James Brooks – Level 5 Diploma

Why did the course appeal to you?

I had recently finished my Optical Assistant course with ABDO and was at a 100% Optical show with my employers. It was always the intention to continue my study and management is the direction that has always appealed to me. I will be honest and say that getting letters after my name for just a 12 month course was a big appeal, along with a recognised qualification in management. Having my employers with me to help me make an instant decision helped too.

How did it help your current role?

The course has helped me massively in my current role as it has enabled me to grow with the company, which in turn has given me the opportunity to take on more responsibilities and put myself into a position of trust. I have recently been given the opportunity to project manage the opening of our 3rd practice. Having the tools and know-how to take on this role means I feel confident in my ability to do a good job and make a success of it.

Has it helped with career aspirations?

Gaining this management qualification has opened my eyes to what I can actually achieve as an individual and within the business. Completing this course has given me the hunger to progress even further in my career in optics.

How did you find the course in terms of content, support, ease of study?

I found the course incredibly useful and relevant to my role currently and I gained a vast amount of knowledge that I feel I can immediately apply. The course was very thorough in terms of the content and I will be honest in saying I sometimes felt a little overwhelmed with how much I had to learn. However, the support I got from my tutor was second to none. He was only ever an email or phone call away and was fantastic during the lockdown period where I was trying to combine my studies with running full time Daddy Day Care.

What do you plan to do next?

My plan now is to implement all of my knowledge into being a great manager with Allegro Optical. I plan to have a year off studying while we grow our family and then I hope to do the DO course and further my career even more. Long term, I hope to manage multiple practices with Allegro Optical and take on further responsibilities and have a long and successful career in optics.

Who would you recommend the course to?

I would recommend this course to not only people in optics wanting to further their career, but to anyone wanting to kick start a career in management. The course gives you a recognised qualification in management to anyone wanting to add to their CV and progress their career would benefit from doing this course.