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'It's the feeling of pride in achieving my ambitions'
People think of Specsavers as just an optician, but it’s so much bigger than that. There’s so much opportunity here. I started working at Specsavers while I was studying Optometry at uni. I needed to find a job to help with my student loan. So, I walked into my local Specsavers, got an interview and started a few days later. It was a big store and gave me a solid grounding in how everything works. After my degree, they offered me the pre-reg position and once I passed the final assessment, I started as an Optometrist in the same store. I haven’t looked back since.
Part of a supportive family
At the start, I wanted to develop myself as a better clinician and to learn about different eye conditions. In terms of my future, I had partnership on my radar. I set out to gain experience within the retail side and learn how the business worked. I’ve taken on about ten qualifications since I joined, including modules from the Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Centre (WOPEC) and the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM).Specsavers have supported every single one of them, either through funding, giving me the time to study or go on courses. They’ve never doubted me.
The opportunity to change lives
During the pandemic, I was the Optometrist who remained in the store to do emergency tests. We went from being a team of around sixty to just four. There were some special moments during that time that which I’ll never forget. One day, there was a customer with a fly stuck in his eye. He’d been cycling through a woodland area when it had flown in. Luckily, he was already a customer and knew what we were capable of. I removed the fly, and we realised it was about the size of a thumbnail, which is pretty big. He was very lucky as it could have become infected.
My path to partnership
After that, I became lead optometrist in a new store set to open. That became my project for the Pathway programme, which is the route into Partnership for Specsavers employees. I was able to show how we opened the store during unprecedented times, developed a team and succeeded. I went through the pathway and applied for a small store in Towcester. That was when I got a call from a childhood friend of mine who also worked for Specsavers. We’d often talked about going into business together and he’d heard of a new opportunity. We pitched for it together and got it. So now, I’m the Optometry Director and he’s Retail Partner in Newark. We have moments where we smile at each other, because we’ve talked about this so many times. It feels so satisfying to finally be here.
Supporting the next generation of Optometrists
Now, I’m involved in the business and work as an optometrist, but my role is more about developing others than myself. I’m supporting with the pre-reg academy to facilitate their learning, and I’m an assessor for WOPEC too – which were some of the first qualifications I did. There are so many moments in my career where I've looked up to someone in Specsavers and they've supported me. I feel proud to know that I can look back and see the route I’ve taken. Now it’s my turn to use my experience and position to help others get where they want to be.
In terms of my future, I had partnership on my radar.
#FeelsLikeSpecsavers

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
08/27/2025
Summary
Rachel Pointon’s career in optometry has been anything but linear—and that’s exactly what makes it so inspiring. From hospital clinics to high-performing stores, from mentoring pre-regs to influencin

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
08/27/2025
Summary
Hi, I’m Alan 👋 I grew up on the southside of Glasgow and I’m currently the Lead Optometrist at Specsavers in Sauchiehall Street. How did I get here? To be honest, I was never entirely sure that op
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Mike Davidson

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
08/22/2025
Summary
From law to lenses: Hannan Qureshi’s story After years in the legal profession, Hannan Qureshi has made a bold career switch to follow his passion - becoming the new Retail Director at Specsavers Shep

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
08/18/2025
Summary
"Home visits is refreshing, it’s fulfilling, and I wouldn’t go back.” Meet EllaElla Helliwell lives in a quiet village in Cheshire with her husband and their cat, Rosie. After moving away for universi

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
08/15/2025
Summary
Parth Shah, Lead Clinical Performance Consultant (CPC), qualified as an optometrist at Specsavers in 2003. Since then, his journey has taken him from the clinic to the classroom, the boardroom, and ev

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/28/2025
Summary
A career begins with a life-changing moment When Mahnoor Khan joined Specsavers Norton as a pre-reg optometrist, she never imagined her clinical training would be put to the test in such a personal an

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/25/2025
Summary
When Deepali Modha first qualified as an Optometrist, she never imagined her career would one day take her far beyond the test room. But over the years, she’s carved out a path that’s as inspiri

Teaser
AudiologyContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/23/2025
Summary
When Louise Turton first joined Specsavers in Coventry back in 2011, she wasn’t chasing a dream career - she needed a job. “I’d recently moved to the area and wanted something stable,” she says. “I di
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Teaser
Home VisitsContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/23/2025
Summary
Turning a life-changing diagnosis into a life-changing career Meet Gemma, a brand-new Specsavers Domiciliary Audiology Partner, whose journey from Optical Assistant to qualified Hearing Aid Dispenser

Teaser
OptometryContent Type
BlogPublish date
07/21/2025
Summary
When Danna Garcia Reyes first began her studies in optometry in Barcelona, she wasn’t sure where the path would lead. Like a lot of students, she chose her degree with curiosity and a want to help oth
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Up to £65,000 depending on experience
Location
Portsmouth, South, United Kingdom
Store ID
1347
Contract Duration
Permanent
Area of Interest
Optometrist
Locations
Portsmouth
Description
Position: Optometrist Location: Farlington, Hampshire Salary: Up to £65,000 per annum depending on experienceWorking hours: Full time or part time Experience level: You must be a GOC registered Optom
Reference
sf-82108-1
Expiry Date
01/01/0001

Author
Blair Mills
Author
Blair MillsSalary
Up to £40,000 + bonus
Location
Chichester, South East, United Kingdom
Store ID
0296
Contract Duration
Permanent
Area of Interest
Dispensing Optician Supervisor / Manager
Locations
Chichester
Description
Position: Dispensing Optician ManagerLocation: Chichester, West SussexSalary: Up to £40,000 depending on experience + bonus Working hours: Full time or part time working patterns available Experience
Reference
sf-82107-1
Expiry Date
01/01/0001

Author
Blair Mills
Author
Blair MillsSalary
Up to £30,000 + bonus
Location
Hempstead, South East, United Kingdom
Store ID
2464
Contract Duration
Permanent
Area of Interest
Dispensing Optician
Locations
Hempstead
Description
Position: Dispensing OpticianLocation: Hempstead Valley, KentSalary: Up to £31,000 per annum depending on experience + performance related bonusWorking hours: Full time, 4-day working week with altern
Reference
sf-82106-1
Expiry Date
01/01/0001

Author
Blair Mills
Author
Blair Mills