Optical assistant with an eye for spectacle design
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13/04 2022 - Support office

Optical assistant with an eye for spectacle design

“I have been fascinated by glasses ever since I was a child,” says Stine Westlund who is an optician’s assistant at Specsavers in Kongsvinger, Norway. In addition to her regular job, she’s a spectacle stylist and press contact for frames and trends for Specsavers Norway.

Read this story in Norwegian

“At Specsavers, I work with something that really engages me,” says Stine, who reveals that as a child, she often went to the local optician to see and try glasses. The only problem was that she had vision like an eagle, so she didn’t need glasses. But the interest and her eye for frames she brought with her, and today she’s a professional who’s listened to for her expertise in the field.

Blogging about glasses

“Eye for spectacles” is Stine's own blog about glasses and eyewear design. She’s been doing it for many years and a few years ago, Specsavers asked if she would consider becoming a press contact for frames and trends. “Glasses are a unique way to express your personal style, like a piece of jewellery on the face,” says Stine, who is proud to help make glasses cool.

In addition to the blog where she writes and photographs, she has a regular column in Specsavers’ own frame magazine for Northern Europe. There she writes about the season’s “Top 5” frames. “Specsavers has so many great frames that don’t always get the attention they deserve,” says Stine, who also sits on Specsavers frame council for Northern Europe.

Partner in Development

Stine is married to the boss – her husband is the store partner of Specsavers in Kongsvinger. She herself works as an optical assistant and is busy with customer care, which includes preliminary examinations with OCT, pressure measurements, autorefraction and perimetry, and not least guidance in choosing the frame and type of glass. Part of everyday life also goes into internal training of the store’s own employees in the role of “in-store trainer”. In addition, she’s currently completing Specsavers’ internal training programme Partner in Development.

Eye health for everyone

“Specsavers has revolutionised the industry,” Stine claims. She explains how Specsavers cut costly intermediaries and ensured that prices are sharply reduced over a couple of decades. Professional development is also a theme that engages Stine: “Progress is constantly being made in optometry and eye health, and Specsavers ensures that we stay up to date. We have good systems for training and sharing competence.” Stine mentions, in particular, the annual Clinical Conference that Specsavers organises for the entire industry, which is considered the most important learning programme for eye health.

Personal development

Stine is a living example of Specsavers taking care of the talents and ensuring professional and personal development for all its people. “The tools for development are there, and my best advice is to use them,” says Stine, who believes all the opportunities for keeping your professional expertise up-to-date are the most important reason why so many people enjoy working at Specsavers. She herself has participated in a number of training programmes and as mentioned, she is now learning to become a store partner.

Wanted to become an actor

When Stine was little, she was determined to become an actress. Maybe it was the desire to play different roles that made her go to the optician and try on different glasses. In that case, she has played roles all her life, for she reveals that she has been wearing glasses with zero strength for 20 years. “I love glasses, so I have the drawer full of beautiful frames with glasses that don’t correct my vision,” says Stine who for the occasion wears round glasses from Ivana Helsinki.

At Specsavers, we are always in search of talents! Check out our open vacancies here, and read more about joining us as an optician or an optical assistant.

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