I was contacted by a recruiter and scheduled an initial phone conversation. It went well, so I was presented with a coding assignment to complete and submit online. I posted a solution, and it was well received, so I moved on to the next step, which was a technical screen via phone.

This is where things went sideways. I was asked to solve a relatively straightforward problem while the interviewer looked on, but being way out of practice at time-constrained coding, I failed. A few days later, I received a polite rejection email. It was disheartening, but I can't really fault Thumbtack.

I would recommend that you prepare for the technical interview process before interviewing with Thumbtack. Brush up on algorithms, and practice belting out code quickly in your chosen language. You might be sharp and accomplished, but you have to be able to make a positive impression within 45 minutes.

Q: Can you solve this coding problem? It's pretty basic.