I will be honest with you. When I first included a vacancies section on this site, I hoped to provide a direct link between practices and professionals. However, I soon realised that simply hosting a list of vacancies was not the most effective way to help you find the right fit. Rather than providing a redundant list of adverts, I want this page to be a practical guide on how to find your own path and who you should talk to along the way.
Finding your pre-reg placement or your first role as a qualified optometrist is about more than just a salary. It is about finding an environment where you can bridge the gap between university theory and the fast-paced reality of the high street.
Pre-Reg Vacancies
If you are looking for a pre-registration placement, I include the following links to platforms that offer vacancy listings.
College of Optometrists: Pre-Registration Vacancies
Pre-Registration Registers
You are able to register that you will be looking for a pre-registration placement on several registers. Whilst this will not guarantee an offer, highlighting that you are an optometry student looking for a pre-registration placement will help those looking to offer someone a pre-registration placement.
Association of Optometrists (AOP): Pre-Registration Register
The Eyedrops Database: Positions Sought
Pre-Registration Pathways (Multiple Practice)
Many of the multiples will provide information on how to apply to their pre-registration programme whilst you are at university. Due to the sheer number of applications and placements they can offer, sometimes there are some vacancies that can arise post the sorting process (i.e. a pre-registration placement is accepted by the pre-registration optometrist elsewhere – or the applicant did not achieve the required grade to start their pre-registration placement).
Optical Express – Pre-Reg Optometrist Applications
Hakim Group – Pre-Reg Optometrist Applications
Locate Proactively
Instead of waiting for the perfect job to appear on a board, I encourage a more proactive approach. Having worked in nearly 60 different practices, I have found that the best opportunities often come through direct engagement.
Many students that message me on instagram often say they haven’t currently secured a pre-registration placement because they haven’t seen one advertised anywhere. Reach out to independent practices or other stores and state that you are looking to complete a pre-registration placement. You may face a lot of “no-vacancies” but – many stores are connected to other practice owners that may be looking.
Reach out proactively and you will also be demonstrating a strong attribute of someone that a business owner may wish to employ.
Pre-Registration Vacancies on LinkedIn
If you do not have a LinkedIn account and you are struggling to locate a job (pre-registration vacancy or otherwise), then consider setting an account up. Having a complete job history, with contacts that can verify your skills will help make you visible to recruiters that may be looking for pre-registration applicants for an independent.
Furthermore – if you post that you are looking for a pre-registration placement then you may find this message is shared via your contacts and may be seen by a practice looking to take a pre-registration optometrist on. If you wish to tag/follow me (Jason Searle) or The Eye Care Advocate when searching, I will happily help share to my network of over 3500 connections.
Cast a Wider Net: Locations May Be Limited
Another significant hurdle for students applying for a pre-registration placement is having their heart set on a particular practice or area. Only very few pre-registration placements will be available in your chosen area – and, should there be many applicants in that area, your chances may be reduced in securing it.
It is not a reflection on you if you do not get the placement – as each practice will be looking how best the pre-reg will fit in to their particular store.
Therefore, to maximise your chance of getting a placement, be prepared to look further a field. “Home” for me was Bristol. I studied in Cardiff. Both would have been ideal locations for pre-reg. However, the best placement for me ended up in Monmouth – so I had to travel. Rented a room in someone’s house and did my placement and went “home” on the weekends.
Remember, you do not have a lot of time once finishing your degree to get on to your pre-registration placement – don’t let the 3-4 years of hard work get wasted because you were waiting for a role to come into existance where there isn’t one.
I am not saying you need to travel to the other end of the country, but the wider you are able to cast your net, the more opportunities you will have available to you.
Our Community Platform Can Help
Pre-registration years are notoriously tough. There is a significant learning curve as you transition from student life to that of an employed indivdual, where you have to translate the theory you have learned into clinical practice.
If you have had to move, or if you have lost contact with some of your peers, it can feel quite isolating. This is part of the reason that I set up The Eye Care Advocate Community platform.
It acts as a community, with access to other qualifed professionals that are happy to help mentor you if needed. There are resources such as skill simulators (including a cover test simultor and an ocular motility simulator), as well as skill courses to help you master the basics, so you can focus on the abnormals.
Many of our onboarded experienced optometrists and dispensing opticians have said this resource is something they wish they had as a student and a pre-registration optometrist. So please do check out our judgement-free space if you are about to onboard this busy year.
Issues During Pre-Registration
Remember, if you are struggling with your pre-registration placement, please reach out to your supervisor. If you are unable to do this, please reach out to the pre-registration team at your multiple (if appropriate) and the College of Optometrists Educational Support Team.
The AOP also have a confidential Peer Support Line. The AOP Peer Support Line is a confidential, free-phone helpline for individuals (members and non-members) at any stage of their optical career to call and discuss their problems with a trained, empathetic peer who recognises the pressures of optical practice. You can call them on:
0800 870 8401
Please do not suffer in silence. The Eye Care Advocate is also a safe space to raise concerns or reach out for support – and our Community Platform will also be able to offer support if or when required.
International Conversion
If you are an international optometrist looking to convert their optometry qualification and have been told to undergo a pre-registration placement, Specsavers have an International Optometrists application form that you may apply to
International Optometrists Wishing to Convert to UK
– Specsavers Pre-Registration Page
Please note this Specsavers page only applies to optometrists who have qualified outside the UK and are currently undergoing, or have completed, the GOC’s route to registration for international applicants.
Final Tips
Before rushing to sign a pre-registration contract – take the time to do due dilligence on the business that you will be working for:
Research the Practice Culture: Before applying, look at the business. Does it align with your own moral compass? Do they prioritise patient care and workforce wellbeing?
Visit in Person: If you are a student looking for a Saturday job or a pre-reg placement, visiting a practice in person shows a level of initiative that is highly valued in a clinical environment.
Current/Previous Pre-Registration Optometrists: Ask if they have a current pre-registration optometrist and see if you can arrange time to talk to them. Ask how they are getting on and the pros and cons of the placement at the given practice.
Meet Your Supervisor(s): I cannot stress this enough. Many pre-registration optometrists that have reached out to me have said that they do not get on well with their supervisor. Asking further, many have said they didn’t meet before starting their placement. For your own wellbeing and safe progression, you will need to get on with your supervisor. Meeting in advance will help you get a feel on how you may get on, what they expect of you and what you can expect of them.
Equipment: Ask about the equipment that they have. At university you may be used to new equipment, have the luxuries of OCT and Optomap. In practice…well, equipment available (and condition!) may vary. My pre-registration practice was well equipped but didn’t have a non-contact tonometer…so I had to make arrangements to get signed off on that. It is worth asking if you will need to purchase your own equipment too.
Scope the Area: The location of a practice often dictates the “flavour” of your pre-reg year. Every demographic offers unique learning opportunities; some areas may provide a higher volume of complex NHS cases and advanced pathology, while others might focus more on private eyecare and elective enhancements. Both offer valuable, yet very different, clinical experiences.
Beyond the testing room, consider the practicalities of the local infrastructure. Check the ease of commuting, parking availability, and local cost of living. It is also worth looking at nearby amenities like gyms, reliable internet speeds for your studies, and general leisure opportunities. While a postcode should never define your expectations of a patient, ensuring the environment supports both your clinical growth and your daily wellbeing is essential for a sustainable year.
Support: Check with the practice if they offer any additional support. With some of the multiples offering their own conferences and their own training schemes, some may allow you an allowance for additional training from external sources – such as The Eye Care Advocate Community, Out of the Box Optics, Optom Academy etc. You may otherwise be expected to pay for your own additional training.
Contractual Tie-Ins and Restrictive Covenants: I cover this more in my article of Contracts and the Pre-Registration Optometrist. Check to see if there is a contractual tie-in by your pre-registration optometrist employer (used to help them recover the costs of providing your training) and if there is an opportunity to buy yourself out (as some optometrists may not be the best fit for a store). If there is a buy out clause, check to see how much you would owe if you leave before the tie-in time. Additionally check for restrictive covenants, which are there to stop you from joining a competitor in the immediate area. If you have any concerns over the contract – seek advice from The Association of Optometrists.
Salary: I include this one last as this is one that many feel should be first. Of course you need to be paid for your work, but please do not set salary as a key component of your negotiations. Yes, Store A may offer you 5p more an hour than Store B, but if Store A is not a right fit and you end up failing your assessments through lack of adequate experience or testing, then the resit of the assessments and the OSCEs will certainly cost a lot more than the extra bit of salary you may receive. Additionally, businesses generally want value for their money. If one place is paying much more than another, it may be worth looking at what is expected of you for that wage. Don’t be blinded by the poundsigns (and this also is a must if you consider locuming in the future!)
I hope this page has been useful to you. I want every optometrist to be happy in their role and keep that passion for eye care. For more resources and to discuss these factors further, please sign up to The Eye Care Advocate Community today for a companion through this notoriously difficult year.