Martin, Refractive Optometrist, Shandwick Place
Martin was referred to Optical Express by his friend Chris, and in turn, he recommended a friend to the business.
More than 7 years working for a well-known high street optical retailer in Aberdeen had seen Martin work his way up to become a Principal Optometrist. He oversaw another 8 or 9 optometrists, and he was also able to carry out advanced eye care too, which included foreign body removal and co-prescribing.
However, after moving back to Glasgow with the same company, Martin began to get a little bored with his working life, and so he spoke to his friend from university, Chris, who was enjoying his time at Optical Express. Chris referred him to the Recruitment team, and Martin’s interview sealed the deal with him. He smiles, “I felt so positive afterwards and I knew joining Optical Express would be the right move for me. I joined the company in September of last year at Shandwick Place in Edinburgh.”
He remembers, “During my induction, I worked very closely with my Optometry Development Manager and my colleagues were incredibly helpful. I hadn’t done much OCT work before, but thanks to the experience of the team around me I was able to learn so much.”
After completing his refractive training, Martin was delighted to become a Refractive Optometrist just before Christmas and he’s finding the work very interesting. “I enjoy carrying out post-operative appointments and refractive consultations. I’m still learning every single day, and it’s safe to say that my role now is completely different from what I was used to!”
He’s been amazed at the opportunities that are available to him as an Optical Express optometrist. “While I had begun my IP course a few years before I joined the company, trying to get a clinical placement had been a real stumbling block. Within 3 months of starting my new role, I was able to complete my placement, thanks to the access I have to our in-house ophthalmic surgeons.”
In the future, Martin says, he’d like to learn how to carry out LipiFlow dry eye treatment and to train on surgical support. “It would be quite a bit further down the line, but here anything is possible,” he remarks.
Martin’s been so impressed by Optical Express that he has, in turn, recommended a friend from university, Kirsty, who now works at the company’s Rutherglen branch. Why did he recommend Optical Express to her? “I knew she was looking to change role and I had had such a positive experience here. We had a chat and I passed her details to Recruitment.”
One day, Martin might quite like to progress to become an Optometrist Development Manager but for the moment he’s staying where he is. He smiles, “There are so many opportunities at Optical Express! For the moment I’m happy exactly where I am, but it’s good to know that thanks to the size and scope of the company I can progress if I want to.”
If you would like to join the Optical Express family, you can contact us at careers@opticalexpress.com or 01236 795146 or search our current vacancies.
