Optical Assistant
Job description
Original text imported from Reed
Are you a caring individual looking to continue your career as an Optical Assistant? You've come to the right place.
We're looking for passionate, hard-workers with some previous optical experience ready to confidently welcome and help customers as they walk through our doors. And once you've found your feet as an Optical Assistant, you won't just have to stop there. We have plenty of professional training and development in other business areas, as well as the support of experienced Opticians and Technicians supporting you on your journey. So whatever you want your career to look like, you can bring it to life at Specsavers.
Our Store
Our bright, open and modern store is based in the centre of this vibrant and historic city at 248 High Street, surrounded by shops, restaurants and cafes it is close to train and bus links for easy access.
Our team
We have a wonderful team of dedicated people in our store ready and waiting for you to join them and a fantastic team of Directors and Managers looking forward to meeting you.
What's on offer?
As well as all the support you need and great training and development opportunities, we have a whole load of benefits on offer for you to enjoy. These include:
- Circa £12.91 per hour, dependent on experience and optical qualification
- Full time to include weekend hours
- We will auto-enrol you into the pension scheme with an employer contribution when you contribute too
- Specsavers Perks - a portal to a world of great everyday discounts and savings
- WeCare - our employee support service to help you and your immediate family when you need it most
- Complimentary subscription to the Headspace app
- Eyecare and hearcare discounts for you and your family
- Enjoy an additional paid day off on your birthday to celebrate you!
- Enhanced family leave and company sick pay
- Working at a certified "Great Place to Work" company
Find out more
If you've got all these skills, we'd love for you to apply, but there's also some desirable experience that could set you apart from the competition if you have it. This includes:
- Previous experience in a fast-paced customer service environment
- Experience in optics or Audiology business
- Basic knowledge/experience of optical and/or Audiology terminology.
Checked all the boxes? Now's the perfect time to apply!
#LI-NA1
Key skills
AI-extracted from the job advert
Application advice
5 AI-generated recommendations to maximise your chances.
⭐ Open your Personal Statement with your optical experience front and centre — the advert explicitly requires 'previous optical experience' as its primary criterion.
📊 Quantify your customer service impact: e.g. 'Assisted 60+ patients per week with frame selection and contact lens queries, achieving a 97% satisfaction score.'
🎯 Use the phrase 'optical and audiology terminology' verbatim in your skills section to pass ATS filters — the advert flags this as a desirable differentiator.
🌐 Highlight any cross-trained retail or clinical experience (e.g. audiology, hearing care) as the advert specifically mentions audiology as a bonus area.
🤝 Mention your availability for weekend hours explicitly in your CV profile or cover letter — the advert states 'full time to include weekend hours' as a requirement.
Suggested CV bullets
3 bullets our AI drafted for this specific advert, mirroring its ATS keywords.
Add these 3 bullets under your most recent experience:
- •Assisted an average of 55 patients per week with frame selection, lens recommendations and contact lens queries across a dual-site optical practice, maintaining a 96% positive patient feedback score.
- •Supported optical pre-screening for 20+ patients daily using autorefractors and tonometry equipment, reducing optometrist appointment overrun by 15 minutes per session.
- •Completed Specsavers in-house optical dispensing training within 6 weeks of joining, enabling independent handling of NHS and private lens orders for a store processing 300+ transactions per week.
Free to copy — tailoring requires a 30-sec CV upload.
Your cover letter is ready
We've drafted a cover letter for Specsavers. Preview the opening, then unlock the full personalised version.
Letter preview — tailored to Specsavers
Dear Hiring Manager,
Specsavers' reputation as a certified Great Place to Work, combined with the Exeter store's focus on professional development in optics and audiology, makes this Optical Assistant role exactly the right next step for me. With hands-on experience in optical dispensing and patient-facing customer service, I am confident in welcoming customers, supporting pre-screening, and applying optical terminology accurately from day one.
My background in retail optics has equipped me with practical knowledge of frame selection, contact lens aftercare, and working alongside qualified Opticians in a busy high-street environment. I thrive in fast-paced settings and consistently prioritise a calm, caring approach with every patient — whether they are first-time wearers or long-standing customers with complex prescriptions.
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Interview questions
10 questions generated from this advert.
Technical
- ›How do you explain the difference between single-vision and varifocal lenses to a first-time wearer?
- ›What optical pre-screening checks have you performed, and which equipment are you familiar with?
- ›How do you handle a customer whose prescription has changed significantly and they are unhappy with their new lenses?
- ›Can you describe your experience with optical dispensing software or EPOS systems used in an optical practice?
- ›What do you know about the difference between NHS and private optical services, and how does this affect patient interactions?
Behavioural
- ›Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult or upset customer in a retail or optical environment — what was the outcome?
- ›Describe a situation where you had to manage multiple customers at once in a busy store. How did you prioritise?
- ›Give an example of when you proactively went beyond your role to support a colleague or improve the customer experience.
- ›Tell me about a time you had to learn new product knowledge quickly. How did you approach it?
- ›Describe a moment when you received constructive feedback at work. How did you respond and what changed as a result?
STAR answer examples
Model answers using the Situation-Task-Action-Result framework. Adapt to your own experience.
Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult or upset customer in a retail or optical environment — what was the outcome?
Describe a situation where you had to manage multiple customers at once in a busy store. How did you prioritise?