What are the essential skills for a career in optometry?

Author: Staci Hearnshaw
Author: Staci Hearnshaw
Posting date: 20/05/2022

Growth is all about learning new skills, taking on challenges and being ready to handle any obstacles that come your way. Having a clear goal in mind is a sure-fire way to climb the ladder, as well as dedication in the world of optics. 


It doesn’t matter if you’re working as an Optical Assistant or an Optometrist Store Manager, you should always be looking for progression or new opportunities that can help you improve and better your skills. But what do you need to focus on? Here are some of the skills you could sharpen if you want to level up in your career: 


Excellent communication 

You need to be a good listener and an excellent communicator, especially in this industry and these are the skills you’ll find from the best colleagues. That means taking the time to understand our customers’ concerns and expectations. We passionately enjoy getting to know our customers’ lifestyle needs, beyond the eye test itself, so every Vision Express customer feels special and it helps us to provide the best service and product recommendations for them. 

We’re all about going the extra mile to help our customers get the best eye care. But that’s not at all. You’ll need to be able to win together, whether you’re an Optometrist, Store Manager or Optical Assistant, it takes the entire team to win together, for you to achieve more.

From eye care consultations to dispensing glasses to your customers to welcoming our customers into our stores, communication plays a role in every area of optometry, so if you want to keep growing, make sure you continue to improve the way you build rapport with others, ask more questions, and always be clear and concise.

Adaptability 


Being adaptable helps you stay afloat and shows your manager that you can handle whatever challenges come your way. This could be helping a customer learn more about new eye care products, choosing a new pair of sunglasses or prescribing complex prescriptions that require your knowledge of eyecare. 

It’s up to you to bring our brand to life in every challenge you face and have the skills to be able to navigate the ups and downs and still come away feeling you’re best. When you’re adaptable, you can grow faster and help take your career to new heights.

Teamwork

We like to win together here at Vision Express and show our passion for eyecare every time we welcome a customer into our stores. If you want to take your career to the next level, you need to show you’re a team player, especially if you’re working in the storefront. 

If you’ve got an idea for how to improve the store or you feel there’s a way the team can work faster and better, then voice your opinion because it might just prove to be a game-changer. Another way to be a great team player is by offering help, having a positive attitude, and appreciating other people’s work styles.

Your skills and knowledge

The higher you climb in your career, the more skills and knowledge you would have learnt along the way but the more you’ll need to know for the next step in your journey. That’s why it’s important to take the time to learn all you can about the optics industry. This includes keeping up-to-date with the latest eyecare products and developments and making sure you understand what’s happening in the sector.

While there’s always a lot going on here at Vision Express, make sure you look beyond the brand. So, why not make yourself invaluable? Nothing shows you care more than thinking outside of the box and finding out new information that you could share with your colleagues.



Move your career forward with Vision Express

We always have opportunities for career advancement here at Vision Express because we care about our people. Whether you’re looking to move into an Optometrist role, Store Manager role or Dispensing Optician role, we give all colleagues the necessary tools to thrive and succeed in their roles. Take a look at our optometry job vacancies and contact our team for more information.