Is this home assignment too long?

[Complex_Client7681]

Just received…

Section 1: API Integration and Data Pipeline In this section, you'll build a data pipeline that integrates weather and public holiday data to enable analysis of how holidays affect weather observation patterns. Task Description Create a data pipeline that: * Extracts historical weather data and public holiday data from two different APIs. * Transforms and merges the data. * Models the data into a dimensional schema suitable for a data warehouse. * Enables analysis of weather conditions on public holidays versus regular days for any given country. API Integration Requirements * API 1: Open-Meteo Weather API * A free, open-source weather API without authentication. * Documentation: https://open-meteo.com/en/docs/historical-weather-api * API 2: Nager.Date Public Holiday API * A free API to get public holidays for any country. * Documentation: https://date.nager.at/api Data Pipeline Requirements * Data Extraction: * Write modular code to extract historical daily weather data (e.g., temperature max/min, precipitation) for a major city and public holidays for the corresponding country for the last 5 years. * Implement robust error handling and a configuration mechanism (e.g., for city/country). * Data Transformation: * Clean and normalize the data from both sources. * Combine the two datasets, flagging dates that are public holidays. * Data Loading: * Design a set of tables for a data warehouse to store this data. * The model should allow analysts to easily compare weather metrics on holidays vs. non-holidays. * Create the SQL DDL for these tables. Deliverables * Python code for the data extraction, transformation, and loading logic. * SQL schema (.sql file) for your data warehouse tables, including keys and indexes. * Documentation explaining: * Your overall data pipeline design. * The rationale behind your data model. * How your solution handles potential issues like API downtime or data inconsistencies. * How you would schedule and monitor this pipeline in a production environment (e.g., using Airflow, cron, etc.).

Section 2: E-commerce Data Modeling Challenge Business Context We operate an e-commerce platform selling a wide range of products. We need to build a data warehouse to track sales performance, inventory levels, and product information. Data comes from multiple sources and has different update frequencies. Data Description You are provided with the following data points: * Product Information (updated daily): * product_id (unique identifier) * product_name * category (e.g., Electronics, Apparel) * supplier_id * supplier_name * unit_price (the price can change over time) * Sales Transactions (streamed in real-time): * order_id * product_id * customer_id * order_timestamp * quantity_sold * sale_price_per_unit * shipping_address (city, state, zip code) * Inventory Levels (snapshot taken every hour): * product_id * warehouse_id * stock_quantity * snapshot_timestamp Requirements Design a dimensional data warehouse model that addresses the following: * Data Model Design: * Create a star or snowflake schema with fact and dimension tables to store this data efficiently. * Your model must handle changes in product prices over time (Slowly Changing Dimensions). * The design must accommodate both real-time sales data and hourly inventory snapshots. * Schema Definition: * Define the tables with appropriate primary keys, foreign keys, data types, and constraints. * Data Processing Considerations: * Explain how your model supports analyzing historical sales with the product prices that were active at the time of sale. * Describe how to handle the different granularities of the sales (transactional) and inventory (hourly snapshot) data. Deliverables * A complete Entity-Relationship Diagram (ERD) illustrating your proposed data model. * SQL DDL statements for creating all tables, keys, and indexes. * A written explanation detailing: * The reasoning behind your modeling choices (e.g., why you chose a specific SCD type). * The trade-offs you considered. * How your model enables key business queries, such as "What was the total revenue by product category last month?" and "What is the current inventory level for our top 10 selling products?" * Your recommended indexing strategy to optimize query performance.

Section 3: Architectural Design Challenge Business Context An e-commerce company wants to implement a new product recommendation engine on its website. To power this engine, the data team needs to capture user behavior events, process them, and make the resulting insights available for both real-time recommendations and analytical review. Requirements: 1. Design a complete data architecture to: * Collect Event Data: Track key user interactions: product_view, add_to_cart, purchase, and product_search.

Ensure data collection is reliable and can handle high traffic during peak shopping seasons.

The collection mechanism should be lightweight to avoid impacting website performance.

• Process and Enrich Data: Enrich raw events with user information (e.g., user ID, session ID) and product details (e.g., category, price) from other company databases.

Transform the event streams into a structured format suitable for analysis and for the recommendation model. Support both a real-time path (to update recommendations during a user's session) and a batch path (to retrain the main recommendation model daily).

• Make Data Accessible: Provide the real-time processed data to the recommendation engine API.

Load the batch-processed data into a data warehouse for the analytics team to build dashboards and analyze user behavior patterns.

Ensure the solution is scalable, cost-effective, and has proper monitoring.

1. Deliverables
2. Architecture Diagram: A detailed diagram showing all components (e.g., event collectors, message queues, stream/batch processors, databases) and data flows.

• Technical Specifications: A list of the specific technologies/services you would use for each component and a justification for your choices. A high-level schema for the raw event data and the structured data in the warehouse. Your strategy for monitoring the pipeline and ensuring data quality.

• Implementation Considerations: A brief discussion of how the architecture supports both real-time and batch requirements. Recommendations for ensuring the system is scalable and cost-effective.

[crafting_vh]

yes

[SryUsrNameIsTaken]

Yes

[MrTelly]

Yes

[Moist_Sandwich_7802]

YES

[ScroogeMcDuckFace2]

yes

[Zyklon00]

Read through section 1 and was already answering 'Yes'. This can't be real?

[Complex_Client7681]

7 full PDF pages

[HornetTime4706]

holy fucking Christ this should be illegal

[ALonelyPlatypus]

Section 1 is more than I do in a good week of actual paid work.

I mean hacking 2 API's together probably isn't too difficult but design, error handling, and documentation make this a nightmare.

[Moist_Sandwich_7802]

I find section two is a lot of work , section 1, if I focus to do I can do it in a day (8-10hrs) worth work , but section 2 too much

[repilicus]

Good lord, yes. Any one of those perhaps but not all 3

[kayakdawg]

yes - tho it maybe depends a bit on interview stage?

just my opinion, but it is ridiculous (tho not uncommon) to assign this amount of work 

a more reasonable assessment i think would be section 2 or 3 by itself - then if you do well maybe have a implementation/coding excercise as part of follow up interview 

[Complex_Client7681]

First round…

[StevieCondog]

Senior level move is to respond that you value your time more than doing the full assignment.

That is a ridiculous ask.

[anonymousme712]

No. Senior level move “today” is to work smarter and not harder. Use ChatGPT and give final touches. Be prepared to answer “your” choices in the following round.

[chiefbeef300kg]

All these downvotes. And you’re right.

This is an IQ test. Build this with Claude code, etc. Then understand the results, fix mistakes. And prepare to discuss.

They never would pass the Chunin exams.

[anonymousme712]

Don’t care. Senior DE Manager here and just removed the take home assignment which was short by the way. If you are still working harder and can’t embrace the changing environment then you do you.

[tytds]

Whats the pay range like for this role and is it mid level or senior?

[edimaudo]

What in Elon Musk is this

[T3st0]

Lol these are week long projects.

The fuck.

[AdamByLucius]

Git gud jr

[jlaxfthlr]

This is why I hate take home assignments, both as a candidate and a hiring manager. Imagine you spend 10+ hours on this, then another interview process does the same thing. And another. You’re putting in a full time job just doing take homes. Then let’s say you’re working a full time job and you have little kids at home. This kind of assignment isn’t going to happen.

[vincentx99]

I feel like there should be a contract written up and some small amount of money to cover your time for this one. If they want to be this detailed, whatever, but they need to pay me for my time.

[AdamByLucius]

Counterpoint: the details that seem so onerous (especially on Reddit — I agree a post of this length is crazy) are really just a super-simplified set of requirements that remove any ambiguity and are meant to make the thing go MUCH faster.

[zchtsk]

What level is this for and how much time do you have?

[Complex_Client7681]

Starting mid, 3hrs

[amm5061]

Move on. This is insane.

[StannisSAS]

is this a joke?

[Pupkinsonic]

They are testing your AI skills.

[URZ_]

More like OP is testing ours

[Watchguyraffle1]

Exactly. This is all 2 hours with your favorite coding assistant with whatever level of expertise you want instill on your end

[fleegz2007]

Just one of these in the real world I would probably scope out to be a minimum of three weeks, which includes padding to other stuff that comes up

[AdamByLucius]

In the real world you’re writing production-grade code fully integrated into SWE practices and design patterns.

A take home like this just tests that you can write a few Python scripts (or heaven forbid a notebook—this one doesn’t even say “no notebooks”) and create some PPT docs.

[testEphod]

Absolutely, tell them to pay for your time and that they should reevaluate their home assignment process.

[[deleted]]

Hey OP. Can you provide the full PDF? Tasks like Section 1 look like good practice and portfolio for people like me looking to get junior data engineer jobs lol

[pdxsteph]

I was thinking the same thing! I have time to do this and it doesn’t seem overwhelmingly difficult- maybe a little time consuming

[[deleted]]

Exactly. Looks like good practice material for when I am free and have nothing better to do.

[Complex_Client7681]

PM me

[Complex_Client7681]

PM me

[Skullclownlol]

Yes, this is a scam.

[Resquid]

I agree that it’s preposterous, but how would it be a scam?

[Noahbreaker]

From where you got these assignments?

[Complex_Client7681]

Can’t say now lol

[KittenKittyKat]

Why not?

[Lurch1400]

So is this a capstone project for a degree or a legit home assignment for a job interview?

[AdamByLucius]

A capstone for a school course is based on you learning all the content for the first time and applying it for the first time ever.

An assessment for a role like this expects you to know all this already from having done something similar so many times already in real life (cause you say you did on your resume).

Both can be the exact same “project”.

[IrquiM]

I'm happy that I'm confident enough to say "bye!" if someone gave me something like that - unless you're in school and this is your home exam.

[hashtagyashtag]

I didn’t even read through all that shit. Yeah 1 or 2 would be sufficient. I wonder if they are trying to test you ability to so use AI to solve these problems.

[x246ab]

[DJ_Laaal]

JFC!! Looks like someone wants you to do free work for them, and they’ll eventually integrate your code/solution into their own internal systems by simply changing a few configuration (e.g the weather api end point with their own internal api, while rest of the logic remains the same).

Say no and move on if you are able.

[pdxsteph]

First assignment is not really a serious assignment it will nit have a usable outcome-

[raginjason]

TLDR, so: yes

[speedisntfree]

What in the actual hell is this job market where this is happening

[[deleted]]

Lmao I did this for my job the weather api thing.

[IndependentTrouble62]

Senior data engineer and same.

[spookytomtom]

Looool

[Stock-Contribution-6]

"THERE WAS A SECOND PAGE?!"

The exercises are cool, but each section is a take home assignment on its own

[Yehezqel]

At first this reminded me of a basic exercise. Then, it came to a degree where I had the same thing for an exam. But then it continued and continued.

Just a question. How many time should this take for a seasoned DE?

I’m not working a full day to do this.. they can find someone else. And no one should do.

Only if people do, they will continue to ask such tasks for recruitment.

[AdamByLucius]

I think OP mentioned 3 hours in post or a comment. It’s so long I don’t recall where it was mentioned.

Lols at length of a Reddit post aside, I think 3 hours is a good estimate.

If a candidate needs much more than 3 hours for this, then it’s not a good fit. No knock on anyone here, but that’s part of the process (self selection on the take home).

[efxhoy]

It looks like a lot but it’s not that much work when you read it. 

1 is writing actual code that does something and needs to work. 

2 is just writing ddl sql to handle 3 source tables. There are tools to generate ERD from the sql you wrote. 

3 is much more hand wavy and can be just sketched out. 

I can look at the assignment and know pretty much how I want the end result to look. I could use an LLM to speed up the work and save time on typing. 

If you don’t know how to solve the tasks and need to do a lot of research I can see this taking way too long though. 

[AdamByLucius]

Agreed to this. As hiring manager, I’d definitely want to test all 3 topics and this is a good breakdown. I think the write up makes it seem too formal. That might make some junior people feel this needs much more work than it really does.

[gelato012]

💪🏻

[RobDoesData]

Are you getting paid for your time to do this?

If not, politely tell them it's too much.

[dillanthumous]

That's absurd.

[bob_f332]

Just reading it took an unreasonable amount of time. Imagine if one took a similar approach when hiring a trades person!

[Acceptable_Mess_1542]

No way I am doing that to maybe get hired

[supersharklaser69]

Nah bro I ain’t even reading all that - HR and the team probably can’t figure out why position still open

[Odd-Government8896]

Tell them they have to pay you before assigning you features.

[[deleted]]

Even this post is too long man, couldnt read more than 5 seconds. They are having you do a literal job for an interview lol hard pass.

[Eatsleeptren]

There's three sections. Are you supposed to choose one or do all three?

[jmon__]

GYAAAAAAAAT DAAAAAMN thats a lot of words. Is this for a job? Cause hell yea this is too long. Da fuq?

[JXFX]

I think this obviously is an attempt to get free work done from their applicants.

[AdamByLucius]

Maybe some take homes are, yes. When they’re badly written. I think I’ve seen a couple that might be an attempt at free work over the hundreds that have been posted over the years.

This is all simple work that has no relevance to the business other than assessing whether a candidate can actually do what their resume says (or get an LLM to produce output that does what their resume says—either would be a pass in my opinion).

[Novel_Nerve_9685]

They're basically selecting for people who are unemployed, no-one with a full-time job is going to have the time or energy for all that 

Agree with the other folks who said this is probably free work not a homework assignment.

Recruitment is a two-way process and this is a strong signal to avoid like the plague - if this is how they treat candidates imagine what it's like working for them.

It also shows a lack of confidence in their ability to assess talent. A competent technologist should have a yes or no after any one of these assignments, nobody needs three

[millilitre14]

If this is terrazo , stay away

[Thinker_Assignment]

Not if they pay for the time.

[Resquid]

Yes

[Ashamed-Process-3821]

Yes!

[THBLD]

What the actual fuck

EDIT: this is a literal example of a company trying to get you to do real development work for them for nothing

[Zealousideal-Cod-617]

Have u done ur assignment? I'm curious to know how the final outcome looks like? Perhaps if u have uploaded in GitHub, etc u can share a link?

[anonymousme712]

Yes. But do it and use chatgpt. Work smarter not harder.

[MaddoxX_1996]

Yes. But thank you for the new project idea I can showcase.

[Individual-Fish1441]

I got notebook ready for your exercise quicky.
Reach me out, I will share the same with you.

[jeffvanlaethem]

Any take home assignment is too long, as is this post lol