Erin Hancock: A Brief Intro

Education, career goals, hobbies, etc.

Hey! I’m Erin! I am a web developer based in Salt Lake City, UT and studying at Utah Valley University.

I balance my education with working full-time on a development team at a software company in Orem.

My hobbies include taking a keen interest in music and film, as well as spending as much time as possible outside in the summer. I love attending concerts and watching award shows. Due to the pandemic, I’ve been obsessed with long walks, audiobooks, and DIY projects. My dream would be to someday incorporate my passion for web development into my love of the arts.

Why Web Development?

I didn’t always want to be a web developer, but it kept coming back to me when I thought about what type of career I wanted. For the majority of my formal education, I pursued a degree in healthcare. I switched to web development for a few important reasons:

1. I was already working in healthcare, and I wasn’t content. I wanted to create things, and I wanted room to grow and expand my knowledge, but I felt limited in my options within the healthcare industry.
2. I am a problem-solver at heart. In previous jobs, I’d find ways to improve broken or inefficient systems almost subconsciously.
3. After more than one friend suggested I look into the tech industry, I took an online Python course to see what it was all about. I was surprised to learn that I didn’t hate it. From there I did research into the industry, and found so many different avenues of work. I got excited at the prospect of a future in web development and I’ve maintained that throughout my subsequent education.

Short-Term Goals

I’m currently employed as a junior developer at a software company in Orem. While working at this company and finishing my degree, my goal is to expand my knowledge and creativity. I want to contribute to something bigger than myself and gain enough experiences to become a well-rounded and skilled developer. With those skills, I would like to eventually become my own boss.

Long-Term Goals

When I think about what I want my career to look like, I want it to be exciting and versatile. I want be my own boss and work on projects that uplift the world around me. I’m incredibly passionate about traveling, and I want to have a career that allows me to go wherever I want in the world. I broke that dream down into small, reachable goals. My first goal is to finish my Bachelor’s Degree, of which I have almost completed. Once I have completed my short-term goals, I want to transition into becoming a freelance contractor. Ideally, I want to help small businesses get on their feet with a high functioning website that meets their needs.

Connect with me on LinkedIn!