When an optometry student could not pay for his train ticket, a kind stranger stepped in. Little did this stranger know this random act of kindness encouraged the student to start a career with Specsavers.
Two years ago, Vaishal Dave was on a train when he realised he had forgotten his wallet. A conductor said he would have to get off at the next stop so Nimesh Popat, then a divisional relationship manager at Specsavers, came to the student’s rescue by paying for his ticket.
The pair swapped numbers and kept in touch. Vaishal said: ‘I offered to pay him back but he wouldn’t let me. He asked how uni was going and whether I’d found a pre-reg position.’
Popat’s wife, a joint venture partner for Specsavers, happened to be looking for a resident optometrist so Popat contacted Dave. ‘I had an interview and when Hina offered me the position I didn’t think twice,’ said Dave. ‘I really believe things happen for a reason. The chances of me getting on the same train as Nimesh that day… the coincidence was amazing,’ he said.