’re pretty good at it, and we think that’s because we’re all about putting you first.
