Andrew Hawkins, Technology Director at Compare the Market: How to Launch Your Career in Tech in 2026

Episode Guest

Andrew Hawkins is Technology Director at Compare the Market, where he focuses on building world-class engineering capability and helping teams embrace AI-led transformation. He is known for his thoughtful, people-first approach to leadership, with a strong emphasis on curiosity, impact and continuous learning.

Episode Timestamps:

0:00 Introduction

0:22 Andrew’s first job and early career lessons

2:14 Taking risks and stepping into the unknown

3:40 The failure that changed Andrew’s career

4:39 Failure is framing: a powerful mindset shift

5:34 Using failure to build resilience and confidence

6:06 Curiosity, open-mindedness and career growth

7:22 How to become more curious in your career

8:17 Dropping fear and leaning into new opportunities

9:20 Why AI feels like the early internet

10:04 How to think about AI in business and problem-solving

11:02 Why AI won’t replace engineers

12:27 Andrew’s non-linear career journey

13:09 Do what makes you happy and plays to your strengths

14:11 Why traditional career advice is broken

15:03 Transferable skills from unexpected jobs

15:37 Why having fun at work matters

16:31 Handling periods when you don’t enjoy your job

17:14 Self-awareness and taking responsibility for change

18:10 When to adapt vs when to move on

19:05 How Andrew joined Compare the Market

20:07 The role of AI in business transformation

21:04 Why company values matter when choosing a job

22:46 Top interview tips to stand out

24:07 Building rapport and being yourself in interviews

26:15 The best question to ask in a tech interview

27:34 How companies should approach AI transformation

29:20 Becoming a world-class engineering organisation

30:19 Why now is the most exciting time in tech

31:38 Lessons from the early internet boom

32:32 Will AI replace human conversations?

32:50 What keeps Andrew motivated at Compare the Market

34:11 Why technology is all about people

34:44 The best career advice Andrew follows

36:12 Andrew’s duvet flip: making an impact every day

37:05 Final thoughts and reflections

Episode Partners

📊 Compare the Market

Discover how you can make a difference at Compare the Market, the company behind one of the UK’s most popular comparison sites. From tech and data to marketing and operations, they’re on a mission to simplify decisions for millions.

https://bit.ly/4i53Svj

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