What made you choose Arbtech?
The flexibility and autonomy of the role was appealing.
I can manage my own time and projects effectively whilst being able to maintain a solid work-life balance, which was something that had been hard to achieve elsewhere.
What do you love most about the company?
I’m a permanent headless chicken with a thousand balls in the air at any one time.
The structure of the project management role allows greater flexibility, both in terms of the time spent working from the desk at home and carrying out surveys on the site.
Such a greater level of autonomy is a breath of fresh air after coming from a very rigidly structured consultancy.
It makes my life much easier, and as a result – despite the very fast-paced nature of the job – I’m much less stressed.
What do you do when you are not in Arbtech?
I tend to spend most of my time outside.
Day to day, I can be found hanging around the stables looking after my horse and managing the land, which is great fun, or at least it is in the summer!
When I am not out with my horses, I am often found out in the field working on conservation projects for both bats and dormice around the South West and botanising with the botanical society.
When I eventually decide to go inside, I will often head to the ice rink, where I am learning (painfully slowly) how to figure skate.
What is the biggest tip to achieve the most in life?
Figure out what is important to you and work backwards from there.
Once you know what is important, it is easier to find the best way forward in life, and the motivation to make positive change is easier to find.
What is the best social you’ve been on at Arbtech?
I haven’t yet been on any socials, but I’ve heard really good things and I’m looking forward to meeting everyone properly at the upcoming Christmas party!
Where do you want to travel to next?
I’ve been lucky enough to travel to quite a few places over the years.
I have just recently come back from a trip to Egypt, deep diving into the ancient history of the place.
I’d like to go to Pompeii and Herculaneum next to immerse myself in and learn more about a culture which existed during the same period as the ancient Egyptians.
Beyond there, I’d love to head to South America to enjoy the cultural and natural richness of the place.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
My ultimate aim by then is to just be happy with a good work-life balance and decent progress both personally and professionally.
I aim to at least be principal level at work in the next couple of years with a few extra holidays under my belt.
What is a goal you have for the future, in or out of work?
I aim to have a dormouse licence within the next season and plan to dedicate my time to getting this over the upcoming summer. This means that I have a lot of trampling through woodlands in my future, with the added bonus of making some fluffy-tailed friends!
Outside of work, I plan to continue expanding my building skill set so I can DIY my way through a few renovations including the bathroom, which is definitely going to be needed in the next few years.
Hayley joined Arbtech in July 2024.
