19/05 2022 - Stores
Originally, Patrick Sørensen wanted to be a zookeeper. Instead, he wound up in a job which is – to a large extent – about taking good care of people. That provided him with a clear vision of his career, which has picked up speed ever since he began as a sales intern at Louis Nielsen*.
*In 2005, Specsavers acquired the successful Danish optical chain Louis Nielsen, led by its founder of the same name. As the brand was so well-known within Denmark, the stores kept operating under the name Louis Nielsen.
Patrick started out in one of Louis Nielsen’s largest stores, Ryesgade in Aarhus, where he continued as an optical assistant after finishing his education. It went well, but gradually, the optical part of the job drew him in so much that he realised he had to get an education to become an optician as well.
“Selling spectacles is somewhat more complex than just selling an item. And sometimes, I was a bit frustrated that I couldn’t quite grasp what the opticians were talking about. Diving deep into the optical part of the job became very exciting to me,” says 28-year-old Patrick, who didn’t hesitate when his boss promised him an internship and a job once he had finished his optician studies.
In 2021, he finished his optician studies, and his career vision hasn’t blurred since.
“I love the anatomical part of my work, where we look at the retina and measure the pressure in the eye. All cases are different, and the collaboration we have with eye doctors is something that strengthens our expertise in everything health-related. It’s very reassuring to have a doctor in reserve, and it is also professionally satisfying when someone confirms that you have diagnosed correctly,” says Patrick, who has experienced several times how his professional competence as an optician has resulted in findings that have been life-changing for the customer.
“Once, I found a tumour on the optic nerve of someone who came in because she had a hard time seeing. She came back and was so very happy that I had done my job properly. In situations like that, you really feel how you’re making a big difference for people,” says Patrick.
Although newly educated as an optician, he has spent seven years at Louis Nielsen combined. He sees it as a strength that he’s experienced with both sales and the optical side of things. Seeing both angles on the business has prepared him well for his next career step, he thinks. He’s on the verge of joining Louis Nielsen’s internal Partner in Development programme, aimed at equipping candidates with the tools needed to become optical partners with their own Louis Nielsen stores. He’s hoping to get the chance very soon, and when he does, he won’t hesitate.
“It’s an exciting journey to be part of. The career opportunities in this company are insanely good. We’re the market leader, and you can feel that in the management and in the ambitions. When we receive new equipment in the stores, it is always state-of-the-art. And if you need education on any subject, there are endless possibilities for further training and courses, no matter if you are an optician or a salesperson,” says Patrick.
Besides the great career opportunities, Patrick thinks that the strong sense of solidarity and the almost family-like ambience found in the store teams is a characteristic of Louis Nielsen. Everyday life as an optician can be busy, but everyone on the team pulls together to fulfil the ambitions of the store. This is just one of the many reasons why Patrick has had no regrets about not becoming a zookeeper.
“Long since I’ve found out that I prefer working with people. I enjoy the fact that everyday life in the store is fast-paced. I never just sit and stare into a computer screen all day.”
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