Great piece.

My friend received a trust fund and spends most of his days doing what he likes — no need to work a 9–5 as long as he keeps his expenses low. He tutors for money, so yes he works, but no: no commuting in, no strict hours, no facing a soul-draining job while interviewing for the job he wants.

He’s absolutely brilliant.

However when he and I are faced with a take-home, one of us is doing it after an exhausting commute and day at work while taking care of a disabled partner.

The difference between squeezing in take home work, choosing between that and sleep / relaxation, and the person with a relaxed life is huge.

He’s never had a professional job in the industry we’re interviewing in (he’d ace it if he had), and I’m exhausted from acing my day-job.

At end of day, he and I will have the same interview, focused on take home work and quiz questions and ignoring resume industry experience.