The Senior Engineer's Dilemma: Recognition vs Execution

Every experienced developer faces this moment: a take-home assignment arrives. You're busy. You're recognised in your field.

Three options appear:
  • Invest the time and do it right
  • Decline respectfully
  • Spend 30 minutes and send what you can

Which one protects your reputation?

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲
Recently, we received a submission from an exceptional candidate, an engineer with strong industry credentials and active participation in high-visibility projects.

The architectural thinking? Solid.
The execution? The project couldn't be built.
Missing: essential configuration files that belong in version control.
Failing: the very quality checks the candidate added to their own project.
Result: Our technical lead's verdict: "The candidate decided it's ok to submit a solution that fails to pass the same quality checks he added himself."

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘛𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩
This expert chose option 3, the "quick attempt." And it backfired spectacularly.
The irony: They demonstrated they knew what quality looked like. They just didn't deliver it.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘞𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘚𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘌𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘳𝘴:
  • Your reputation is built over years, damaged in moments.
  • Recognition means higher scrutiny, not lower standards
  • A 30-minute attempt that fails to build is worse than a polite decline
  • When time is short, communicate honestly or step away

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳:
Options 1 or 2 protect your reputation. Option 3 is a trap that suggests either incompetence or carelessness. That's the signal it sends.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
In an industry obsessed with titles and credentials, how do we ensure quality isn't lost?
Simple: Judge people by their work, not their titles. Because credentials mean nothing if you don't uphold standards in everything you do.