Bodybuilding.com Software Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

I applied in early June and didn't hear back until early July. The first step was a phone screen with a recruiter. She introduced herself and asked about my background. Tawny seemed genuinely interested in my work history and passions outside of work, which made me feel important. We discussed my experience, knowledge, and how I develop my skills. Even though she's not an engineer, she was knowledgeable. When I asked about the company, her passion was evident. She answered my questions about the team, culture, databases, and the company's direction. I'm now waiting to hear about her discussion with the hiring managers, but I feel like Bodybuilding.com is where I want to work.

After applying, I had a recruiter call, then a basic phone screen with HR and the hiring manager. They mentioned I'd get updates on the next steps soon, but it took 3 weeks. The next interview was scheduled for 8 am and had 5 interviewers. Only one showed up on time; the other two were 35-45 minutes late and seemed grumpy. They said "This too early" when I introduced myself. The late interviewers were aggressive, making it uncomfortable. One asked how I stay up to date on new technology, and when I mentioned Udemy courses, they rudely clarified they meant 'current' technology, not how I learn.

I was initially contacted by a recruiter about a software engineering role with bodybuilding.com. We first emailed about my interest and my thoughts on moving to Boise, ID. After some back and forth emails, we had a call to discuss the job more. Before they put my name forward, I had to do a quick 10-question written quiz, mostly about OOP. About a week later, I had a phone screen with the hiring manager. It was about 30 minutes and covered OOP, web architecture, business knowledge, and company culture. A few days after that, I heard back that they were interested in an in-person interview in Boise. We set a date and they arranged everything. The in-person interview had two parts. First, a behavioral interview with the hiring manager and a Sr. Engineer, lasting about 45 minutes with "tell me about a time when..." questions. Second, a technical interview with four software engineers, lasting about 2.5 hours, covering OOP, design patterns, web servers, server platforms, databases, and "what would you do in this scenario..." questions. It was a good experience, but ultimately, they decided I wasn't the right fit.