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Comment by warent | Hacker News Reader

These days I just immediately turn those down without a second thought. It's a joke of an interviewing system and your time is way too valuable for that.

Happy to do coding questions, but not 8 hour long take-home projects. Those have screwed me too many times

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Could those long coding projects be a strategy to force you into sinking so much effort into the process that you're now in a weak negotiating position due to the sunk cost?

I admit I'm speaking from ignorance here, and am only curious to gain more insight into this.

Could those long coding projects be a strategy to force you into sinking so much effort into the process that you're now in a weak negotiating position due to the sunk cost?

Yes, absolutely they can! And almost nobody talks about this. Most of the conversation about take-home projects surrounds cost/benefit ratio, but almost never as a negotiating tactic and sunk costs.

The worst kind are the coding challenges were they don't even respond back to you after delivering it. Happens a lot in London.

I felt like it was more of a way to see if you are willing to take on a large workload no questions asked when you are hired.

I've never thought of that! only rver heard my bosses/colleagues say they felt it gave them a better signal. But it wouldnt surprise me if some people had darker motives like this

This is very, very true. I refuse to do coding based interviews. I'm flexible on certain homework. Hell will freeze over before I have to sit through a multi-hour panel and coding session. Like for free? Hit the bricks. Who can just take 4-6 hours out of your normal work day to swing into something like that? Not even germane to my role.

The fastest way to avoid companies like that is to set boundaries on what you will do and will not do. Good recruiters LISTEN and respect this. I do not want my time wasted and likewise for the recruiters and companies I am talking too.

I have a different strategy, I will happily do one one or two take home exercises (and I'm willing to sink 8-16h into them) but I will tell the recruiter I'm not doing any additional coding on-site (personally I find this high-anxiety, and a crappy way to gauge skill). Happy to chat about all kinds of things, but if someone drops an involved coding question in an interview I'm done and I will walk out and not return future calls.

> if someone drops an involved coding question in an interview I'm done and I will walk out and not return future calls

With the greatest respect, the vibe I'm getting is "this person is prone to reacting in a volatile manner when things are not to their liking."

Sure, and this is the internet where tone doesn't translate well. I'd be tactful and courteous about it: I would finish the session, politely decline future interviews on the day and thank them for their time. It's clear we are not a fit for each other at that point.

Teleport has a comically large test. Think 20-40 hours.

strongDM is hiring and we do not spend 20-40 hours or do take home tests. Email ryan@strongdm.com if you are interested.

https://jobs.lever.co/strongdm

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