Upon entering the job market, Pascal wondered whether optometry would be the right career for him in the long run. His experience with Doyle made him realize that there is a way to mix traditional skills with his bubbly personality in one same position. This is his story.
Beyond the traditional options
“When you become an optometrist, you feel like your future is going to follow a traditional path, common to everyone in the profession,” says Pascal. Indeed, for most young optometrists leaving school, the path is set. You can imagine your future:
- As an independent worker in an optometry office
- As a partner in an optometry office
- As a teacher/clinician in the profession
Of course, this reality can be very different depending on the type of optometry office where you practice, but it can feel like the options are somehow limited. When you love grey areas, improvisation and possibilities, this realization can be a bit terrifying.
An incubator of many talents
During his first year, Pascal held two jobs: one at the Doyle boutique in Sainte-Foy and the other at an independent office in the region. Unsure of his choice, Pascal wondered which type of practice would best suit his personality. He began discussing his desire to be more involved in his community with the partners of the offices where he worked and was quickly contacted by Patrick Doyle and Karl Brousseau — president and vice-president of the Doyle Group.
Over St-Hubert chicken and a cold beer, the trio started chatting. Pascal spoke about his dreams, they discussed the optometry profession, and the trio even chatted about philosophy! A beautiful chemistry developed between them and, to Pascal’s great surprise, he was quickly offered a position as coordinator of engagement and culture. This new position was perfectly tailored to his personality - it would allow him to use the qualities that made him an optometrist like no other, while ensuring that he felt like a pioneer in his field and remaining committed and challenged on a daily basis.
According to Pascal, this offer from the Doyle Group showed “a great deal of confidence” from the group. “The job description fit perfectly with my dream job. I couldn’t have described it better!” To this day, Pascal is still amazed that Patrick and Karl were able to identify his strengths so quickly and create a position that not only appealed to him, but also filled a need for the group.
An evolving role
Today, Pascal’s days are divided between his optometry practice and his management role at the group’s head office. Much of his energy is spent working with the University of Montréal to recruit ambitious and talented individuals to grow the team at Doyle.
He organizes events, connects with students and helps them see all the possible paths available to them. And in the past year Pascal’s role has continued to evolve. Today, he is helping to implement dry-eye clinics in various Doyle boutiques in collaboration with Karl Brousseau! As he is constantly learning, he remains highly motivated and knows that he is contributing to the growth of the company, which is very rewarding for him.
Isn’t it inspiring to realize that it’s always a win-win situation when you give a young person the means to achieve their ambitions?
