[decafninja]

There's also the issue of scalability.

Grinding leetcode at least scales horizontally to a huge number of companies.

Homework is typically useless outside of the single company you're doing it for.

I generally refuse all takehome assignments unless:

1.) It sounds uniquely interesting and fun to do. 2.) The company is prestigious enough, or pays well enough, that making any effort to try to get the job worth it.

[emodendroket]

Completely agreed. Also in my experience the takehomes are even more susceptible to being rejected for absolute bullshit reasons. Someone told me the thing I coded up in less than an hour to solve their problem was “overengineered” so they wouldn’t be moving forward.

[decafninja]

Also... I think at 100% of the companies that have given me a homework assignment, it has always been in addition to, not in place of, a standard leetcode whiteboard round.

[emodendroket]

Same here. Though it’s hard to blame them since some people quite obviously didn’t do the takehomes themselves.

[whynotminot]

Why would you be interviewing at all if the criteria for (2) isn’t met? Unless you’re just trying to get interview practice or keeping them as a safety option.

[emodendroket]

I wouldn't dismiss an employer out of hand just because I wasn't already familiar with them but I'd be quicker to back out if I saw something that didn't inspire confidence.

[kps]

Sometimes people just need a job (especially in the US, where jobs are so coupled to health care). I've been in that position, and I'm very glad I'm not now.