Matt Stout

Majors: Computer Sciences

Certificate: Digital Studies

Graduation Date: May 2019

How did you end up working at Harvard Business School?

During undergrad, I got an internship as an IT developer at TDS Telecom in Middleton. After a year there, I transitioned to an internship as a web developer at Hardin Design & Development, and when I graduated they hired me on as a full-time developer. I learned a lot there and slowly took on more responsibility.

When Covid hit, we were forced to navigate working from home before adopting a flexible hybrid schedule. Around the same time, my partner completed medical school and matched for residency in Boston, so I was able to continue working for Hardin remotely for another 8 months or so. Then, after a LOT of applications in a very competitive market, I landed my current role as a web developer for the Harvard Business School.

What does a typical day in the office look like for you?

In the IT department at Harvard Business School, we currently go into the office one day per week, which is nice because it allows us to be flexible. I am on a small team that manages a majority of the 60+ websites (including alumni, financial aid, faculty sites, etc.) that are hosted within the college. Also, in my position as a developer I get to interact with users semi-frequently, which is not super common in this field.

Most of my work comes from customer requests that range from something as simple as granting access to a page or answering questions about the site and its functionality to maintaining and debugging issues as they come up to helping design and develop enhancements for sites. Overall, my day is a pretty solid mix of active development work, debugging, reaching out to users, and the occasional meetings (in person or over Zoom).

How has Digital Studies influenced your career path?

Digital Studies was a huge part in guiding how my career path has taken shape. I started college as a computer engineering major, but soon learned I preferred software versus hardware so switched to computer science. Within that, there are a variety of routes you could take. For me, it was a web development course and an Internet of Things course that really sparked my initial interest. That’s where I first learned generic HTML and CSS, and saw how it combined coding with creativity, which hooked me instantly. I also learned the basics of things I still use and continue to learn about every day in my field, such as the importance of accessibility in web development.

Did you have a favorite Digital Studies class when you were a student?

My favorite Digital Studies class was Communication Arts 346: Critical Internet Studies with Prof. Jeremy Morris. This course gave me several new perspectives when looking at an existing website or when creating new content. It looked at various topics in the realm of the Internet of Things, including things I use in my line of work today, such as Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and web accessibility. Prof. Morris made this course very interactive and engaging, and it was a great environment for thinking outside the box.

Do you have any advice for current students?

Explore. Don’t subscribe to one idea of what you want to do with yourself too quickly. There are so many different ways to use your skills, and there are plenty of courses to expose you to options you wouldn’t have known about otherwise. Try different things and even get out of your comfort zone a little bit, and it will help immensely in the long run.

What achievement are you most proud of in your professional career thus far?

I am most proud of the progressions I have made. I started out as a quiet coder not particularly confident in my abilities. Now I interact with users with ease, am able to make design and coding decisions that have a real impact, and am even beginning to take on managing a project.