When Anna Bannister took up a role as an optical assistant with a Mansfield opticians the then 27-year-old wasn’t sure about her future profession.  But within just a few months it quickly became apparent both to Anna and the team around her that she was destined for a career in the industry.

Anna joined Specsavers in Mansfield in 2014 – sailing through her probation period due to her outstanding customer service skills and attention to detail.

“Anna was a natural from day one,” said Specsavers Mansfield store director, Imogen Hoyle.  “Not only did she have the aptitude and attitude for the job, she also had ambition and a desire to keep learning.”

After passing her first round of optical exams with flying colours, Anna was promoted to store supervisor, with responsibility for managing a team. She then went on to study to become a dispensing optician, a part-time three-year degree course at Bradford University, which the store sponsored her to complete.

Anna has now been qualified a year, but has already set her sights on the next step – becoming an optometrist – and has enrolled on the fast track path to a masters qualification in optometry at Preston UCLAN University.

“The year MSc optometry is a good choice for Anna as it’s a  blended learning format which enables her to embed learning from the on-campus study blocks into clinical practice,” added Imogen.

“We’re really proud of Anna’s dedication and her story is a great one as it shows how Specsavers can open doors which leads to amazing life changing opportunities.

“And, in that vein, we’d encourage people to consider a role with us, we’re currently recruiting for full and part time team members and would love to hear from energetic individuals like Anna.”

To find out more about the roles available at Specsavers Mansfield, email [email protected], call 01623 650273 or pop into the store at  55 Westgate, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG18 1RU.