Paul Thompson

Paul started his SoCode journey in February 2022, covering the commercial division.

"​I’ve been in the recruitment world with SoCode for three years as of Feb 2025 – and it’s been a rollercoaster ride! I never thought I’d end up in recruitment… But I’m glad I did. I kicked off in IT, before realising that there was a gap in our service offering and moved into building the Commercial division. I consider myself very fortunate to work with strategic Sales and Business Development profiles, as we operate in a similar space to each other!

I’m Norfolk born and bred and live just outside beautiful Thetford Forest – spending my time flitting between our Norwich and Cambridge offices, regularly meeting candidates and clients for coffees, lunches, and beers. I ran my own ecommerce business for 7 years before recruitment found me. (I can also confirm I have five fingers and five toes on each hand and foot.)

My parents were very entrepreneurial and growing up all I knew was business. I studied English and Business at GCSE and A-level but decided against going to university – probably my single biggest regret in life. I had the chance to go to the UEA to study Creative Writing but felt it more beneficial to get a job and hop on the career ladder.

Being at SoCode allows me to stretch my own (limited) entrepreneurial brain matter, which I love. I’m given the flexibility to forge my own path and have a five-year business plan. I’ve never worked in an environment like it – my Norwich colleagues and I have a level of trust and comradery that I’ve rarely seen in any company.

For anyone considering recruitment as a career: No job in sales is easy. Recruitment is tough, but incredibly rewarding at the same time. If you land in the right agency and are given the right tools to do the job - and you’re passionate and entrepreneurial enough - you’ll fly. (Helps if you have a high-performing team alongside you, too.)"

Where would we find you outside of work?

"Outside of work, you’ll find me doing insanely middle-aged things. I’m a bit of a geek at heart, love reading, music, gaming, and taking long walks in the forest."

What is an interesting fact about you?

"A couple of interesting snippets about me… I’m not a huge fan of social media, but I’m rapidly approaching 8K followers on LinkedIn. I also have a Spotify playlist with nearly 16K followers. (Not bad, I guess, for a Norfolk-dwelling hermit such as I am.)

I am a humble award winner at SoCode. Regrettably, one of those awards includes the aptly named Shanter Award. I’m not going to go into too much depth here, but to put it bluntly: I’m a lover of puns and one-liners, and regularly wind my colleagues up with my favourites."

What is your favourite quote?

"Lastly, my favourite quote comes from the late, great Robin Williams: “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind. Always.”"