A few weeks ago, during my notice period for an internship, my employer asked me to help review profiles for the next batch of interns.
There were over 1000 applications. Out of these, only 300 people submitted the assignment, and from there, just 40 candidates made it to the shortlist.
Going through so many submissions taught me a lot — not only about how hiring works, but also about the common mistakes candidates make. Most of these mistakes are simple, avoidable things that can instantly reduce your chances.
Here’s what I observed 👇
1. Not Submitting the Assignment
This one might sound obvious, but a majority of applicants didn’t submit the assignment at all.
There can be valid reasons — multiple deadlines, lack of time, exams, or losing interest — but if you don’t submit, your application ends right there. (I also understand some people genuinely couldn’t make time because of exams, but still, without a submission, there’s nothing to evaluate.)
✅ Tip: Even if you are late by a day or two, submit your work. Employers often check quality over strict deadlines, and a late submission is still better than none.
2. Asking for Remote Work Too Early
Some candidates immediately asked if the internship could be remote, even though the role was clearly offline.
It’s fine to ask, but timing matters. If you prove your skills first and then request flexibility, employers are far more likely to consider it.
✅ Tip: Focus on showing your value first. A good portfolio or assignment gives you the leverage to negotiate.
3. Pushing Node Modules and Secrets to GitHub
I saw assignments where people had committed their node_modules folder and even .env files with secrets exposed.
This shows a lack of basic project hygiene. GitHub even sends alerts if it detects sensitive information. If it still remains in your repo, it leaves a bad impression.
✅ Tip: Always use a .gitignore file and keep secrets out of version control.
4. No UI Demo or Screenshots
The evaluation criteria included UI/UX, but many people didn’t host their project online or even share screenshots.
Think about it: will evaluators clone and run 100 different projects just to see the UI? Probably not.
✅ Tip: Always host your project (Netlify, Vercel, GitHub Pages are free) or at least add screenshots in your README.
5. Submitting Broken UI
One hosted project had white text on a white background. The content was technically there, but invisible until I highlighted it.
If the issue is visible the moment you open the page, it should have been fixed before submission. If something this obvious is ignored, it leaves a bad impression — either of negligence or of not taking the assignment seriously. This isn’t the same as missing an edge case, like when you render a field you didn’t test with large content and it overflows. This was visible right away on load, which means it should have been caught in a quick self-review.
✅ Tip: Double-check your project before sending. Even basic issues like colors, broken links, or alignment should be caught in self-review.
6. Poor or AI-Generated README Files
Most READMEs were AI-written, which is fine, but many were unedited. Some had grammatical errors, missing details, or broken live links (e.g., https:// example.com).
A few even left placeholders like “replace this with your project name” or “replace your environment variable here”. If it had been a template with environment variables (like database URLs), then leaving placeholders would have made sense. But leaving them untouched in the README shows you didn’t proofread or even check what you submitted.
A README is the first impression of your project. If it looks careless, your work looks careless.
✅ Tip: Proofread your README, make sure links work, and keep it simple but clear.
- Asking for Deadline Extensions (and Then Not Submitting)
Some people asked for deadline extensions because they had exams or multiple assignments due. That’s understandable.
But if you’ve asked for more time, you should still submit your work after the exams or once you’re free. A late submission is far better than no submission at all.
This is different from Point 1, where candidates never submitted and their applications were simply ignored. Here, you actually took the assignment into consideration, asked for more time, but then still didn’t do anything — which creates an even worse impression.
✅ Tip: If you miss the deadline, still submit your work. A late submission is better than no submission.
8. One-Word Commit Messages
Many projects had only one commit message: “updated”.
This shows that you don’t understand (or don’t care about) version control practices. Multiple meaningful commits tell the reviewer how you built the project.
✅ Tip: Use descriptive commit messages, e.g., “Added login page UI” or “Fixed API bug in signup”.
9. Uploading Files to GitHub via “File Upload”
Some candidates didn’t push their code using Git, but instead uploaded files directly to GitHub through the “Add File → Upload” option.
This might seem like a shortcut, but it completely defeats the purpose of using GitHub. There’s no commit history, no real version control, and it immediately shows that you haven’t actually worked with Git in practice.
✅ Tip: Always initialize a Git repo locally and push your changes. Learn the basics of git add, git commit, and git push — they are essential for any developer role.
10. Submitting Only a File Upload
Some people uploaded a zip file of their project without a GitHub link.
That means there’s no proof of ongoing work, no commit history, and no easy way to review. Most of these were rejected immediately.
✅ Tip: Always submit a GitHub repo link along with your hosted project.
Final Thoughts
Reviewing these applications showed me that getting shortlisted is not only about coding skills.
In fact, small habits like good project hygiene, readable documentation, and thoughtful submissions matter just as much.
If you avoid these mistakes, you’ll already stand out among hundreds of applicants. And even if you don’t get selected, every assignment you submit becomes another project in your portfolio — which is never wasted effort.
✨ That’s it — my first-hand experience reviewing internship submissions. I hope it helps you avoid these common pitfalls and present yourself better in future opportunities.
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