| You do realize that the correct answer to any headline that ends with a question mark, is "No." So I guess water is not wet. I will say that I am comfortable with people not wanting to work with me, because I don't fit their "cultural criteria." Take-home tests are a good idea, but you still have the issue that so many folks here have mentioned: They don't just want you to solve the problem. They want you to solve it the way they want. Orthogonal approaches are generally not met with support. I once had a take-home, where I was asked to produce an iOS app that used a certain dependency (that I had never used), and was asked to do so, using MVVM. In four hours, I had it done. It was a localized, ship-ready app. I didn't use MVVM, because UIKit is designed specifically for MVC, and using other models actually makes the app larger and more prone to problems. It was a tiny app, and I didn't want to add any code that wasn't 100% necessary (basic Quality 101). I also encapsulated the dependency (Quality 101, again). Did I mention that I had never even looked at the dependency API, before starting that project? During the process, my home had an electrical emergency, and almost burned down, so I guess there was a bit of stress. I could smell the burning rubber, as they peeled out (although it could have been the electrical fire). They never asked me why I made the choices I did. I strongly suspect that I was never in consideration anyway. I think they were checking off a "interviewed old guy, and he sucked" checkbox on an EEOC form. I handle stress quite well, indeed. A quick glance at my CV tells you that I worked for one of the top Japanese firms in the world, for 27 years. They refine and mass-produce stress in Tokyo. If you last 27 years at a joint like that, you can handle stress. The folks that actually get around to working with me, seem to enjoy the experience. Funny how that happens. |