What made you choose Arbtech?
I’ve been following Arbtech on social media ever since I was studying for my degree. The company instantly caught my eye, and I’ve been keeping tabs on graduate opportunities ever since.
When I heard about the internship, I thought it was way too good to be true, and I didn’t expect to ever be considered, so I very nearly didn’t apply. It’s the same reason why I never have a go at the lottery! A good friend of mine convinced me to give it a go though, and I am so glad that I did.
There is no comparable opportunity in the sector to get a foot in the door whilst being paid! It has been a ride, but I recommend it to everyone wanting to follow this career.
What do you love most about the company?
I love the flexibility to work around your life instead of living around your work.
Working from home with flexible working hours means that I have the freedom to homeschool my daughter, which is incredibly important to me.
Secondly, I absolutely love nature and having a career surrounded by it feels surreal. There will always be so much to learn and almost too much knowledge for just one lifetime – even David Attenborough doesn’t know everything about nature!
The bottomless pit for CPD is definitely a huge bonus, as it will supplement my yearning for learning. Although I haven’t used it yet, that’s only because there’s so much for me to learn from my colleagues first!
Thirdly, the team is incredible. I have never worked with such amazing people before, and I can tell that Arbtech wouldn’t be Arbtech without them! I’ve felt so supported throughout my internship and early career. No question is a stupid question, and everyone is so willing to help each other out.
There is a tendency in ecology for experienced ecologists to keep their cards close to their chest, but this is not the case here, with everyone happy and open to sharing the knowledge they have.
What do you do when you are not in Arbtech?
When I’m not at Arbtech, I’m covered in paint, tiling adhesive or doing something else messy as part of the process of renovating an old 1950s house.
If I’m not doing that, I’m walking my four dogs and young child around the forest where we live.
I also have a tendency to be found at a local fur and feather show on a Wednesday night.
I homeschool my four-year-old daughter and find great joy in teaching her about wildlife and the great outdoors. I am so pleased to be able to say that she genuinely can identify more plants than the average high schooler.
What is the biggest tip to achieve the most in life?
Focus on the small things and improve your life by 1% every day, even if that 1% is making your bed in the morning.
In 100 days, you’ll have made a 100% improvement without even realising it.
What is the best social you’ve been on at Arbtech?
I haven’t been with the company long enough to have experienced a proper social yet, but I very much look forward to them!
Where do you want to travel to next?
Japan is on my bucket list of places I want to go. I’d love to visit the temples and see all the cherry blossom trees.
But more realistically, Germany. I am hoping to go to a proper German Christmas market this year.
Honestly though, little trips aside, I’m a homebird and would love nothing more than to build myself a sanctuary at home than travel the world.
Who needs the Alps when you’ve got the Welsh mountains at an hour’s drive anyway?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
I hope that, professionally, I have developed my career within Arbtech to a consultant level and collected a species licence or two.
More personally, I hope to just be happy and content with my experience on earth.
What is a goal you have for the future, in or out of work?
As a person with ADHD, I have many pipedreams that I could list. but I will save you the time!
The biggest goal I have in life is to own my own little plot of land and live sustainably, and to do that, I need to buy my little house next year and start on that property ladder.
Victoria joined Arbtech in October 2024.
