Meet The Clickers – Paul Howarth

In this month’s meet the clicker we chat to Paul from our tech team!

Hey Paul, tell us how you started at Click Dealer.

I used to work with small web agencies for many years in different capacities, frequently on my own, but when the time came, Click Dealer grabbed my attention and that was almost 5 years ago now!

I loved the sound of the opportunities and the work, it was something I could slip straight into with PHP code but also with the promise of pushing forward with new technologies.

I got brought on as Mid Developer and started on my birthday!

What was it like moving from working on your own to working as a team?

It was so good. It was nice to have other people to ask for help, get training and advance my skills and work on bigger systems which I couldn’t do before. It’s been great to have the chance to progress through different roles too.

How have you progressed through Click?

I started in maintenance which was great; and worked my way into a position where I would work on my own little projects, usually within the DMS.

Then the big turning point was ClickStock, that was where I moved from maintenance to new applications and using newer technologies and coding techniques.

Since covid, there have been huge changes technology wise. Matt shuck up the entire tech team and completely changed the direction we are going in terms of technology.

And you recently took on a whole new role of Technical Owner?

Yeah, it’s a bit of a shift away from development. The idea of this role came up and it is something I am passionate about, I love to understand how everything works.

Everything out of work, as well as in work, tends to revolves around tech with me, TV’s, computers, hi-fi etc, I love to know how they work and I will read up on every detail. And that’s what this role is about – it’s overseeing projects from a higher level, determining what the team are going to do for a project, making sure it is delivered and consistent and ensuring it is future-proof. Basically, the role bridges the gap between our CTO and the rest of the tech team and it will be my job to relay projects to the wider company and potentially get dealers involved more with projects too.

Sounds like a very busy role! So, I hear that during lockdowns you took to your garage?

Yeah, I started building an outdoor sofa out of wood in the garage, I didn’t do the covers I got a company in Stoke to do those for me, keeping it local, but it now sits in the garden. It is a huge L shaped sofa.

I have so many tools, I show them off to Steve who makes guitars.

What do you love doing outside of messing with technology and woodwork?

I love TV and films, music (mostly house and specific DJ’s), cooking, craft beer. Bit of all sorts really. Bit of DIY I like too. And cats, I always send my cat pics to Megan and Sam.

I love to collect things too, I have cans with really cool designs on – digital art is another of my passions.

Favourite film?

Oh God! I love all the big genres and franchises, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Marvel etc plus classics like Scorsese gangsta films, kung fu, sci-fi, anime…I love all sorts.

I’m going to ask…what’s your favourite craft beer?

I have more of a favourite type, I love a double IPA or New England IPA. Anything hoppy and cloudy. I track the ones I’ve tried and last I looked I had tried over 2,000 different ones, I rarely have the same beer twice. It makes me sad when people won’t branch out and try different beers.

My partner is due to have a baby soon though, so I know a lot is going to change – no more going round the pubs with my mates or dragging my partner to various towns/cities to visit the breweries!

That may be off the cards for a while, but a worthwhile reason to hang up your glass for bit!

Yeah, there have been a lot of changes over the last year and still to come!

Last question, what is your favourite thing about Click?

It’s nice that we work together and collaborate so well as a team. We all work together on a common goal, and we always get the support we need.

The support network is really good and the management team are amazing and always has been. The culture is like nowhere else I’ve worked, even my partner is jealous of it when I mention different things going on.