My Journey into Optometry – Richard’s Story
What made you take the route of Optometry?
I knew what I wanted to do when I was 13! I’ve always been fascinated with eye health. It started in childhood; I had an operation to correct a squint when I was 6, spent a lot of time in hospital and was always intrigued about what was going on around me. My focus and passion to go into Optometry, along with enjoying Maths and Science at school spurred me on to follow my dream! I spoke to relevant universities about what A-levels to take and it all went from there.
What has been your greatest achievement?
One of the strangest moments in my life was working for 8 years towards my professional exams, sitting down with my friend and thinking, that’s it! I achieved what I’d set out to achieve! It was a bit surreal but an incredible feeling!
What do you enjoy most about your job?
Seeing the impact you can have on people. That moment when someone puts on their glasses and says “this is fantastic, I can see”! It seems like a novel thing and you almost take it for granted but when you correct someone’s prescription or you fit them with contact lenses and it changes what they can see and do, it’s amazing! That’s what I love about my job; it’s why I do it!
What opportunities have you had throughout your career at Boots?
I’ve been working in Optics for 23 years now. My career has been varied and I’ve had lots of opportunity to move around which has been great! I started out in mobile roles which took me all around the country; from Scarborough, Grimsby, Hull to Sheffield. I then became branch based in Derby where I had the opportunity to support Pre-registration students, Clinical Leads and Management.
I went back into Practice and have been based in Boots Support Office for 3 years now. My role here varies widely; working on the clinical side of things, carrying out eye tests and delivering a wide range of contact lenses which I’m very passionate about! Also, being a leader of our team, I’m always looking at how we can improve the service that we deliver to our customers. It’s great to help a wide range of patients every day!
What advice would you give to anyone interested in working for Boots Opticians?
It’s funny with Optometry, I feel people don’t even realise it’s a career choice; I don’t know where they think we come from! Boots has great opportunities to move around the business and everyone is here to help support your development in whichever way you choose. I’m certainly enjoying my time at Boots!
If you would like to speak to us about your career with Boots Opticians, email Resourcing@boots-opticians.co.uk