My career progression as an Optometrist and relocating with Boots Opticians
Tell us about your journey at Boots Opticians so far?
I started working for Boots Opticians in the Midlands in 2015 as a Pre Reg – I qualified in 2016 and continued to work across a few different practices within Birmingham. I then relocated back up to Leeds in 2017, which is home for me, and worked in Wakefield for almost three years. During my time in Wakefield, I was involved in a few different projects outside the testing room, such as the customer journey training and BEST sales training. I was also awarded Clinician of the Area in 2019, which felt like a great achievement! In 2020, I moved across to Leeds Trinity as Optom Assistant Manager to try something a little different. I also then started supervising Pre Registration Optometrists which gave me a whole new purpose. In 2022, I moved down to London and enjoyed working as an Optometrist across different practices within Central London which was a whole different experience. I loved the London life and the pace that it came with for about two years when my husband and I decided to settle outside of London so I have now started working in Central Bedfordshire.
What was your experience of moving stores and locations, and how were you supported?
The first time I moved stores, I remember being so overwhelmed at the idea of working in a different team, with different patients, in a new location. However, I quickly realised that the Boots Opticians ethos is carried through all practices and settling into a new practice wasn’t as daunting as I had expected. The process of relocating within Boots Opticians has always been straightforward and the support from management has been great with clear communication every step of the way. When I was first moving from Leeds to London, my manager Margarita was amazing and would check in often with Teams meetings so when I first came into the new region, there was already a familiar face. As I was an Assistant Manager in Leeds, Margarita gave me many options to continue my career in management and was trying to find ways in which she could best support my progression. However, as I was relocating 200 miles and there were huge changes in my personal life, I decided to take a step back from management and I was very well supported in this too. It was very reassuring to have had many options available and I was supported fully in what was best for me at the time. When you’re juggling moving to a whole new city with changing roles in work, it was great to have Boots Opticians as a familiar comfort zone; the consulting rooms really do have the same set up everywhere and it felt like I could just pick up where I had left off from.
What would your advice be to someone who is considering relocating?
I would advise you to speak to your manager in the early days of knowing that you may be relocating. Although situations can change very quickly within the workplace and vacancies can come and go, it’s a good idea to have some contact with management in the new region you are hoping to join. They may want to find out the kind of role you are hoping for, interest in supervision and how far you are able to travel. It may be worth doing some research yourself through Boots Jobs to see which practices have vacancies and the distance that you would need to travel etc. I would also say not to panic as relocating internally is straightforward and you’ll have a sense of familiarity wherever you go.
What are the biggest benefits of working at Boots Opticians?
Having worked for Boots Opticians for nine years now, I would say I have felt very supported through my time here. There have been many opportunities presented to me that I never thought I could do, such as taking part in company-wide training videos, going into management, being part of listening groups. As an Optometrist, it’s so easy to find your comfort zone in a testing room. However, with Boots, there are always projects outside of the testing room that you can get involved in – I find this exciting and it helps to broaden your understanding of the optics field as a whole. Everyone has a different idea of progression within their career, and I do feel that in Boots, progression is encouraged and celebrated – there are many pathways available within the company depending on what your own goal is. Also, the Practice Leadership Team (PLT) are great as they help managers and clinicians keep in touch and provide a great space to discuss how to improve the running of the practice, as well as highlight what’s working well.
What do you enjoy most about your job?
I love talking to people – anyone who knows me will verify this! I enjoy meeting people from all walks of life and getting to know my patients. Helping people see the world to their full potential is a very rewarding feeling. I also find training new Optical Consultants great fun and supervising Pre Regs has been a huge focus for me over the past few years – it’s a great privilege to support future Optometrists as they go through their final stage to become fully qualified!
Is there any advice you would give to newly qualified Optometrists entering the profession?
You are not alone! When you first qualify, it’s easy to feel as if you’re left to fend for yourself, but even the most experienced Optoms won’t know everything – it’s just not possible! If you are working in a single testing store, there are great Teams chats you can be part of in case you need to reach out for some advice. Also, be open-minded about where your career may take you – even if it’s not straightaway, there are other roles available within the company, such as in management, within the learning and development team etc so don’t rule out these other opportunities.
