I’m done with take-home coding tasks…
AI Summary
This video discusses the pitfalls of take-home coding challenges in software engineering interviews. While these assignments may seem easy or doable, they often provide little to no actionable feedback, consume significant time and energy (usually much more than the estimated 2 hours), and are a poor indicator of a company’s engineering culture. Candidates often get rejected for vague reasons and have no guarantee their work will even be reviewed thoroughly. The video explains why developers can choose to opt out of these assignments, mainly because they often signal a one-sided, top-down, and disrespectful hiring process where the candidate invests heavily with little reciprocation. Instead, the recommendation is to limit take-home tasks—only one per week from a committed company if unemployed—and focus on building skills through live coding, improving resumes, and other interview prep. When taking a take-home challenge, candidates should negotiate scope, seek guaranteed live code reviews, keep code simple and modular, write tests, and provide walkthrough videos to help evaluators understand their work. Following up on submissions is important to demand respect and feedback. Ultimately, the video advocates for a balanced, strategic approach to take-home tasks aimed at preserving energy and maximizing hiring success.