Member-only story
A few years back, I embarked on a journey that many in the tech industry are all too familiar with.
It began with excitement when I was handed a take home coding assignment with a three-day deadline.
The task was mine to conquer, and the potential reward?
A coveted job offer.
Determined to make every second count, I dove headfirst into the challenge and my weekend transformed into a marathon of coding.
Meals were ordered in, not for the luxury, but as a necessity to maximize coding time.
Every line of code was meticulously crafted, every function refactored until I had a polished gem of a project.
One that I was certain would be a one way ticket to landing the job.
With high hopes, I submitted my work and waited for a response.
Several days later, anticipation gave way to a familiar disappointment. The email arrived, its contents cold and impersonal.
“Thank you for your interest in our company. We regret to inform, you are not shortlisted for the role.”
The sting of rejection was sharp, but what followed twisted the knife even deeper.
In a quest for feedback, I visited the submitted Github repo, expecting to see comments or at least signs of engagement.
Discovering this felt akin to betrayal:
The invitation to my repository, a bridge which I extended in good faith, was not even accepted.
Every moment of effort and every ounce of hope proved to be in vain.
It’s a shame that the industry continues to rely on these processes that can so profoundly overlook the genuine efforts of talented candidates.
I tweeted this and it went viral gaining over 700k impressions of people agreeing to this sentiment.
So, here’s why I think tech interviews, regardless of level, are blatantly broken:
