Eager to make a complete career switch after having worked as a hairdresser for years, Sandra was delighted when she was offered the role of Patient Advisor. Benefitting from the training and development opportunities available at Optical Express, she was able to progress into the role of Clinic Manager within just seven months and now oversees the day-to-day operations in our clinics in St Albans and Aylesbury.
“I was just amazed by the very quick progression. I had said at the interview that I was looking to make a whole new career, not just a job, and they provided that within seven months. That’s amazing to me,” she explains. As Clinic Manager, she is now responsible for the management and development of her team, and plays a crucial role in the delivery of first-class patient care throughout every step of their journey: “I often like to see my patient’s journey through right from the very beginning to the very end. Always making sure that they are actually very aware of what is going to happen.”
Sandra’s interest in working within the optics industry started when she opted for life-changing vision correction surgery herself. Ecstatic with having complete visual freedom, finding that it had a major impact on her quality of life, she was eager to find a role that would allow her to support others throughout their journey towards improved vision. “I remember afterwards saying ‘I would love a job in that industry’, because you’re actually making great changes to people’s lives. I think the stars just aligned for me the day I saw the job as Patient Advisor advertised. I just thought how wonderful it would be to actually work for a really good company that allows progression.”
In her role as Clinic Manager at Optical Express, Sandra now offers a wide range of eye care services to patients – ranging from laser eye surgery to lens replacement and cataract surgery. With access to eye care becoming even more crucial throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, she has been delighted with the support she has been able to provide to those struggling with poor vision. “Particularly anybody working in a medical profession, like NHS nurses, we’ve had so many coming in recently. It’s amazing for them to actually have that experience of not having to wear glasses with shields and masks and everything else,” she comments.
As Sandra has experienced the life-changing benefits of vision correction herself, she sees Optical Express’ ‘free laser eye surgery’ employee benefit as a major plus to working for the business: “How amazing is that, that you can come and work for Optical Express and get free laser eye surgery.” One of the main advantages of receiving free treatment is that it allows employees to go through the entire process as a patient, which has, in turn, helped Sandra connect with and offer guidance to the patients in her clinics. “It’s just always being able to walk in their shoes and know exactly what they are going through. You can let them know exactly what they are going to experience from beginning to end,” she explains. Amazed at the development opportunities that have been available to her, and delighted to be part of a team that truly changes lives, Sandra wouldn’t hesitate to recommend a career at Optical Express to others looking to make a career switch. “I would say definitely go for it. Especially if you’ve got a passion for helping people, and that’s where my passion lies. It’s just really giving the patient the best experience and if you’re that kind of person then you’ll go very far at Optical Express.”
