Meet one of our recent hires, Software Engineer, Callum! He’s almost as good at coding as he is at playing table football…
What do you do here at notonthehighstreet and how long have you been here for?
I’m a Front-End Developer for Payment and Services and I’ve been here for 3 months (I passed my probation last week in fact!). Essentially, my job revolves around smoothing out the checkout and payment experience for our customers, making it nicer, more fluid and ultimately ensuring our customers enjoy the experience so much that they want to return.
What does a typical day look like?
The only regular daily meeting we have is “stand up” which takes place first thing. It’s for everyone in the team to catch up on workloads, blockers and to make sure we’re all on the right track. As an Engineer, I think it’s important to be able to get into the zone when you code so I tend to code with my headphones in. We’re also starting to do elaboration meetings every afternoon which is where our team look at upcoming work and make sure we’re comfortable with what this might involve.
How did you get into working in Tech?
Since I was a kid, I’ve always been into technology. Ever since I received my first hand-me-down laptop, I remember I always loved breaking it and then working out how to fix it again. In college, I kept going in that direction by studying Maths, Physics and Computer Science. I ended up in a job that was vaguely tech related. I was configuring software for clients and it resulted in more and more clients wanting more and more customisation which I basically volunteered to try to do. I then started picking up lots of Front-End Dev practices, which I enjoyed. I was in a very lucky position; leaving university and being given the freedom and flexibility to learn was an incredible opportunity.
Where were you working before getting the job here?
Before this I was at Amido, which is a smaller digital consultancy based in London Bridge. As it was an agency, we worked with lots of different clients. Before that, I was at Macmillan Cancer Support which was the first place I really worked as a full-time Front-End Developer. I was there for about a year before taking the job with Amido. It’s good because I’ve now worked both agency and in-house so I’ve really begun to see what I most enjoy — I prefer in-house because I really like building a product that I’m proud of. It’s great to work on something that you can invest time in and then release when you’re totally done with it.
Why did you take the job with notonthehighstreet?
I liked the idea of it initially — I liked the fact it was in-house (and the good commute, as it’s close to home didn’t hurt either!) Then when I actually came in and met with the people who worked here, I realised just what a wonderful environment it was to be in too. It just felt like a community; a collaborative team who all work nicely together towards the same goal. The technology stack was also the same as what I was looking for so it really just fell in place.
What’s been your favourite thing about working here so far?
It feels like a start-up, but in a more established company and I really like the focus on making everyone happy and the emphasis placed on team social activities. I look forward to coming into work to see everyone, and then it’s amazing knowing that the work you’re doing is helping people too. That community feeling is something very special and doesn’t happen in every company.
What’s the most challenging thing about what you do?
Keeping up-to-date. The technology world, and front end in particular, has gone through a lot of change recently and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. If you want to stay relevant within the industry, you’ve got to know about the new stuff without forgetting about the basics. There are a few things I do to keep up; I read thought leader tweets on Twitter and listen to a lot of podcasts too. The hardest part of it for me is coming up with ideas for what to actually build when trying out new tech.
What makes notonthehighstreet different to other places you’ve worked?
The culture is definitely a big one. People aren’t just here to work, they’re here to work together -. it’s that collaborative environment again. Backstage [our fortnightly company meeting] is great because it means we get full exposure to what’s going on around the business, and it’s a good opportunity to get everyone together. Everyone’s just invested in it — they care about the whole business, not just their little team. I’ve never before come into a company which is so genuinely welcoming.
If you could give someone who wants to get into the tech field advice, what would you suggest?
A large part of it is that you do actually need to make sure that you will enjoy the work. Some days, you may go home and spend your evening researching into new forms of tech. But I’d say this needs to be because you enjoy it; you don’t want to feel like you’re going home to work. Other than that, I’d say don’t be afraid to go for it! Evidently, you don’t need a degree to do well in this industry. You are acknowledged for your merit, not just your qualifications. If you enjoy it, and can put in the time, it’s definitely worth it!
What do you like about working in Richmond?
The commute is fantastic. I’ve lived in Kew for nearly 15 years and it’s literally a 30 minute walk from my house door-to-door. Richmond’s just lovely too; so many great places to eat, nice pubs, the green in the summer. It’s great to go outside and eat lunch, or go for a walk up Richmond Hill on your break. I’ve lived round here for a long time and I still love it!
