Through a combination of professional development opportunities, expansive support networks, and exposure to cutting-edge technologies, EssilorLuxottica’s Graduate Program is offering new optometrists a platform to become confident and capable practitioners.
Pursuing a career in healthcare requires some degree of altruism: People do not choose these careers lightly, and so finding an employer that aligns with the level of care they want to deliver is an important requirement for many of today’s graduates.
Growing up, Mr Vusa Bhebhe was always encouraged to volunteer, so goodwill was high on his checklist for potential employers. EssilorLuxottica’s charitable work through the OneSight Foundation– delivered locally and globally – piqued his interest. He’s also been impressed by the structured approach of the company’s Graduate Program offering a smooth transition into becoming an optometrist at its OPSM and Laubman & Pank stores after completing university.
“The commitment to help people around the world to ‘see more and be more’ through the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation stuck out to me,” he says.
A Queensland University of Technology (QUT) 2023 graduate, Bhebhe has spent his initial months in the workforce at the OPSM store in Garden City, Perth. He has since discovered the opportunities for professional development within the network are boundless, alongside potential career pathways.
Bhebhe is among 70 graduates new to the network this year who were all welcomed into the industry with the EyeLaunch induction event – a key moment to kickstart the graduate journey. It’s all part of the company’s Graduate Program, one of its major drawcards to attract new optometrists to the network with opportunities for personal and professional growth, networking, ongoing clinical and leadership education, and participation in outreach clinics.
Working for OPSM, Bhebhe says the company has been quick to build his confidence and begin refining his clinical skills through the high volume of patients that come through the store.
“In my first seven weeks, I have seen almost 200 patients. I think it’s just given me the opportunity to gain that confidence in my early career,” he says.
As part of the program, each graduate is assigned a mentor. Bhebhe says having that second opinion, or voice of clarity whenever he has a question or concern, is vital for any newly graduated optometrist.
“There are certain times where I would be 99% sure of my decision making, but being very new to the workforce, it’s always good to have that second opinion,” he says.
With the program, graduates can ease into the timing of appointments. That is, going from one-hour consultations down to 45 minutes, and then to 30 minutes. Bhebhe says the transition has been seamless, and he is comfortable with the pacing of appointments and level of eyecare he is delivering.
For Bhebhe, the first year of the Graduate Program is designed to sculpt confident, and capable optometrists with the second year focused on developing special interests and finding growth opportunities.
Familiar territory
Transitioning into the workforce from university can be daunting. For QUT graduate Mr Zichun (William) Wang, it was EssilorLuxottica’s support for those wanting to pursue a regional career and prior experience with the network that influenced his decision to officially join the company and its Graduate Program.
Currently, Wang is practising at Cairns Smithfield OPSM, but spent several years working as a casual optical dispenser throughout university with Laubman & Pank in Mt Gravatt, Brisbane.
“My experience as a casual dispenser in Laubman & Pank really helped a lot because I worked with a lovely team. Everyone’s so nice, and I really enjoyed the clientele base there,” Wang says.
To consolidate his decision and ensure he wasn’t taking a blind leap, Wang could visit his preferred locations and hear directly from the team.
“I was able to talk to the store managers, the dispensing team and also the optometrist working there to ask them about the store,” he says.
For Wang, the safety net of having a mentor optometrist within arm’s reach gives him the assurance he can grow into the best practitioner he can be.
“From day one, my mentor set me up for success and offered to sit in
with me. I can ask them straight away about anything I was unsure of –
it’s great,” he says.
An industry stepping stone
To provide its graduates a peek into the future, equip them with foundational knowledge, and help them ease into the workforce, EssilorLuxottica holds an annual EyeLaunch induction event.
The company’s senior manager eyecare operations for ANZ, Ms Sephora Miao, says EyeLaunch marks the start of a graduate’s optometry career with the company.
“This year’s induction brought together all our graduate optometrists across Australia and New Zealand for three exhilarating days of learning and connecting,” she says.
At EyeLaunch this year on 4-6 March, 70 graduates from across the country were welcomed into the network where they were familiarised with the premium brands they can find within the network and to connect with industry leaders and representatives.
In addition to educational sessions, the event allowed Bhebhe, Wang and their fellow graduates to connect with new colleagues and reconnect their peers from university. Social activities were incorporated throughout, including the welcome evening on the first day at the company’s support office in North Sydney, as well as a harbour cruise on the second day.
“It was a good way to bring us all together. Some of us had only practised for a few weeks; others for about a month or a little longer. And it allowed us to be able to come together and share our experiences and touch base with each other,” Bhebhe says.
The event featured presentations from leaders within the company who were once in the graduates’ shoes and who could speak on the various pathways and growth opportunities available within the company.
“EyeLaunch is a fantastic opportunity for graduates to connect with peers across ANZ and their support network, from senior leadership to HR to EssilorLuxottica’s innovative learning platform, Leonardo Education, and uncover the boundless opportunities for personal and professional growth in EssilorLuxottica,” Miao says.
Wang adds: “The event went above and beyond the optometry career and gave an expanded view on the variety of career pathways available including key opinion leader groups, and leadership roles.”
“You can also join the Onesight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to deliver eyecare to communities that have difficulty accessing eyecare services. There are so many opportunities available to optometrists.”
Endless opportunities
Miao says what makes the Graduate Program so attractive to new optometrists is its responsiveness and relevance to modern-day demands on optometry.
“Optometry is continuing to evolve as a profession and today’s graduates are looking for employers who are attentive, progressive and invested in their success,” she says.
“This year, it was pleasing to see increased interest to practice in regional settings from graduates wanting to broaden their impact.”
The Graduate Program offers a diverse range of experiences to present graduates with every opportunity for personal and professional growth, whether they want to pursue clinical optometry or business leadership.
“Having access to diverse opportunities and a rich support network are some of the reasons graduates choose to start their careers with EssilorLuxottica,” Miao says.
The program has been curated to reflect the latest developments within the industry, which ensures graduates stay ahead of the curve.
Indeed, EssilorLuxottica can support its next generation of optometrists before they even graduate. Each year, the company offers numerous clinical placements, allowing students to refine their clinical skills with the guidance of experienced optometry mentors.
For some, the company provides opportunities to kickstart their careers within the OPSM or Laubman & Pank networks as optical dispensers or through the cadetship program, where successful candidates receive a guaranteed regional position upon graduation.
Following EyeLaunch, graduates are offered numerous avenues for personal and professional growth. This includes networking opportunities, access to the company’s vast library of complimentary CPD and leadership modules through Leonardo, key opinion leader programs, opportunities to take part in outreach clinics with the OneSight Foundation, and many more.
The company’s ultimate goal is to help each graduate find their success, regardless of the opportunities they pursue.
“Our eyecare leadership team considers several critical questions at key graduate milestones: Do they have a particular area of interest? Are they interested in exploring opportunities outside their home store, or interstate? Do they aspire to develop towards a leadership role?” Miao says.
“With a large network of talent and a myriad of resources to leverage, we have the ability to support every graduate in finding their path towards success.”
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