The problem I've always had with these take home tests is the open-ended nature of completion. They will tell you it should only take a few hours of work, but when it's not a timed assessment I'm always going to think, 'well, if I spend a few more hours I'll stand out more.'
How does a company compare two candidates take home assessments when you have no idea how long they have spent on the problem. Candidate One is a great engineer but only has a few hours to work on it. Candidate Two is a mediocre engineer who spends 40 hours on the same project. Of course candidate two's solution is going to be more complete, but you haven't considered the time difference between the two candidates.
When I'm hiring I've given coding homework, but it's time limited; 2 hours, scheduled at the candidates preferred time. I'm not looking for a complete solution, I just want to see how far you get and how you think through a very basic problems. It's trivial to compare two candidates when you know they've spent similar amounts of time on the problem.
Basically. I did a short 6 months right out of class, and then started at the place I'm still at. I've been here 2.5 years and moved up from engineer to engineer manager in the last 6 months. I was promoted due to the last manager leaving and then asking for that job + responsibility + pay raise.
I graduated a python/django bootcamp in Aug 2014, became a Software Engineer right afterwards, and I'm now a Engineering Manager at a startup in San Francisco. I believe just under half of 21 are writing code in some developer type role. Definitely there were others there who were only looking to gain technical understanding for more Product/Marketing/PM type roles.
If you do your prep work and are ready to dedicate 100% to the bootcamp and all that it entails, you will certainly be successful and find the job you want. If you are not fully prepared for the commitment it takes, you will likely not fulfill your expectations.
I may just be another bootcamp grad, but the people who hired me said having multiple side-projects in Github was a factor, and it's certainly a factor when I'm interviewing and hiring similarly.
I did go to a bootcamp for Python/Django in SF, 2014. I was previously doing basic small biz wordpress sites and graphic design, now lead backend engineer at a 5-year old startup, making 115K when hired.
If you want to learn to code, definitely a bootcamp is a great resource. Sure, you can do it all yourself, find materials online for free, but putting in the time with other learners for 10-15+ weeks in an actual learning environment is for me worth the $10K.
A lot of people (who almost always have never done one) like to say that you shouldn't do them, you won't get hired, you can find it online. I'd ask them if they have a college degree, and they why waste your money at college when all the info is available online?
In the end you're going to get out of it what you put into it; before, during, and after. Obviously do your homework not only on the camp and instructors, but as well all the time you can into online resources.
I'll never regret my choice to go to a programming bootcamp. It literally changed my life in amazing ways.
How does a company compare two candidates take home assessments when you have no idea how long they have spent on the problem. Candidate One is a great engineer but only has a few hours to work on it. Candidate Two is a mediocre engineer who spends 40 hours on the same project. Of course candidate two's solution is going to be more complete, but you haven't considered the time difference between the two candidates.
When I'm hiring I've given coding homework, but it's time limited; 2 hours, scheduled at the candidates preferred time. I'm not looking for a complete solution, I just want to see how far you get and how you think through a very basic problems. It's trivial to compare two candidates when you know they've spent similar amounts of time on the problem.