Happy December! We are officially in the home stretch of 2020. As these next few weeks start getting busy, don't forget to tune into your favorite podcast for some great guests and positive vibes!

Erin believes that finding diverse talent doesn't have to be challenging for companies. There are plenty of people from non traditional backgrounds that are hungry and curious to break into the tech industry. However, many of these candidates are intimidated from applying to positions when the job description is looking for a “magical unicorn” candidate with unrealistic experience. She has found that a computer science degree will teach the theory behind computers, but it is not necessary for entry level software roles. There are alternative methods (bootcamp programs, online resources, etc..) to learn the necessary skills and help gain the hands on experience to start working in tech. Erin thinks that an apprenticeship pattern can be applied to technical roles if a company has a culture and values to support the program. She believes that in order to recruit and retain diverse talent, companies need to establish a culture that listens and adapts to their employees needs. People should feel encouraged to grow both professionally and personally within their workplace.  

Erin Orstrom is a technology professional with 3+ years of experience in software development, business analysis, and 1+ year of product ownership. She excels at liaising between the business and the developers to translate requirements comprehensively between the two parties. Erin enjoys working with others to understand their challenges and implement solutions which create more positive and intuitive user experiences. She is currently serving as a Product Owner at naviHealth.

• Erin Orstrom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinorstrom
• naviHealth: https://www.navihealth.com
• naviHealth Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/navihealth-inc-
• Erin’s Website: https://erinorstrom.com
• More episodes of the SnackWalls Podcast: http://podcast.snackwalls.com

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