JUMP TO CONTENT

Ryan's Relocation: Optical Assistant to Retail Partner

Mike Davidson our consultant managing the role
Written by Mike Davidson
Posting date: 18 Oct 2024

Joining Specsavers with a personal milestone

Ryan joined Specsavers in 2017 as a Trainee Optical Assistant. Some negative experiences had left him in search of a new job. At the same time, he was battling with anxiety disorder. This meant he struggled with things like eating breakfast and felt unable to speak in front of people.

Getting through a job interview at Specsavers was a huge milestone. “I didn't care how it went. I just went home over the moon that I had been able to go and do a job interview and just, you know, get through it.” To then get the call that they would love to have you on board – “that was great”.

Starting the optics journey

Ryan was blown away with the level of training he received – “it was really cool to be in a business that actually gave a hoot about training their newbies”.

Once a fully-fledged OA, his mindset shifted to thinking optics could be a career. He explains he was excited by the idea of becoming a Dispensing Optician (DO), earning the accompanying letters after his name. It’s true, Ryan Turner FBDO looks pretty cool.

Partner discussions and the Oban question

After a solid year’s foundation as a DO (and welcoming a new little arrival to his family!), Ryan felt ready for his next step. So, with the support of Neil, the Optometrist Partner at Specsavers Kirkintilloch, he enrolled on the Specsavers Pathway programme, with the aspiration of becoming a partner.

Despite joking he thought he might ‘end his days’ in the Kirkintilloch store as he was “just part of the furniture” at that point, a call from our Partner Search team changed his path completely. It went something like: “I know when you first started Pathway, you said you wanted a commute that was less than an hour. How do you feel about Oban?” From where he was at the time, that's 2.5 hours’ drive.

Apprehensive about relocating his young family, Ryan met with his now business partner, Fiona, in Oban, and immediately sensed they could have a strong working relationship, plugging each other’s skill gaps. After thrashing out the pros and cons with his wife, the decision was made – “Ultimately, we're like, yeah, let's roll this dice. Let's do this.”

A few weeks into his new role as a Retail Director and reflecting on his journey thinking back to just being thrilled to complete an interview, Ryan says he’s so proud of himself. He adds that he “can get quite tearful about the difference seven years has made.”

Shoutout to Team Kirky

Ryan wanted to give a huge shoutout to the Kirkintilloch store, or ‘Team Kirky’. In his words, he headed to Oban “as the store director that Team Kirky built, because they are such a good team of people - incredible people.”

Why Specsavers? A Career for Everyone

Ryan believes one of the many special things about working at Specsavers is that it can suit anyone. It suits the high-fliers – “folk that come in being like, I want a career and I'm not going to rest until that's happened. They're great to have. They're so driven”. But also, people at the other end of the scale, who don’t need that, maybe because studying isn’t for them, or because they’re at a different stage of life. “Keep turning up and doing a good job? Great. That's what we want. You don't need to have that pressure either from yourself or from managers to say you need to be doing XY and Z."

Learn more about partnership with Specsavers
Mike Davidson our consultant managing the role
Written by Mike Davidson
List #1

#FeelsLikeSpecsavers

"I wanted something bigger": Anna-Marie's story

Teaser

Dispensing

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

05/02/2025

Summary

Born and raised in England, Anna-Marie moved to Northern Ireland at 18, unsure of her career path. She dabbled in painting and art, but it wasn’t until she took a receptionist role at an independent o

Teaser

Read more
Make a difference as a Dispensing Optician at Specsavers

Teaser

Dispensing

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/14/2025

Summary

Rachel Clarke was seven years old when she decided she wanted to be an optician. Why? Because her ultimate hero, her dad, who knew the answers to every question she ever asked, didn’t know how her

Teaser

Read more
Personal and professional growth: Amy's story

Teaser

Dispensing

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/14/2025

Summary

Amy Griffiths, a dedicated Dispensing Optician at the Swansea Specsavers store, has a life that revolves around her passion for optics and her energetic collie, Aurora. "My life kind of really centres

Teaser

Read more
From Optics to Audiology: Kristi’s journey

Teaser

Audiology

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/09/2025

Summary

Kristi journey from optics to audiology is a reflection of her determination and passion for helping others. Initially working in the Redditch branch of Specsavers, Kristi was intrigued by a career

Teaser

Read more
Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Relocating from Nigeria to the UK: Chidinma's story

Teaser

International Careers

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/08/2025

Summary

A new beginning Chidinma Ulu is an Optometrist who relocated to Bristol from Nigeria back in 2021. She’s excited to share her journey, from her education in Nigeria to becoming a fully qualified Optom

Teaser

Read more
From nervous beginner to confident leader: Katie's story

Teaser

Apprenticeships

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

04/03/2025

Summary

Katie Marshall, Supervisor in our Wellington store, started out as an Optical Assistant Apprentice. From going through some particularly tough times due to health challenges to flourishing in her care

Teaser

Read more
My Journey from South Africa to the UK: An Audiologist's Perspective

Teaser

Audiology

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/21/2025

Summary

Hi, I'm Deveny, and I'm currently working as a Hearing Aid Dispenser and Clinical Lead at Specsavers Bishopsgate in London. Before moving to the UK, I worked in South Africa across three different lo

Teaser

Read more
Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

“Specsavers is part of who I am today.”

Teaser

Support Office

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/20/2025

Summary

Petru's Pavalasc adventure with Specsavers started in February 2014. He'd just moved from London to Bradford with his wife and their six-month-old baby, looking for more than just a job to pay the bil

Teaser

Read more
My experience matters: Why I made the move to Home Visits Audiology Director

Teaser

Audiology

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/17/2025

Summary

After 10 years of being an audiologist in a high-street store, Hasan knew he was ready for a change. With a shift in the demographic of people coming into stores and an increase in requests for home

Teaser

Read more
Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

Mike Davidson

by

Mike Davidson

From Zoology to Optometry - a journey of discovery

Teaser

Apprenticeships

Content Type

Blog

Publish date

03/17/2025

Summary

From Zoology to Optometry - a journey of discovery James Roberts recently celebrated a significant milestone in his career journey by achieving a distinction in his Lab Technician Apprenticeship. Addi

Teaser

Read more
View more jobs
List #1

Selected jobs for you

Optical Assistant

Salary

From £26,382 (Depending on Experience)

Location

Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, United Kingdom

Contract Duration

Permanent

Area of Interest

Optical Assistant

Locations

Kingston upon Thames

Description

Optical Assistant - Kingston Upon Thames So, you’re a proactive people person ready to be the friendly face our stores need? Sounds like you’d be a great fit here. So, if you’ve had previous optical e

Reference

sf-81809-1

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Aiden Gerry

Author

Aiden Gerry
Aiden Gerry

Author

Aiden Gerry
View job
Trainee Optical Assistant

Salary

£24,675

Location

Newark, East Midlands, United Kingdom

Contract Duration

Permanent

Area of Interest

Trainee Optical Assistant

Locations

Newark

Description

So, you’re a proactive people person, passionate about retail and offering the best customer service? Sounds like you’d be a great fit here. So, if you’ve ever considered a career in optics, this Trai

Reference

sf-81807-1

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Rebecca Hooper View job
Call Centre and Admin Assistant

Salary

£10.21 - £12.41 Depending on age

Location

Wakefield, North East, United Kingdom

Contract Duration

Permanent

Area of Interest

Administration roles

Locations

Wakefield

Description

Wakefield Specsavers Specsavers. A household name and a Highstreet staple. And you could be part of the team.   As an Call Centre and Admin Assistant at Specsavers, you’ll be the friendly face at the

Reference

sf-81806-1

Expiry Date

01/01/0001

Elisha Aunger

Author

Elisha Aunger
View job
View more jobs