Quickly adapting
Arild Håland (66) emphasizes that the will and ability to adapt to change is important in order to succeed in any job. His own experience is that he thrives with busy work days in his current position as Quality Manager on several projects for Norwegian public transportation company, Sporveien AS. 
Håland is from Sandnes and has a broad professional experience. He has a degree in electrical engineering, but the interest for HSE and quality assurance ties all the way back to his first job in the oil and gas sector in the middle of the 1980s.
«It was when I started in this sector that I discovered a lot of discontinuity in the systems and decided that I either had to get the chance to tidy up the systems or I had to find something else to do. Fortunately I had a Manager who understood the issue, and gave me a chance to develop better systems and routines.»
Through his entire career he has gained competency within the quality and HSE filed on the international arena for project planning, production and installation of technical equipment, something that also includes advising, development of systems and following up on projects. He has an extensive experience with companies such as ABB, National Oilwell Norway, Brown & Root (Norway) Engineering, Ocean Rig and DNVGL before he started as a consultant in Omega.
Building on previous knowledge
«I was selfemployed as a Certified Revision Manager when I came in contact with Omega. At this point I already had knowledge of Omega from before, so the company was not unknown to me,» explains Håland.
During the Christmas holidays 2016 he got an unexpected phone call. It was from Department Manager Ståle Håheim in Omega enquiring if Håland would be interested in working as a consultant at the Nordlink project for ABB HVDC (High-voltage direct current), with work location in Sweden. A couple of days after the phone call Håland was ready to start the assignment. When the possibility presents itself we have to grab it, says Håland.
«After a while we moved from Stavanger to Oslo. My cohabitant got a job position with Oslo Municiaplity, and I got closer to Oslo S/Gardermoen and the commute to Sweden, Denmark, Germany and Sirdal (Norway) for ABB HVDC got easier.»
«In many ways I feel that I have a much more liberated work life as a consultant in Omega. I also get to use more of my knowledge and experience. I mean, I am 66 years now and many companies are looking for people in their 30's and 40's but require that they have experience like that of a sixty year old. We are not getting more attractive on the job market as seniors, but I still have a lot to contribute and want to work for many more years.»
On assignment with Sporveien
After over one year in ABB HVDC a new request came from Department Manager Håheim. This time, it was if he was interested in a position as Quality Manager in Norwegian Public Transportation company, Sporveien AS. Also this phone call came only days before Håland found himself in a meeting with the Oslo-based company. From March this year he has worked as Quality Manager for seven projects for Sporveien As, and is now also serving as a Quality Adviser to the large, complex project of integrating a CBTC (Communications-Based Train Control) signalling system.
«I am now responsible for ensuring that my projects comply with Sporveien's management systems and follow up on our suppliers,» he explains.
«This assignment fit me perfectly, and we have now also bought an apartment in Oslo that we have used a lot of our spare time to refurbish. One should not be afraid to adjust and move to achieve one's goals,» means Håland.
At home in Rogaland Håland has children and grandchildren that he wants to spend time with. Fortunately, he still has the family cabin on Rennesøy (Østhusvik) which is a natural spot to spend vacations and gather the entire family.
«And in the cabin garage awaits a 31 year-old veteran Mercedes 420SL ready to cruise. My interest for cars and motors has been important to me, and I like to have some speed and action around me,» Arild Håland says.