Qualification was just the beginning

When Emma Ginger started her pre-registration year, she thought qualification would be the finish line. More than a decade later, she's an Optometry Partner in Exeter & Tiverton, helping to develop future clinical leaders while running her own business. Her journey is proof that qualifying isn't the end of your development. It's often where the most exciting opportunities begin.

Early careers placement at Specsavers

“When I started my optometry degree at Cardiff University in 2011, my focus was simple: qualify and secure a stable career.

I'd done a summer placement in the Cardiff store during my second year and was offered a pre-reg position there. Everything went smoothly, and I qualified in 2015. At the time, I didn't have a grand plan for my career. Partnership wasn't on my radar at all.

I think a lot of people feel that way during their pre-reg year. You're so focused on getting through the placement and achieving registration that qualification feels like the ultimate destination.

For me, optometry offered security. We'd just come through the financial crisis and I'd seen people graduate without being able to find jobs related to their degrees. I knew that with optometry, I'd have a career at the end of it. What I didn't realise was how many different directions that career could take.

Newly qualified = where it all began

In 2016, I moved back to the South-West and joined the Exeter store as a newly qualified optometrist. Looking back now, that move changed everything.

I was incredibly lucky to join a team that genuinely believed in developing people. The Partners and leaders around me were always asking what I wanted to do next. At the time, I remember thinking, "What do you mean what's next? I'm an optometrist now. I've done it." But they saw potential in me that I hadn't seen in myself.

The retail partner at the time, who is now my business partner has always been passionate about helping people grow. Alongside other clinical leaders in the business, she constantly encouraged me to consider opportunities beyond my current role and helped me build the confidence to explore them. The culture in Exeter has always been about growing our own talent. That mindset runs through everything we do, and I'm incredibly grateful that I experienced it first-hand.

One of the biggest milestones in my own development came when I started supervising pre-registration optometrists. As soon as I became eligible, around two years after qualifying, I was desperate to get involved. Supporting someone through such a pivotal year is one of the most rewarding parts of my role.

Pre-reg is hard. Having a good supervisor can make a huge difference, and I quickly realised how much satisfaction comes from helping someone build their confidence and achieve their goals. I'd encourage any newly qualified optometrist to get involved in supporting colleagues who are earlier in their journey. You learn so much yourself in the process.

I also became a WOPEC assessor, which opened new experiences and introduced me to people who encouraged me to keep exploring opportunities. Throughout my career, there have been individuals who've nudged me to think bigger and consider paths I hadn't previously thought about.

The defining moment

The defining moment came during COVID. Exeter is a large store, but during the pandemic we were operating with a very small emergency team. For a period, I was the sole optometrist alongside a dispensing optician, contact lens optician and a small support team.

Suddenly, I found myself making decisions that I'd never had to make before. I was helping to run the optometry side of the business, managing challenges as they arose, making operational decisions and supporting the team through an incredibly uncertain period. It was tough, but I absolutely loved it.

For the first time, I saw what was possible beyond the test room. I remember thinking, "Actually, I can do this."

That experience gave me confidence in my own leadership abilities and showed me how rewarding it could be to help shape a business and support a wider team. Looking back, that was the moment I first started to see Partnership as a realistic ambition.

Every step taught me something new

The journey from newly qualified optometrist to Partner didn't happen overnight. It was an 8-year journey that included becoming Lead Optometrist in 2019 before becoming an Optometry Partner in 2024. Every step taught me something new.

Today, supporting pre-registration students and newly qualified colleagues is one of the most important parts of my role. The biggest thing we focus on is creating structure.

Students learn an enormous amount at university and during their CLiP placement year, but it can feel overwhelming. We try to remove some of that pressure by being organised and creating a clear plan from the start.

Our placement schedule is mapped out well in advance. We make expectations clear and ensure students know what their year will look like before they even begin.

Culture is key

I always say that students are doing the hard work of learning the profession. If I can take away some of the mental load and provide support around them, it gives them the best opportunity to succeed. That's where culture matters too.

We want people to know they can ask questions. Nobody is expected to know everything. No question is silly. The support isn't just between a student and their supervisor. It's an entire store team helping them succeed.

The advice I give most often is simple: stay organised. Write your reflections early. Keep your paperwork up to date. Complete your logbook as you go. It's very easy to let things build up, and before you know it, a small task has become a major source of stress. I know because it's something I could have been better at myself.

Most importantly, don't try to wing it. If you don't know something, just say so. Every experienced optometrist has been in that position. There is absolutely no judgement. Asking for help early will always make your life easier.

The Future Leader Programme

That's one of the reasons I think the Future Leader Programme is such an exciting opportunity for newly qualified optometrists. Any programme that gives you exposure to opportunities outside your standard career path is worth exploring.

Even if leadership isn't currently on your radar, broadening your horizons can only be a good thing. There are so many careers within Specsavers that build on your optometry qualification while giving you the chance to develop new skills and have a different kind of impact. You don't know what might resonate with you until you're exposed to it.

The Future Leader Programme offers exactly that opportunity. Developing leadership skills, building commercial awareness and learning from experienced mentors will benefit you regardless of your long-term career goals. Leadership isn't just about managing people. It's about leading a clinic, making confident decisions, supporting colleagues and delivering the best possible care for patients.

Making you a better optometrist

Those skills make you a better optometrist, whether you eventually become a Partner or not.

I'd encourage any newly qualified optometrist to take opportunities like this whenever they arise. You never know where they might lead.

I certainly didn't imagine, during my pre-reg year, that I'd one day own two businesses and help shape the careers of future optometrists. Qualification wasn't the end of my journey. It was where the real opportunities began".