Red pill me on code challenges and coding interviews

How much of a disadvantage are you at if you have not put in any effort in coding challenges so far, if you are sending a resume out today? I know it depends on a lot of things, but think entry level person I have the basics of front and back end, and no practice with code challenges.

It will depend on the company and how well you rationalize challenges in case they do give it to you. As for having the basics on front end and back end that for some interviewees means little if they see you can’t process a challenge they consider easy.

The company - not all places do coding challenges, they do give a take-home project or an “on job x amount of days/weeks experimental period”. Some others even hire without any challenge required since they provide the specific training they need.

How well you rationalize challenges - Challenges are ways of checking on how you plan, think, communicate and then act, even if you fail them is not unheard of people getting hired all the same because they were able to communicate what they were thinking and the interviewer saw potential.

To leave it to chance is a disadvantage on itself so practicing is always advised, it takes very little to do a challenge every day if that is one of the requirements to get past the interview and getting hired, especially knowing the common ones even if just by memory is surely an advantage in itself (example of common ones: reserve a string and FizzBuzz for entry positions, recursion with binary trees also happen).

You may know all the basics of baseball doesn’t mean you’re a baseball player but, on a more positive note do trust what you do know and make it show to the interviewee that even what you don’t know you can and will learn.

It will go great because even if it doesn’t you will learn what you need to improve and make the next one go better :smiley:

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