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Leetcode and similar sites are a poor proxy for programming ability for most programming jobs. People can be good at the kinds of sites and not be very good programmers in a professional setting. I've also seen capable engineers do poorly on these kinds of tests. A couple years ago, a client asked two of my engineers to take a test on a popular coding challenge site as a precondition for adding them to our team. Both of them were accomplished engineers, working successfully with global brands, and both of them scored poorly on the test.

Personally, I avoid clients that use these tests in their hiring process. I've generally found it to be indicative of companies that don't have an engineering-centric culture. Take-home coding tasks that resemble the daily work for the position are generally a much better sign.

I hope you reconsider quitting programming. Your effort to solve these challenges shows dedication, persistence, and ability to think abstractly and solve problems. Those are all very good attributes for programmers. If you put the same time and effort into a bootcamp, online classes, or building your own projects, and made it a point to avoid companies that use these tools, I think you could be successful in this field.



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