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How to Handle the Take-Home Assignment in Interviews
Description
In this episode of Interview Prep with Fexingo, Lucas and Luna tackle one of the trickiest parts of modern hiring: the take-home assignment. Lucas explains why companies use them as a screen for real-world skills, and Luna shares a specific horror story about a friend who spent 20 hours on an assignment that was never reviewed. Together, they break down how to evaluate whether an assignment is worth your time, how to set boundaries on scope, and what to do if the company ghosts you after you submit. Lucas cites a recent survey from the recruiting platform Greenhouse showing that 42 percent of candidates who complete a take-home assignment never receive feedback. They walk through a concrete framework: ask about expected time commitment upfront, clarify deliverables in writing, and cap your hours based on the role's seniority. The episode closes with a real listener example of a data analyst who turned a vague assignment into a structured project plan and landed an offer. If you've ever been asked to 'build a presentation' or 'analyze this dataset' before the first interview, this episode is for you.