Verum writes

Over the next few months this year's crop of pre-registration students will complete their final examinations and register as fully qualified optometrists. Despite an increase in numbers, there is still an active recruitment market in many areas for newly qualifieds.

Observers consider some employers are willing to pay inflated salaries for the level of experience on offer. This behaviour is presumably driven by the knowledge that a practice has to have optometrists to perform eye examinations and so lead to spectacle sales. My advice to those seeking new roles is caveat emptor - the employer will want their pound of flesh, overly tempting salaries have to be earned.