How you'll gain the confidence you need at Specsavers

'It's feeling proud about my achievements and confident about my future.'

Specsavers is a great place to start off your career. You get exposure to a lot of different types of customers, from a range of backgrounds and all different ages. That’s really important when you're starting your career. I’ve been a qualified Optometrist for about two and a half years now. I started out as an Optical Assistant, and I think that set me up really well for my pre-reg year. That experience in store helped me put everything that I then learned at university into practice. Now, I’m qualified and alongside being an Optometrist, I’m supervising the current pre-regs and supporting them on their journey. 

Feeling supported at every step

When you do your pre-reg year, you can feel a bit disconnected from the other pre-regs because everyone is at different stages. That’s why the pre-reg academy is so great because it connects you and is available throughout the year. I remember whenever I was worried, I found the support I had from Specsavers was really helpful. I had guidance from my directors and supervisors in store. They made sure I was ready for each stage of the scheme and for the exams. And they were always looking out for ways to expose me to different experiences. I really loved that there were so many opportunities while being a pre-reg with Specsavers. I got to meet different people and to understand how college assessors mark you. It was a really big help.

That’s why it’s so nice to be on the other side now and supporting the pre-regs through their journey. It could just be inviting them to sit with me on an eye test or looking at records that they want to use for assessment. Either way, I use my own experience to reflect on ways I might be able to help them. I’m really enjoying seeing them develop and grow into qualified Optometrists. 

Knowing there’s room to grow 

I’m the kind of person who always strives to be a better version of myself. With Specsavers, I’ve really had the chance to stretch myself. They offer and fund a wide range of professional development courses, and you can choose the areas you’re interested in. Right now, I want to develop my clinical skills to help my customers, possibly with a professional certificate in Glaucoma. More long term, I hope to follow the pathway to becoming a director. I’d like to learn more about the retail, leadership and management side of the business.

I feel really proud of the growth and confidence that I've seen in myself over the last few years. I look at how much the pre-regs have changed and I often see myself in them. I remember how much I used to worry about, so it’s great to recognise how far I’ve come. A lot of that is down to the support I’ve had from the team around me. They really guided me and gave me the push I needed. If it wasn't for the support from my directors and managers, I don't think I would be in the position that I am today.