Hi all,
I got approached by a company’s in-house recruiter on LinkedIn last week, as they are looking for React developers. I have only just started to build projects with React/Redux, but have a good understanding of how they both work. After speaking with her and explaining that I was only looking for a junior developer role and that I don’t have commercial experience, she put my CV forward to the CTO. He was apparently impressed with the React app I had showcased on Github, so we had a phone interview. So far so good. I was then given a code test, which was sent to me late on Friday afternoon, and I was asked to have it back by Sunday evening. This is where it started to go wrong.
When I saw the test, I nearly cried. It was not something I’d be able to put together in two days (though they said it was feasible to have it done in a couple of hours - which an experienced developer could’ve done, no doubt). I gave it my best shot, but it was really stressful, and in the end, I sent it back incomplete. As you can imagine, the feedback I got was pretty awful. Basically, the CTO thought that I was not even worth being paid a junior salary at this point in time.
So my questions relating to this are as follows:
- How much time do junior developer applicants typically have to complete a code test. Is a couple of the days the norm or is more time usually allowed?
- Would it have been reasonable for me to ask for more time to complete the task?
As far as my experience goes, I will continue to try and build more projects in React/Redux, and will even see if I can finish the test they set for me in my own time. I have to say though, that my confidence has been knocked really badly by this. I just wonder how much employers are looking for when they employ junior developers, and if I’m still way off the mark.