The term “portfolio career” is a feature of the modern working landscape. For optometrists, choosing to follow a portfolio career can involve diverse, flexible and self-directed roles that reflect an individual’s evolving professional interests and opportunities.

That’s certainly the case for Sosena Tang MCOptom, whose current range of professional roles includes hospital work, community practice, teaching, examining and even a fascinating position with RNIB.

“Experiencing different sectors has enabled me to understand eye care from all points of view,” Sosena says.

After graduating from City University in 1995, Sosena joined Boots Opticians as a pre-reg and spent the best part of a decade there. However, within a couple of years of qualifying, she opted to drop one day a week to work at an NHS hospital in an optometry role that involved biometry, low vision and paediatric eye clinics. Then the academic bug bit again, and she began studying at City University for a modular MSc in clinical optometry. Around the same time, she also became a pre-reg supervisor.

That involvement and enjoyment of working with pre-regs naturally led to applying for roles as Assessor and Examiner for the College. Sosena says she enjoys giving something back to the profession, having been inspired and mentored by many optometrists at university and in her career.