Top 12 Optometric Technician Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the crowded world of eye care, a sharp resume matters. Optometric technicians who spotlight practical, in-demand skills stand out fast—because clinics want accuracy, speed, and calm hands under pressure.
Optometric Technician Skills
- OCT Interpretation
- Retinoscopy
- Phoropter Usage
- Visual Field Testing
- Autorefractor Proficiency
- Tonometry
- Patient Education
- EMR Software (e.g., RevolutionEHR)
- Contact Lens Fitting
- Slit Lamp Examination
- Biometry
- Fundus Photography
1. OCT Interpretation
OCT interpretation means reading cross-sectional images of the retina and optic nerve (and sometimes the anterior segment) to spot subtle structural change—edema, thinning, traction, drusen, nerve fiber defects—so diagnoses land sooner and management is targeted.
Why It's Important
It underpins early detection of glaucoma, diabetic macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, and more. Modern clinics also lean on OCT-Angiography for noninvasive retinal vascular assessment, making competent interpretation even more valuable.
How to Improve OCT Interpretation Skills
Master the anatomy: Map retinal layers in your head and know how they look when healthy versus disrupted.
Own the acquisition: Poor scans lie. Center the fovea, minimize motion, and repeat low-quality segments.
Learn artifact patterns: Blink lines, segmentation errors, tilt, shadowing—recognize and correct or re-scan.
Build pattern recognition: AMD drusen vs. pachychoroid changes, ERM with traction, DME cysts, glaucoma RNFL/GCC loss.
Dip into OCT-A: Understand flow voids, FAZ size, projection artifacts, and how to cross-check with structural B-scans.
Cross-verify: Align OCT findings with slit-lamp, fundus photos, fields, and IOP. Images never live alone.
Keep learning: Short courses, case reviews, and device-user updates help you spot the unusual earlier.
How to Display OCT Interpretation Skills on Your Resume
2. Retinoscopy
Retinoscopy objectively assesses refractive error by observing the retinal reflex through changing lenses. It sets a rock-solid starting point for refraction—especially when patients can’t respond reliably.
Why It's Important
It works when nothing else does. Pediatrics, nonverbal patients, media opacities, poor responders—retinoscopy still delivers usable data.
How to Improve Retinoscopy Skills
Lock in working distance: Keep it consistent and always subtract the correct dioptric equivalent.
Streak control: Read with- and against-motion confidently; refine axis with power cross and clock dial cues.
Neutralize efficiently: Bracket quickly, then fine-tune; switch hands or positions for tricky obliques.
Mind accommodation: Fog appropriately; consider cycloplegia for kids or active accommodators.
Use good targets: A distant, steady fixation point cuts noise and cleans up the reflex.
Practice on variety: Irregular corneas, high astigmats, post-op eyes—exposure sharpens judgement.
How to Display Retinoscopy Skills on Your Resume
3. Phoropter Usage
The phoropter is where subjective refinement happens—sphere, cylinder, axis, binocular balance, and specialty steps like cross-cylinder and prism checks to land crisp, comfortable prescriptions.
Why It's Important
Accurate, efficient refractions keep schedules moving and patients happy. Precision here saves remakes and headaches later.
How to Improve Phoropter Usage Skills
Know every control: Manual and digital units behave differently; fluency trims minutes off each exam.
Guide the patient: Short, specific prompts (“one or two”) and patient-friendly pacing reduce over-minus.
Refine smartly: Use JCC methodically, defog before finalizing, and balance binocularly when appropriate.
Stabilize endpoints: Don’t chase micro-changes; confirm comfort at working distances and for task needs.
Maintain the instrument: Clean lenses, check alignment, and keep the device calibrated.
How to Display Phoropter Usage Skills on Your Resume
4. Visual Field Testing
Visual field testing maps central and peripheral sensitivity to catch functional loss from glaucoma, retinal disease, neurologic lesions, and more.
Why It's Important
Structure tells part of the story. Fields reveal function—progression, stability, and whether treatment is really protecting vision.
How to Improve Visual Field Testing Skills
Prep the patient: Explain the task simply, emphasize fixation, and demonstrate the response button. Anxiety drops, reliability jumps.
Choose the right strategy: 24-2C or 24-2 for many glaucoma patients, 10-2 for macular or advanced cases, SITA Faster when fatigue is a risk.
Set it up right: Proper trial lens, correct eye, lids taped if ptosis, comfortable chin and forehead placement.
Control the space: Quiet room, dim lighting, no distractions. Fatigue ruins fields—schedule breaks on long runs.
Watch reliability: Fixation losses, false positives/negatives, gaze tracking. Retest when indices scream trouble.
Interpret with context: Look for clusters, respect the nerve fiber bundle pattern, and compare to OCT over time.
How to Display Visual Field Testing Skills on Your Resume
5. Autorefractor Proficiency
Operating an autorefractor cleanly—alignment, multiple readings, interpretation—provides quick, objective data that speeds up the exam.
Why It's Important
It’s the launchpad for refraction. Solid measurements mean fewer surprises in the chair and smoother patient flow.
How to Improve Autorefractor Proficiency Skills
Understand the device: Learn your model’s alignment cues, pupil limits, and error flags.
Reduce accommodation: Use distant fixation or open-field units; remind patients to relax their focus.
Repeat and average: Take multiple readings and toss out outliers, especially with dry eye or small pupils.
Check against reality: Compare outputs to subjective refraction trends; know when the auto result misleads.
Maintain and calibrate: Clean optics and verify calibration regularly for trustworthy numbers.
How to Display Autorefractor Proficiency Skills on Your Resume
6. Tonometry
Tonometry measures intraocular pressure using methods like Goldmann applanation, rebound, or non-contact. It’s a pillar of glaucoma assessment.
Why It's Important
Elevated or fluctuating IOP is a major risk factor for glaucoma. Reliable pressure checks support early diagnosis and informed treatment decisions.
How to Improve Tonometry Skills
Match method to patient: Goldmann for gold-standard accuracy, rebound for kids or contact lens wearers (with shields removed), NCT for quick screening.
Perfect the technique: For Goldmann—proper fluorescein, even semicircles, correct prism alignment, and steady head positioning.
Mind the cornea: Record pachymetry when available. Edema, scars, or keratoconus can skew readings.
Average thoughtfully: Take multiple readings, note diurnal timing, and watch for breath-hold or lid pressure artifacts.
Disinfect correctly: Use single-use covers where required; clean tonometer tips per current infection-control guidance to prevent cross-transmission.
How to Display Tonometry Skills on Your Resume
7. Patient Education
Patient education turns complex eye care into clear next steps—conditions explained plainly, treatments understood, lens care done right.
Why It's Important
Informed patients follow plans, spot warning signs earlier, and report better satisfaction. That’s not fluff; it reduces complications.
How to Improve Patient Education Skills
Use plain language: Skip jargon. Short sentences, everyday words, tidy summaries.
Show, don’t just tell: Models, diagrams, photos of their own scans—visuals make it stick.
Apply teach-back: Ask patients to explain instructions in their words. Gaps appear; you fill them.
Tailor delivery: Consider culture, language, literacy, and accessibility. Provide translated or large-print materials when needed.
Reinforce later: Handouts and secure messages after the visit help patients do the right thing at home.
How to Display Patient Education Skills on Your Resume
8. EMR Software (e.g., RevolutionEHR)
EMR/EHR systems store clinical data, power scheduling and billing, and connect devices and e-prescribing. Proficiency keeps charts clean and visits smooth.
Why It's Important
Fast, accurate documentation with solid data integrity supports quality care and a sane clinic workflow. Errors here ripple everywhere.
How to Improve EMR Software (e.g., RevolutionEHR) Skills
Customize smartly: Build templates and quick-picks for common exam types; reduce free-typing and copy-paste traps.
Integrate devices: Set up clean imports from OCT, fields, fundus cameras, and autorefractors; label consistently.
Speed with intent: Learn hotkeys, favorites, and order sets. Fewer clicks, fewer mistakes.
Protect privacy: Understand role-based access, audit trails, and secure messaging. Follow HIPAA policies without shortcuts.
Stay ready for downtime: Know backup workflows and how to reconcile data once systems return.
How to Display EMR Software (e.g., RevolutionEHR) Skills on Your Resume
9. Contact Lens Fitting
Contact lens fitting balances corneal shape, tear film, vision demands, and material properties to deliver comfort and clarity—safely.
Why It's Important
A good fit prevents hypoxia, inflammation, and dropout. A great fit? Patients forget they’re even wearing lenses.
How to Improve Contact Lens Fitting Skills
Measure precisely: Keratometry and corneal topography guide base curve, diameter, and specialty choices.
Assess the tears: Tear breakup time, osmolarity clues, lid margin health—material and care system depend on this.
Trial and observe: Evaluate movement, centration, and push-up test at slit lamp; over-refract to polish vision.
Match lifestyle: Daily vs. monthly, toric, multifocal, scleral, or ortho-k—select what fits the patient’s real world.
Teach thoroughly: Hygiene, insertion/removal, wear time limits, and red-flag symptoms. Then recheck technique.
Follow up: Early and scheduled reviews catch dryness, rotation issues, or mapping changes before trouble starts.
How to Display Contact Lens Fitting Skills on Your Resume
10. Slit Lamp Examination
The slit lamp is a microscope with powerful lighting that reveals lids, conjunctiva, cornea, anterior chamber, iris, and lens in vivid detail.
Why It's Important
Minute findings—SPK, guttata, cells and flare, lens opacities, neovascularization—guide diagnosis and immediate management.
How to Improve Slit Lamp Examination Skills
Use the right illumination: Diffuse, parallelepiped, optic section, sclerotic scatter, specular reflection, retroillumination—switch often.
Work ergonomically: Position the patient well, adjust your seat, and keep movements smooth and small.
Add diagnostics: Fluorescein with cobalt blue, lid eversion, meibomian gland expression, and anterior chamber grading.
Document clearly: Capture standardized photos or short videos when available; note laterality and clock hours.
Care for the device: Clean optics, replace chinrest paper, disinfect contact accessories per protocol.
How to Display Slit Lamp Examination Skills on Your Resume
11. Biometry
Biometry measures ocular dimensions—axial length, keratometry, anterior chamber depth, and more. It supports cataract co-management, specialty lens work, and myopia management.
Why It's Important
Accurate measurements steer lens power selection, monitor growth in progressive myopia, and flag outliers that need a second look.
How to Improve Biometry Skills
Standardize your protocol: Consistent fixation targets, blink control, and multiple readings for averaging.
Prepare the eye: Remove contact lenses as recommended; manage tear film for stable keratometry.
Watch quality metrics: Signal strength, confidence indices, and repeatability matter—reject weak captures.
Calibrate routinely: Follow the device schedule and log checks to keep data tight.
Track change over time: For myopia care, record axial length at consistent intervals and times of day.
How to Display Biometry Skills on Your Resume
12. Fundus Photography
Fundus photography captures detailed images of the posterior segment—optic nerve, macula, vasculature, and peripheral retina—for documentation, diagnosis, and follow-up.
Why It's Important
It preserves a visual record. Change over time becomes unmistakable, and patient education becomes much easier with their own images.
How to Improve Fundus Photography Skills
Set up for success: Dilate when appropriate, align carefully, and stabilize the patient’s head to avoid motion blur.
Tune the capture: Adjust focus, exposure, and flash intensity; compensate for media opacities; take multiple fields if needed.
Aim for consistency: Same fields, same magnification, same lighting between visits to make comparisons clean.
Mind post-processing: Light adjustments to brightness or contrast are fine—don’t alter clinical content.
Archive properly: Store with clear labels and link to the chart so images are easy to find at follow-up.
How to Display Fundus Photography Skills on Your Resume
