When people decide to work at Specsavers, they’re joining a company with a purpose to change lives through better sight and hearing – hence why more Australians and New Zealanders choose the optometry provider over any other.
As one of the largest employers in the ANZ optometry sector, Insight sits down with an employee each month to hear about their growth trajectory within the company.
Specsavers stats
Name: Jennifer Trang
Current position: Mobile optometrist
Location: Australia, nationwide
Years within the business: 6
Why did you pursue an optometry career?
I never really knew what I wanted to do throughout high school, but I always felt a pull towards science and health fields, liked the idea of helping solve people’s problems, and took an interest in optometry. I stuck with it, got through university, and here I am on the other side as a qualified optometrist. It’s not a glamorous beginning to the story but I suspect it’s relatable for many.
How did you come to work at Specsavers?
Specsavers is well known as one of the major players in the optometry sector. As an optometry student, I wanted to get experience beyond the clinical side, understand the business models and learn the roles of team members in a practice beyond the optometrist. I wanted to understand the practicality of how eyecare is delivered in the private sector. So it was a no-brainer that I applied for an optical assistant role during my final years of study. From being a student to optical assistant to optometrist, one aspect that has never changed is that I am a strong believer in the level of care and accessibility Specsavers provides to its patients.
What growth opportunities have presented themselves?
During my time as an optical assistant, I was recommended by my store director to provide support at a new store opening elsewhere in metropolitan Sydney. This pushed me to step up and take on a more senior dispensing role that included training others. Eventually upon graduation from university, it was time for me to trade in my dispensing hat for an optometry one. Everyone around me knew I wanted to explore beyond Sydney, and I had the support of all the store directors I had worked for, alongside the graduate recruitment team. Securing my graduate optometry position was effortless because of them all. My graduate optometry position was in regional NSW, a newer store that was only beginning to find its feet when I joined. I got the opportunity to drive the growth and development of that store, both on the optical and retail fronts – it wasn’t easy but it was a genuinely rewarding experience. I eventually moved on and found myself in the lucky position of becoming a member of the Specsavers mobile optometry team. Without a doubt, this chapter of my career has been the most growth-inducing yet. Every new location, every day, every patient. It’s all an opportunity to grow as a clinician, as a team member, as a person.
What are your top career highlights since joining Specsavers?
For me, it’s never been the awards or clinical statistics or status. It’s the moments I know I’ve made a positive difference to someone’s vision and quality-of-life. It’s the recognition I get from individual patients who come back to share their gratitude no matter how big or small.
What excites you most about turning up for work each day?
Now that my role entails travelling and providing support to regional locations all over Australia, I’m just excited to show up. I approach each location with the mindset that I am here to help. Every location I have been to has welcomed me warmly. The patients and colleagues I’ve met along the way have given me some great laughs and memories.
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