Joanne Laubacker

How did you start building your network?

Being a Manager and Licensed Optician has been great with meeting new people in the industry. The more you learn, the more people you meet and this helped me to build a network of people I can count on.

What is it like when your job gets tough?

My job can sometimes be mentally challenging. When it starts to get tough, I just remember why I chose the career I did, I wanted to help people. Sometimes you will run into patients that are upset because mistakes have been made to their order or because their glasses broke on them within a year of purchasing them. This is frustrating for the patient and you need to remember that not every patient you will help will be grateful of your help or solutions. I just keep in mind that you cannot help everyone, but you can try your best.

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I was not planning on a career as a Licensed Optician. My friend's father is an Optometrist and I went to get an eye exam with him when I was already in college. He asked me what my plan was after college and I had told him I was not sure what I wanted to do. Then he introduced me to a career in optical. He asked me if I would like a job as an Optometric Technician. I fell in love with the field and decided to go back to college for Ophthalmic Dispensing (Optician). Now it has been over 10 years in the field and I am an Optical Manager.

Did anyone ever oppose your career plans when you were young or push you in a direction you did not want to go?

I was fortunate enough that this had not happened to me.

What is the one piece of career advice you wish someone gave you when you were younger?

One piece of career advice I wish someone had given me would be, don't be afraid to make mistakes. Mistakes are what you learn from to become better at what you do.

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

My career is very people focused. I assist patients in picking out eyeglass frames, fitting patients glasses and trouble shooting issues with patients glasses.

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge I had to overcome would be trying to climb my way up to a management position. I overcame this by working hard to improve my skills. Once I was able to do this, it made it much easier to take the giant step to manager.

When did you get your first Big Break? How did you get it? How did it go?

I was able to get my first big break about 5 years after getting my degree. I was lucky enough to have a manager who saw my potential and who taught me what it would be like to be a manager.

When you were a student, did you do anything outside of school to build skills or get knowledge that has helped your career?

When I was in school, I was lucky enough to already be in the optical field. Because of this, I not only learned at school, but was able to hone my skills with the help of the Optometrist I was working for.

What is the most useful piece of career advice you got as a student, and who gave it to you?

My most useful piece of career advice I received as a student was to keeping working hard for what you want. My husband is the one who gave me this advice.