RELATED CONTENT
NEW YORK-- Over the past 20 years, women have made huge inroads climbing the corporate ladder in the optical industry and according to Vision Monday’s recent survey of “Influential Women” past honorees, prospects for future advancements are looking even brighter.
When asked about career opportunities for women over 40, as compared to other industries or professions, nearly two-thirds, 39 percent, said the outlook was “very promising” while 57 percent rated the opportunities as “promising.”
Several past honorees offered golden nuggets of advice for their colleagues looking to further develop their professional/ working careers in the optical field. “Be professional, learn your trade well and work hard,” said Deb Malakoff, Vision Council of America’s VP of trade shows. “Don’t ever assume that you will move ahead for any reason other than performance. Take full advantage of industry support groups, training and education [in and outside the industry] and networking opportunities. The optical industry is a wonderful blend of fashion, technology and healthcare where opportunities abound,” she said.
Andrea Thau, OD, owner of Thau and Associates advised, “Be the best that you can be. Give back to your profession by volunteering--it is rewarding and enjoyable. You can make a difference.”
Several past honorees reminisced about how things have changed over the years for women. “Having worked with optical retail, optical wholesale, optical lab, frame manufacturing, optical buying groups, optical third party networks and doctors of optometry over the last 30 years, I have seen tremendous change in the role of women,” according to Emily Mikel Folline, Folline Vision Centers, Columbia, S.C.
“We were once support staff, who learned the optical business from our more-often-than-not male employers. But perhaps the real change is that most people in the optical business look to one another as opticians, technicians, executives, optometrists, etc., who happen to be male or female. We are no longer the woman optician.”
Change, especially for women, has more often than not been a good thing. “When I entered the industry some 20 years ago, one of the gentlemen I worked for loved to refer to me as a “broad”--now that I am one...no one uses the terminology,” according to VCA’s Malakoff. “Back then, women in leadership positions were far and few between. Yes, there were a few women in powerful roles scattered in the manufacturing, retail and professional side, but not to the extent that you see today. I would estimate that 20 years ago, even as recent as 7 to 10 years ago, the majority of individuals graduating with an optometric degree going into practice were men ...now there are more women then men entering the field,” she said.
Thau agreed with the sentiment that more women were entering the field than ever before. “When I began optometry school women represented 9 percent of practitioners. Now the schools are well over 50 percent women. I always heard that there were not enough women in leadership. I got involved to change that,” she said.
When asked to characterize prospects for young women entering the eyecare/eyewear industry, more than half of the survey’s respondents, 56 percent, rated the outlook as “excellent” while another 37 percent said prospects for new entrants was “very good.” New honoree Cheryl Archer, OD agreed that times were indeed changing for women in the industry. “With some of the failures in managed care, I believe healthcare is making a shift towards consumer- driven decisions. Patients are becoming more educated and there is wealth of information available to them on the Internet. Women still tend to be the primary healthcare decision makers for their family. Being on both sides of that exchange provides women with an opportunity to influence and bring a fresh perspective on the delivery of eyecare in every step of the process,” she said.
Vision Monday’s survey also indicated that women have a high opinion of their own accomplishments and those of other women in the industry. When asked to characterize the impact they and their female colleagues have made on their respective organizations, a staggering 94 percent cited a “very strong impact.” According to one respondent, “Women are stronger and more confident than they were years ago. They are happy to speak up and stick by what they believe. Women in optical are such an important influence because of the way we think and simply due to the buying power we have--from making key decisions, researching buying patterns and working with different personality types, we have the opportunity to become experts in this and so much more.” --Mary Kane
Quotable Quotes
|
How the role of women in optical has changed over the past 10 to 20 years:
“Women have always had a presence in retail, but mostly at entry level positions. Over the course of the past 10 years, women have progressed considerably to upper level management within retail organizations.”
“Women are a rising force in our profession and are setting new standards of professionalism in dynamic new ways. I see young women as committed, challenged and very driven, perhaps even more than their male colleagues. Our local optometry school is more than 70 percent female. The new face of optometry is that of a woman.”
“Women today have earned the management and leadership roles they possess. Hardworking, dedicated and loyal, women in the optical professions have created opportunities by starting their own companies, engaging in many types of leadership roles, taking on more challenging management positions and leading the way in education.” |