In the corporate world, it's really easy for new graduates to get jobs. They're looking for people like crazy. I think it's more of an investment in your future to establish yourself in private practice, though. In corporate optometry, you get a lovely starting salary but don't go up much from there. A person who is empathetic, self-directed and has good communication skills.
Optometry is an art and a science.
You have to be a good listener and creative when you're prescribing contacts and glasses for people. You also have to respond to people's complaints and needs. It's a really great profession to get into now, because it's not as crowded as it used to be. In our country there are peaks and valleys in different professions. All the health professions are a little on the downswing right now, and everything seems to be geared more toward computers and business.