I'm about to graduate from a not-so-great school and got offered some freelance work. The client gave me a coding problem, which involves using React to create a wireframe with buttons and a table. The tasks include populating the table with data from an API, making sure the buttons function correctly, matching the CSS to the wireframe, writing polished documentation, and hosting the project publicly. I initially estimated it would take me around 5-10 hours.
Here's the catch: The API endpoints provided have no documentation, making it hard to understand the data or the required request formats. Some endpoints have cryptic parameters, like single letters, and the available data doesn't relate to each other, making building the table impossible. I'm worried I might look unknowledgeable if I ask for clarification. Is this typical? Am I missing something here? Has anyone else dealt with something like this?
1 Answer
It's not unusual to encounter undocumented APIs in the real world—that's a common issue. However, for a coding assessment, it's pretty unacceptable. Normally, in a job, you'd reach out to the product manager or someone responsible for clarifications and keep your work moving while you wait. But since this is an assessment, I would advise you to raise your concerns quickly. They might actually appreciate your proactive stance.
Thanks for the advice! I did email them for clarification, hoping it’s just a minor issue on my part. Fingers crossed!