A letter to my former interns

Oct 10, 2025

Congratulations!

I can assume that it's as if a huge weight was just lifted off from your shoulders because that's how we felt on our last day of practical exams.

I have a few recommendations for you while waiting for your results. (No, you don't have to do them immediately.)

1. Get your IDs in order

These are your:

They're all free if you're applying for a job for the first time. Having all four ready expedites your onboarding process as compared to someone who doesn't[^1]. In most cases, your employer will accomplish this for you. You'll just need to fill out some forms from HR (and follow up from time to time).

2. Update your resume

I suggest you start building a personal brand by updating your socials. In the professional world, nothing beats LinkedIn and a well-formatted resume.

Here's a resume example. It's based on the Harvard format. Some companies use software to filtering resumes, especially eye centers and hospitals. When applying for optical retails, most recruiters wouldn't mind the format as long as it was tidy.

Add everything optometry related: certificates, seminars, internships, leadership skills, etc.

Tips:

Omit your graduation year, now you have something to talk about during your interview.
Don't pay for any resume makers online, you can do this with Docs or MS Word
If you want to not think about the formatting, use this free resume maker[^2].
No, you don't need to post your picture on your resume.

3. Update your LinkedIn profiles.

Most recruiting managers message you here first when you update your profile to Open to Work. Remove the banner[^3] on your profile picture when you find one.

4. Be a customer to where you want to work at[^4].

Other than internships, you can understand your future workplace more both as a service provider and a customer receiving that service.

Ask yourself, as an optometrist:

How could I improve the service that I experienced to my customers?

Repeat this process elsewhere.

5. When you get the job, know your limits.

It’s good to say yes when you’re starting out, wanting any opportunity, or needing variety, it’s bad to say yes when you’re overwhelmed, over-committed, or need to focus.

TL;DR

If you can, get your government IDs before getting your first job.
Update your resume.
Update your LinkedIn.
Be a customer to where you want to work at.
Once employed, know your limits by going beyond them.

I look forward to seeing you in the workforce. Congratulations again and good luck!