What made you choose Arbtech?
I found out about the Arbtech internship in a very non-traditional way. I’d been watching TikToks about tips for getting into the ecology field and found a year-old comment on one of the videos from Arbtech about their 2024 internship. I checked their website in the hopes that they were running this for 2025, and luckily, I saw that comment just as the hiring process for 2025 had started and was able to apply for this year’s internship – some things really are just meant to be!
First and foremost, I chose Arbtech because I saw the immense potential for my own personal career growth. Arbtech’s internship programme is unrivalled by any other opportunities I’ve found for people at the beginning of their ecology careers.
Ecology is such a difficult sector to get your foot in the door of. Before this, I was doing a lot of unpaid volunteering on top of a full-time job, so being able to focus all my time and energy on the thing I love – as well as being able to pay the bills – is something I’m very grateful for.
What do you love most about the company?
The people.
Working with like-minded staff who are so passionate and knowledgeable, and who are keen to share that knowledge with you.
I have learned so much already and felt so welcome. They really take pride in what they do, and this is absolutely reflected in their work.
I also love the autonomy and flexibility we are given to be able to make our own schedule that works for us personally.
And lastly, while I haven’t used it yet, the unlimited CPD is such a massive factor for me as someone who loves learning new things.
What do you do when you are not at Arbtech?
I’m a big reader. Fantasy is my favourite genre – anything with magic, dragons and a good battle!
When I haven’t got my nose in a book, I love being outdoors. I really enjoy bird watching, and I’m trying to build up a species seen list.
I also love finding mushrooms and taking photos of them to build up my ID skills.
I really like gardening and collecting houseplants. At present, I have around 100 plants in my home!
What is your biggest tip to achieve the most in life?
Don’t try to achieve too much at once; think of your end goal and what you need to do to achieve that, and take it one step at a time.
Never stop asking questions – it’s the best way to learn and grow, and the questions you ask could also help someone else’s growth too.
What is the best social you’ve been on at Arbtech?
I haven’t been to any official socials yet, but I’ve heard good things!
Where do you want to travel to next?
I absolutely love Italian food, so I’d love to go to Italy to be able to explore the authentic local cuisine.
My lifetime goal trip would be to visit the Amazon rainforest. When I was a little kid, my grandad bought me a book on the Amazon rainforest, and I have been obsessed ever since.
The heat and humidity might kill me off, but there are just so many birds and bats and frogs and snakes to see that would just make it so worth it!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I’m looking forward to seeing how my ecology career will progress over that period, and I really want to get a few protected species licences under my belt.
What is a goal you have for the future, in or out of work?
To buy my own house and be able to decorate it however I want and, most importantly, to create my own thriving wildlife garden.
I’d also love to get my hands on a fancy camera so I can develop my wildlife photography hobby more.
Jess joined Arbtech in October 2025.
