Career pathway: growing your career as a Store Manager

Career pathway: growing your career as a Store Manager
At
Vision Express
, we’re passionate about training anddevelopment which is why we offer a range of career pathways for all of ourcolleagues. Your learning matters to us, and we care about your growth. We’reproud of our colleagues and we want to help those who are looking to take theirnext step, we’re always keen to share careers advice. We spoke with MickeyDaniels who began his career with us, as an Optical Assistant and now works asa Store Manager in one of our Top 50 Vision Express stores.
What areyour career options? We makesure you can achieve your goals and get the support you need at every stage ofyour career. That’s why we have various career pathways that set us apart fromthe competition. With more customers visiting our stores, we have moreopportunities than ever. Mickey has lots of experience with us and shares histhoughts on the different routes to becoming a Store Manager:
“There arequite a few different pathways for our colleagues, in all roles. Historically,you start as an Optical Assistant which is our entry-level role. You don’t needany optics experience or any qualifications to join us, and that’s what Istarted as, straight from school when I was sixteen. From there, you’ve thengot a few options. There are the Vision Express Sponsorship programs to thenbecoming a Vision Express Dispensing Optician, a Contact Lenses Opticianand even eventually an Optometrist, or you can go down the management route.
The different management roles that I’ve hadare Team Leader, then Assistant Store Manager and then my current role which isStore Manager. You could even look at the Store Support Office route, whichcould be working in Operations, Loss Prevention or Training. There are loads ofdifferent avenues you can choose depending on where you want your career withVision Express to take you.” How totake a step up the ladder The climbup any career ladder is always a challenge because it often means steppingoutside your comfort zone. However, communication is also very important. Mickeyhas experience developing a team and he’s seen first-hand that speaking to linemanagers about your career goals, is the key to making progress within a storeenvironment.
“I thinkit’s about speaking up and expressing your interest to your manager. It’s alsoabout working towards your current role and current goals, to show that you’vegot the capabilities – and then speaking up about where you want to go.”
Havingguidance and support from your leader will help you move forward. We’re alwayshere to support our team to be the best version of themselves. Our managers areable to help become more confident in certain areas and deliver personalizeddevelopment plans, which will give you the support you need to step in theright direction. Your vision is our vision.
“
I had that experience with some ofmy Optometrists who have both developed into Optometrist Store Managers. Theyexpressed an interest in it, so I started giving them one on one time with me,so they can see what I do on a day-to-day basis as a Store Manager, as part oftheir development plan. This was to check that they do understand the role andthat it’s definitely for them, it gave them a clearer understanding of therequirements of the role and if this was something that interested them.”
Therefore,having the right attitude and communicating your needs to upper management iscrucial for taking the next step and moving your career forward as a Store Manager.The day-to-day responsibilities of a Store Manager include creating greatcustomer service, providing exceptional care for visitors and managing a team.All of this requires commercial understanding and excellent people skills. Growingyour career with Vision Express Weunderstand that career growth is important. We make sure our employees alwayshave something to look forward to, even when you’ve been working as a Store Managerfor a long while. But why is Vision Express a great place to grow your career?
“It’s thesupport you get from the start. I think it’s knowing exactly who to go to andthe support from your managers. I look after twenty people in my store inManchester and they know I’m the point of contact for anything they need, I makesure I’m there for my team. Vision Express are really good at supporting andknowing who to go to, depending on what you need. I just think it makes it somuch easier for everyone to decide what they want to do and who to speak to.”
“We alsohave talent maps at Vision Express, so every year the Store Managers and the RegionalManagers will be given a talent map to plot people as to where they’re at intheir careers. Then what happens is that when opportunities come up, anyonethat’s recruiting for a role can pull up that talent map and select the peoplewho are overachieving and invite them for an interview.”
Talent mapsare also a great motivator for our colleagues. It gives them the opportunity tosee different options and where they can take their careers, as well as sharetheir skills and knowledge in other roles across Vision Express.
We’re anemployer that’s focused on professional development, and we believe everyoneshould have equal opportunities. By joining Vision Express, you’ll have plentyof opportunities to learn new skills and ensure you keep learning and growing.
LetVision Express help you Whetheryou’re just starting out in
optometry
, or looking for your next Store Manager role, VisionExpress can help you. We’re committed to giving you the best support to helpyou progress on your path faster. If you enjoyed Mickey’s career advice, now’sthe time to take advantage of our great opportunities. Store Support Centre, Ruddington, NottinghamStore Support Centre, Ruddington, NottinghamEveryone has an important part to play in our continuing success – whatever their role, their experience or their area of expertise. We’ve chosen some colleagues to give you a brief insight into what life’s like at Vision Express.
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