With a Strong Boot Camp Portfolio, Limei Hou Won the CS Coding Challenge

Limei Hou was one of two students to win the recent Career Services Coding Challenge, hosted by the boot camp’s career services team. The challenge required students to submit their resumes, portfolios, and GitHub project pages—awarding the students with the strongest employer-ready materials. 

When Limei enrolled in Case Western Reserve University Data Analytics Boot Camp, she knew the rigorous coursework would be her biggest challenge, but managing it while branding herself proved to be a balancing act of its own. The CS Coding Challenge served as an additional incentive to prepare for career interviews—providing a fun opportunity to round out her boot camp experience.

Putting in the hours

Limei’s success in the CS Coding Challenge stemmed from how hard she worked throughout boot camp. She went above and beyond her assignments in and out of class—and managed to excel in both areas. 

“I am very happy to have won,” said Limei. “I worked every day for weeks to prepare these materials while also managing the fast-paced course. It was stressful, but with so much support—from career services, my instructor (Ian P. Roy), my TA (Jason Fleischer), and my student success manager (Barbara Murphy)—I was extremely motivated to do this.” 

With the help of her support system, Limei was able to develop an outstanding resume, LinkedIn, portfolio, and GitHub page—ultimately securing her a winning title at the challenge. 

“In addition to working with my career director, I also referenced Trilogy’s example materials, articles, webinars, and YouTube channel,” said Limei. “It was really helpful to have so many resources, and I’m relieved that I feel so prepared to begin my job search.”

Always asking questions

For Limei, capitalizing on all the resources available to her was the key to succeeding in boot camp. Whether it was reaching out for help when she needed it or always asking questions when she had them, this approach helped her get the most out of every assignment and nail the CS Coding Challenge.

“Don’t be afraid to ask questions when you don’t understand something,” said Limei. “That was the biggest lesson I learned from my experience. A lot of knowledge can be gained from curiosity, and it’s the best way to prepare for the future.”

Limei’s prize was a one-on-one informational interview with Emma Hollister, consultant engagement manager at TEKsystems. As Limei dives into her career search, she feels well-equipped with the tools she needs to find a job in the field. Her main focus is to continue practicing coding by reviewing every topic covered in the boot camp—and setting herself up to successfully take on a new position.