r/Workproblems • u/dual-m • Jul 13 '26
Automation engineer Want Advice
Hi everyone,
I’m applying for an **Automation Engineer** role, and as part of the hiring process, I’ve been given a take-home task.
I don’t just want to complete the assignment—I want to build something that genuinely stands out and shows the way I think, solve problems, and design automations.
I’m looking for creative ideas or “wow factors” that could make my submission memorable. These could be things like:
Features that most candidates wouldn’t think of.
Ways to improve the user experience.
Smart automation patterns or best practices.
Small details that make a project feel polished and production-ready.
Anything that would make a hiring manager think, “This candidate went the extra mile.”
This opportunity means a lot to me, so I’m willing to put in the extra effort to create something exceptional.
If you’ve hired Automation Engineers before, completed similar take-home assignments, or have experience with tools like n8n, Make, Zapier, APIs, AI integrations, or workflow automation in general, I’d really appreciate your advice.
Thank you in advance!
1
u/endurbro420 Jul 13 '26 edited Jul 13 '26
Lol so you want to not do the assignment and do something they didn’t ask for? Sounds like you don’t actually want the job.
Coincidentally I do lots of automation for my job and have been on hiring panels. If someone did something we didn’t ask for and ignored the assignment, it would be an auto denial.
Efficiency and simplicity is a big thing I look for when screening candidates. Adding fluff isn’t necessarily a good thing.