Arlen Pettitt
Arlen Pettitt on making a human connection
Arlen Pettitt has worked in policy, marketing and communications roles for more than 15 years and has recently launched the Wor Room Newsletter - a weekly digest giving a North East view on national politics and policy stories. Working in these areas has given him unparalleled opportunities to talk to communities and people from all walks of life. In his own words, Arlen reveals how human connection can lead to business success for companies and freelancers alike.
Edited by Ruby Guyler Photographs by Christopher Owens
Give me a brief history of your career.
Every job I’ve ever done has had something to do with taking information, processing it and spitting it back out again in some other form. I’ve mostly worked in policy and communications roles, and I’ve worked in consultancies and membership organisations for most of my career. That makes you good at working with people, and picking up little bits of knowledge about a lot of different subjects.
Tell me about your career as a policy, content and communications expert. What do you attribute to your success?
It’s all about being present, especially in a region like the North East. If you’re a genuine part of a community, then success comes naturally. If you help people out, show an interest, connect people together, then others will do the same for you. I feel like this is relevant to companies too, not just those doing contract or freelance work like myself.
What do you love most about what you do every day?
Two things: I get to write most days, whether that’s blogs, white papers or straight up comms work. On top of that, I get to speak to interesting people on a regular basis. On the very good days I get to do both, like if I’m interviewing someone for a focus piece or a research project.
Have you had to make sacrifices in your chosen career, and have they been worth it?
I’m not sure if sacrifices is the right word, but there have definitely been trade-offs. I’ve had a couple of points in my career when I’ve wanted to try something a bit different or steer in another direction. That usually means trading off money or progression in the short term for happiness and satisfaction in the long run.
“If you help people out, show an interest, connect people together, then others will do the same for you.”
What are some of your daily rituals and why are they part of your routine?
I get out for a walk every day, usually mid-morning or early afternoon. This is either by myself or with my wife, Kate, if we’re both working from home that day. I take half an hour - maybe get a coffee - and it helps me to focus on the rest of the day.
What does work/life balance look like for you?
The balance for me comes with being able to draw a clear line on where work ends. I don’t always achieve it, but that’s my aim - to be able to walk away from it and focus on family.
Being flexible with time is a given for me now, like being able to do pre-school drop off and pick up, or go to appointments in the middle of the day. I could never go back to being stuck to an office desk for rigid hours every day.
How do you stay focused and productive in a world of distractions?
I don’t, it’s impossible. But I try to do two things. One, I make my distractions useful or interesting whenever I can - reading online news and scrolling Twitter aren’t the worst things when you’re in policy and comms! And two - I acknowledge that some days I’m not feeling very productive and there’s no point in fighting that.
If you had the power to change the world, what would you change?
Childcare. If we fixed the childcare system in this country, I genuinely think it would grow the economy and close the gender pay gap. We pay amongst the highest fees in Europe and it acts as a huge tax on working parents - in particular, working mothers.
