Lumi Learns — Clint Miller

We sat down with General Education Instructor Clint Miller, who reflects on his role and how it helps prepare students with skills necessary for success in their field of study.‍

What is your role at Atlas - how do you help students reach their goals?

My name is Clint Miller. I’m a general education instructor here at Atlas, which just means all the education that takes place aside from technical education falls in our lap. It's the career development, interviews, and stuff like that.

How does Atlas School prepare students for the professional aspects of a career in software development, beyond just technical skills?

Through lots of in-depth practice. We create multiple versions of resumes and conduct lots of practice interviews. We use an AI interviewing platform which practices in-person interviewing. We’re teaching students how to develop their own professional persona.

How do the general education components of the program impact students' readiness for the job market?

In general education we develop students' ability to critically think, communicate professionally both between peers and between potential employers, and develop that foundational networking ability.

Can you explain the importance of building a strong resume and LinkedIn profile for aspiring software engineers?

Absolutely. The resume and LinkedIn profile helps establish the individuals' professional persona. It gives them the ability to communicate through written, to somebody that may not know them just yet. They can actually go down there and look at different projects, different work experience, even skill sets, and just being able to develop that resume gives them the significant advantage in the ever increasing market.

What types of activities or workshops do we offer to help students improve their interview skills?

So we offer an extensive array of workshops. It goes from critical thinking, resume, interview skills, and even radical candor. Being able to communicate in the work environment effectively and positively. You have to have that ability to have difficult conversations with individuals and still be respectful at the same time. That's just a tad bit of what the workshops that we do.

How do you see students applying the skills they learn in real-world scenarios or projects during the course?

Just having that practice. That over and over repetition develops confidence, and confidence develops into a skill set. Even in the networking aspect of the real world, being able to approach individuals, potential employers, potential peers, potential hires, even people that are experts in their field, and being able to approach them and ask questions, ask the right questions, that's a very viable skillset.

What are some ways in which students have surprised you with their innovation or problem-solving skills?

I've been marveled at the extent that these students have accomplished things since I very first started. My first week here I met one group of the students that just finished a hack sprint. They had a week and they developed an entire video game from scratch. 

Another aspect is during the last trimester of the students the ability to work with peers, work around schedules and accomplish their projects. There was a group of students that had developed a whole entire learning-based video game website from scratch. It's just amazing what these students can do.

Can you talk about the sense of community within the program and how it helps students thrive?

Once they are here, not only do we have dedicated departments specifically designed for the student success, but also the staff here. They're very, very willing to provide their own time and attention, as much as they can.

How do you believe the skills and experiences gained at Atlas School prepare students for future challenges and opportunities in the tech industry?

Stay curious. I know it's cliche, but be a lifelong learner. Always seek new information. One advice that I got early on in my career is never be the smartest person in the room. I’ve tried to live by that throughout life, and I can't advise that more to individuals.