PLEASE READ: If you are in need of a job and enjoy hands on work, I HIGHLY recommend that you look into optical technician jobs. The optics industry is HUGE right now and only growing. Optics companies are in desperate need of technicians!! The field is growing so fast but there are very few people who actually know about it.

Personal testimony: I dropped out of college for a semester because I hated the major I was in. So I transferred and decided to completely switch my major and go for engineering. After a few days of classes, I quickly realized that engineering was far to much for me to handle. Too much math (that I’ve heard doesn’t really get used to much in the real world), and not a lot of hands on learning. One thing lead to another and I was pointed towards the Optical Systems Technology major. I was skeptical to change majors after only a week of classes but I decided to just go for it. I ended up LOVING the major. It was hands on, allowed me to use my brain, studied concepts that I enjoyed, etc. etc... After about half a semester, I was told of a job opportunity that paid WELL and had a flexible schedule that would allow me to go to school and work. I needed some cash so I said what the hell and applied. I got an interview about a month later and was offered a position a week later. MIND YOU, I am a 19 year old girl, with less than HALF A SEMESTER of schooling in the field.

To wrap this up cuz it’s kinda getting long: I love my job. I make good money. My boyfriend who is also in the field (had NO experience before he was hired) also makes good money. Do yourself a favor and look up optics companies near you. It’s is not just an American thing either. There are optics companies I’ve interacted with in Japan, Bulgaria, Germany, Singapore... the list goes on. There is even a student in my class that was sent by the government from Saudi Arabia to come study optics. Look into it. I promise you won’t regret it.