Discovering career possibilities

Lauren Smith thought she needed an optical degree to have a career with Specsavers. She quickly realised this isn't the case. Ten years on, she reflects on her journey from being an apprentice to managing a store.

“I was born and raised in Bristol and lived there all my life until recently. Now, I’ve moved to Wales— well, just 20 minutes over the Severn Bridge... but it's still another country,” Lauren laughs.

“My career with Specsavers started in 2014 when I joined the Cribbs Causeway store. I was doing okay in school, but I wanted to start working. Halfway through sixth form, I started looking for jobs. I didn't really have much sense of direction, other than knowing I wanted something healthcare related. That's when I found the apprenticeship role at Specsavers and noticed I could work here with no degree.”

Climbing up the ladder

Lauren’s career is nothing short of inspiring. Starting as an apprentice, she quickly climbed the ladder and worn many hats - from store merchandiser to training ambassador, from in-store trainer to dispensing optician, and even dispensing manager. Today, she’s shining as an assistant manager at the Bradley Stoke store.

“Not having a degree didn’t hold me back. As I’ve worked my way up the career ladder, I’ve obtained qualifications like the BTEC accredited Cert 3 and Cert 4. I even qualified as a dispensing optician in 2019—something I couldn’t have dreamed of doing back in 2014.”

Leading the launch of Myopia Management, a new standard of care at Specsavers, was one of Lauren’s proudest moments. “Our store led the region for months, and I received a lot of recognition for it. I even gave presentations to managers and directors about our success! I was nervous, but it was a huge confidence booster and proved to me I know what I’m talking about.”

Looking to the future

Over the past year, Lauren has been discussing her future with the store partners. “We’ve talked about my goal of becoming a store partner myself one day. I’ve realised that I love teaching and helping others grow so I think it’d be the most logical next step for me.

At the moment though, I am loving my current job. I’m out there at career events and schools showcasing what we offer. I want everyone to understand that joining us isn’t just about getting a job - it’s about opening a world of opportunities they had never even thought of.”