Python Interview Challenges | TD Meetup 22

Landing a technical role in visual effects, animation or games can be challenging. One of the hurdles you may face is a Python challenge during the interview. Let's take a look at Python interview challenges in the visual effects, animation and gaming industries.

Purpose of interview coding challenges

1. Test core problem-solving and ability

Many software and video games companies include coding challenges in their recruitment process to assess candidates' ability to break down a problem, choose appropriate logic, write correct code and optimise it. According to designgurus.io, coding interviews are “necessary” because they assess problem-solving skills, coding proficiency and analytical thinking.

For example:

• Employers want to see how candidates break down a problem, identify patterns and implement solutions.

• Interviewers look for code that is correct, clean, readable, and efficient.

2. Prepare us for company expectation

Even if you don’t enjoy puzzles or coding challenges, many software heavy companies require them. According to the Business Insider, the bar for junior coding jobs has risen dramatically and mastering the fundamentals (algorithms and data structures) is becoming the norm. Without this kind of preparation, we might simply fail the screening, even if we excel in other areas of development.

Challenges for all!

3. Practising improves readiness, confidence and performance

Mock interviews, timed coding sessions and practising common patterns help us to become comfortable with solving problems under pressure. According to this post in Free Code Camp, we should "understand the problem, plan, then implement" every time.

Against interview coding challenges

1. May not reflect actual work

One of the major criticisms is that many interview puzzles are clean, abstract, time-boxed problems. At the event, Alex mentioned that he was asked to complete a challenge that was essentially using notepad instead of a real script editor and was unrelated to his job. In real life, the questions asked in challenges rarely resemble the work required for the job. As this Hacker Earth blog post points out:

[The challenge] does not allow coders to demonstrate their greater skill sets that would be more relevant to their jobs.

Google's research found that their most successful teams displayed a trait called "psychological safety". These teams performed best when they felt comfortable taking risks and being vulnerable. This is the opposite of an interview scenario, where candidates are likely to take fewer risks.

2. Stressful, biased and not always inclusive

Many people find live coding under a timer stressful. Some excellent developers perform poorly in that format. Tech Republic has observed that technical interviews often vary widely in structure and can introduce bias.

Meta letting Meta AI write it's own code is so Meta.

3. AI is changing how we do our job

With the advent of tools such as Github Copilot, many companies are reconsidering how they evaluate coding skills. According to WIRED, Meta now permits AI-assisted coding during interviews. Some firms are also shifting towards more realistic assessments rather than classic puzzles. Therefore, the 'traditional puzzle' approach may soon become outdated.

What's Worth Doing for TD Roles

Coding challenges can still be useful for Technical Directors, but only if they mirror the kind of work we will actually do.

This is how you can prepare yourself for future interview and job challenges:

• Focus on practical scripting problems. Studios care about our ability to automate tasks, handle data, and integrate tools. Practise with challenges involving file management, automation or API integration.

• Build prototypes. Candidates who can quickly turn a vague idea into something useful will stand out.

• Learn to explain the process. Interviewers value clarity and collaboration as much as coding skills. When presenting a solution, explain your reasoning and how you would scale it in a production setting.

• Build a mini-portfolio. Three or four small, real-world examples will demonstrate your practical value.

  
  

The best Technical Directors I've worked with focus on solving real production problems and making life easier for the team. They aren't out there chasing puzzles. Interested in transitioning into a technical role as a Technical Artist or Technical Director? Learn professional Python and become a valuable problem solver for your team.

Thank you for reading,

Vish Patel & Alex

Join future TD Meetups