Optician CV: Example and Template
How to structure your CV as an optician so that refraction, contact lens expertise and workshop practice are immediately visible to Swiss optical retailers.
Currently 71 open Optician positions in Switzerland, across 18 cantons. Fielmann Group advertises the most.
CV example — two-page template
This template is editable straight away — or upload your existing CV and it is carried into this layout automatically.
What qualification do I need to demonstrate on an optician's CV?
State your qualification using the exact Swiss designation - EFZ, Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education or Bachelor of Science in Optometry - and specify which examinations you are authorised to perform independently.
The foundation is the three-year Swiss Federal VET Diploma as an optician (EFZ). Those who have gone further write either «certified optician HFP» (Advanced Federal Diploma of Higher Education) or «Bachelor of Science in Optometry, FHNW Olten». For employers, these three titles are not interchangeable: they determine whether you may bill refractions and optometric screenings independently or must work under supervision. Place the title in the headline, therefore, not only in the education section at the end.
Foreign diplomas need an addition. Note whether recognition by the SBFI is in place or has been applied for, and translate the competency into Swiss terms: «Refraction, contact lens fitting and workshop work independently, equivalent to Optician EFZ». Also add your residence permit status, since HR departments need this information for registration.
Professional further training belongs in its own short section: SBAO courses on rigid lenses or myopia management, paediatric optometry, low vision, sports optics, or the course for vocational trainers. Add the year in each case. A certificate from 2014 without practice behind it looks weaker than a recent course backed by case numbers in the experience section.
How do I describe my professional experience with figures without overinflating it?
Use the metrics that are already tracked in the optical shop anyway: refractions per year, contact lens fittings, discontinuation and complaint rates, workshop unit counts and average transaction value.
Start each position with two lines of context: type of business (owner-operated, chain, branch size), team size, available equipment and your area of responsibility. A business with a Keratograph, perimeter and own workshop calls for a different profile than a pure sales shop with outsourced lens processing. Follow this with three to four points showing results, not task descriptions.
Quantify in professional terms rather than generally. «Around 1'400 refractions per year, 35% of which progressive lenses, complaint rate 2.4%» says more than «extensive consulting experience». Good metrics include: number of new soft and rigid lens fittings, follow-up compliance, share of freeform lenses in lens revenue, number of edge treatments, rework and breakage rate, number of documented referrals to the ophthalmologist.
Show the full breadth of the profession. Many applications emphasise only sales and leave out the workshop and measurement technology - yet this is exactly what employers ask about: centring data and fitting parameters, edging, drill and nylon-cord mounting, final inspection in accordance with SN EN ISO 21987, calibration of devices, correct MiGeL billing for children's glasses and medically indicated contact lenses. Demonstrating both makes you employable as an all-rounder and strengthens your negotiating position.
How long should the CV be, and does it need a photo?
Two pages, a friendly portrait photo and the typical Swiss details - place of residence, permit, mobility and language levels - are standard in the optical retail trade.
Keep to a maximum of two pages. Page one contains your profile, key facts overview, current position and skills; page two the earlier positions, education, certificates and languages. With more than ten years of experience, summarise apprenticeship years and temporary positions in a single line. School reports and full employment references do not belong in the CV, but in the dossier appendix.
A photo is customary in Switzerland and practically expected in sales roles with customer contact: professional portrait, neutral background, well-groomed appearance. Avoid selfies and holiday photos. Details on marital status, religion or place of birth may be omitted; useful, on the other hand, are place of residence with canton, nationality or permit type, driving licence category B and your availability start date.
Adapt languages and region to the position. In bilingual cantons or tourist locations, French, Italian or English at consultation level counts double - state the level according to the CEFR (B2, C1) rather than «good knowledge». Also mention Saturday shifts and branch flexibility if you are available for them. Discuss salary only in the cover letter or upon request; realistic figures depending on region and title are around CHF 68'000 to CHF 85'000 with EFZ and CHF 85'000 to CHF 105'000 with a BSc in Optometry or HFP diploma.
Where Optician are hired in Switzerland
How the 71 open positions are spread across the cantons.
Figures as a table
| Canton | postings |
|---|---|
| Zürich | 14 |
| Bern | 10 |
| Luzern | 7 |
| Basel-Stadt | 5 |
| Aargau | 5 |
| St. Gallen | 4 |
| Solothurn | 4 |
| Freiburg | 3 |
Which languages the postings require
Of 68 postings that state a language — in brackets, those requiring professional level.
Figures as a table
| Language | postings |
|---|---|
| German | 68 (68) |
Who hires Optician in Switzerland
Employers with the most open positions. Staffing agencies are excluded.
Figures as a table
| Employer | postings |
|---|---|
| Fielmann Group | 64 |
| Ace & Tate | 2 |
| misterspex | 2 |
| Luzerner Kantonsspital | 2 |
| Rodenstock | 1 |
Full-time or part-time?
How the positions are advertised.
Figures as a table
| Workload | postings |
|---|---|
| Vollzeit / plein temps | 67 |
| Teilzeit / partiel | 2 |
The CV in full
To read through and reuse.
Nadine Brunner
Optician EFZ, BSc Optometry FHNW - Refraction, Contact Lenses, Workshop Management
Optician EFZ with a Bachelor of Science in Optometry and nine years of experience in owner-operated specialist shops and a retail chain. Focus areas are subjective refraction including binocular balancing per MKH, fitting of rigid and soft contact lenses, and optometric screening with slit lamp, fundus camera and non-contact tonometry. Manages a team of five employees, is responsible for the workshop in accordance with SN EN ISO 21987, and mentors apprentices through to the qualification procedure.
What sets me apart
Optometric screening at BSc level: Independently performs perimetry, fundoscopy, pachymetry and non-contact tonometry, and documents suspected cases so that referral to the ophthalmologist is traceable - 48 documented referrals in the past year, 11 with confirmed suspected glaucoma.
Contact lens specialist for difficult cases: Fitting of rigid multicurve, keratoconus and mini-scleral lenses using Keratograph topography; cares for 180 keratoconus and post-op wearers with follow-up checks at 6-month intervals.
Workshop and quality assurance: Responsible for centring, edging and drill mounting including final inspection with the focimeter in accordance with SN EN ISO 21987; reduced rework rate from 4.1% to 1.3%.
Consultation with closing strength: Sells freeform lenses through needs analysis rather than discounting: average eyewear revenue of CHF 890 with a 71% closing rate following refraction appointments.
Key achievements
Doubled the contact lens business. Built a structured fitting and follow-up process with a reminder system: increased contact lens subscriptions from 240 to 510 active customers, generating recurring revenue of CHF 310'000 per year.
Halved workshop turnaround time. Reorganised the tracer, edge-grinding machine and material flow, reducing delivery time for single-vision glasses from 5 to 2 working days across 3'500 frames per year.
Guided two apprentices to EFZ. Mentored two optician apprentices over 3 years each; both passed the qualification procedure with experience grades of 5.2 and 5.4.
Experience
Optician EFZ / Optometrist, Deputy Branch Manager — Optik Seeblick AG, Winterthur, 03/2020 - present
Specialist shop with 5 employees, two refraction rooms, own workshop and contact lens studio; annual revenue of around CHF 2.1 million.
- Performs around 1'400 refractions per year including MKH binocular balancing; complaint rate for progressive lenses at 2.4%.
- Grew the contact lens business from 240 to 510 subscriptions, increasing lens and care product revenue by CHF 165'000 per year.
- Reduced workshop rework from 4.1% to 1.3% through final inspection in accordance with SN EN ISO 21987 and weekly calibration of measuring devices.
- Responsible for staff scheduling for 5 employees as well as ordering with 12 lens and frame suppliers (goods value of CHF 420'000 per year).
Optician EFZ, Contact Lenses and Consultation — Vista Optik Rheintal GmbH, St. Gallen, 08/2016 - 02/2020
Branch of a regional chain with 9 locations, focus on paediatric optometry and sports eyewear.
- Handled 260 new contact lens fittings per year, including 45 rigid systems; discontinuation rate of 6% after 3 months.
- Increased the share of individual freeform lenses from 18% to 34% of lens revenue through video centring and needs analysis.
- Cared for around 300 children's glasses annually including correct MiGeL billing; insurer rejections under 1%.
- Achieved scores above 90 out of 100 points in internal mystery shopping for 4 consecutive years.
Optician EFZ, Workshop and Sales — Brillenatelier Lindenhof, Frauenfeld, 08/2013 - 07/2016
Owner-operated workshop with 3 employees, focused on craftsmanship edge finishing and repairs.
- Produced around 2'200 glasses per year, including 400 drilled and nylon-cord glasses with manual edging.
- Reduced lens breakage during drill mounting from 3.5% to 0.9% through new drilling templates and torque specifications.
- Introduced an express repair service: 90% of cases completed within 24 hours, 350 orders in the first year.
- Independently took on refractions under supervision from the second year onwards (around 400 per year).
Education
Bachelor of Science, Optometry — University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland FHNW, Olten · 2019
Federal VET Diploma (EFZ), Optician — Vocational school with training company, Winterthur · 2013
SBAO Certificate in Contact Lens Fitting, Rigid Systems module (2021) · Course for Vocational Trainers in Training Companies, 40 hours (2020) · Further training in Paediatric Optometry and Myopia Management (2022) · First Aid/BLS-AED course, renewed every 2 years (2024)