The video critiques take-home coding challenges as time-consuming, poorly reviewed, and often indicative of problematic company cultures, advising developers to limit their acceptance and focus instead on improving resumes, live coding skills, and interview performance. It also offers practical tips for managing take-home tasks, emphasizing negotiation, clear communication, and viewing interviews as mutual evaluations to foster better career outcomes.
The video discusses the pitfalls of take-home coding challenges in software engineering interviews, highlighting why they are often a poor experience for candidates. Despite appearing manageable, these assignments usually consume far more time than promised—often 6 to 16 hours instead of the suggested 2—and rarely come with meaningful feedback. Candidates frequently receive vague or generic rejection reasons, making it difficult to improve. Moreover, companies often do not thoroughly review submissions, reflecting a lack of respect for candidates’ time and signaling poor engineering culture and top-down management styles.
One major reason developers continue to accept take-home challenges is that they often represent the only interview opportunity available. Many candidates feel trapped because they fear live coding interviews due to past negative experiences or interview trauma. Take-home tasks also give a false sense of productivity and control, as they mimic the familiar workflow of receiving requirements and coding independently. However, the video stresses that while it’s possible to pass with take-home tasks, the probability is low, especially since everyone has access to AI tools that speed up coding, making it less of a differentiator.
The speakers recommend limiting take-home challenges to one per week and only accepting them from companies that demonstrate genuine commitment, such as having a meaningful conversation with an internal recruiter or hiring manager. Instead of relying on take-home tasks, developers should focus on improving their resumes, LinkedIn profiles, and screening call performance to secure better interview opportunities. They also advise practicing live coding regularly to build confidence and speed, emphasizing the importance of touch typing skills to enhance coding efficiency during interviews.
For those who must do take-home assignments, the video offers practical advice: negotiate the scope to keep it manageable, seek a guaranteed live review with the engineering team, and aim for clean, modular, and well-tested code. Creating a walkthrough video of the completed project is highly recommended, as it helps guide reviewers through the work and increases the chances that hiring managers and recruiters will advocate for the candidate. Following up politely but firmly if no response is received within a few days is also crucial to avoid being left in limbo.
Ultimately, the video encourages developers to view the interview process as a two-way street where they assess the company as much as the company assesses them. Take-home challenges often reflect deeper issues within a company’s culture and hiring practices. By focusing on improving their overall job search strategy and interview skills, developers can reduce reliance on these time-consuming and often unrewarding assignments, leading to better outcomes and healthier career growth.