Hywel - "I joined a punk band"

Hywel Maggs' career path to become an Area Operations Manager working in conservation.

Current Job

Tell us about your current role     line drawing of a location pin

I am an Area Operations Manager. I manage teams and conservation work programmes on nature reserves and in wider countryside .

Career Beginnings

When you were 15, what job did you want and who did you ask for advice?

I always wanted to do something in nature and I asked my dad and teachers.

What were your first steps in starting your career?     

Nature related higher education, volunteering and training. The challenges were balancing this with being a musician at the same time.

A group of whooper swans in a brown field, with a green field and skyline behind them

Career path and skills

What does your career path look like?     line drawing of a walker with a backpack at a sign. a dotted arrow from the sign points back the way they came from

My path was definitely non-linear. After leaving home to study environmental science at uni, I joined a punk band which led to a semi professional career mixed with volunteering in the environmental sector.

What skills were important for you to develop in your career?     line drawing of a spanner

Being resilient and creative.