Business Wire Software Engineer Interview Questions + Guide in 2025

Business Wire, a Berkshire Hathaway company, is the global market leader in press release distribution and regulatory disclosure, committed to transforming how organizations engage with their audiences.

In the role of a Software Engineer at Business Wire, you will be pivotal in leading the engineering design and development for a modernization initiative aimed at overhauling the company's legacy press release processing system. Your responsibilities will include crafting engineering designs that prioritize reliability, performance, and maintainability, while directly contributing to the codebase using cutting-edge serverless technologies. You'll also lead proof-of-concept developments, establish guidelines for development environments, and implement CI/CD flows to streamline processes. Collaborating with cross-functional teams—including product managers, designers, and infrastructure teams—you will tackle complex technical challenges and perform code reviews to uphold quality standards. With a strong emphasis on cloud architecture and extensive experience with modern programming languages and database technologies, this role demands not only technical proficiency but also excellent communication and leadership skills.

This guide is designed to equip you with the insights and knowledge needed to excel in your interview, ensuring you are well-prepared to demonstrate how your skills and experiences align with Business Wire's mission and values.

The interview process for a Software Engineer at Business Wire is structured to assess both technical skills and cultural fit within the organization. It typically unfolds over a span of 2-3 weeks and consists of several key stages:

1. Initial Screening

The process begins with an initial phone screening, which usually lasts about 30-45 minutes. During this call, a recruiter will discuss the role, the company culture, and your background. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your relevant experience and express your interest in the position. The recruiter may also ask about your technical skills and how they align with the requirements of the role.

2. Technical Assessment

Following the initial screening, candidates are often required to complete a technical questionnaire. This assessment is designed to evaluate your programming skills and understanding of software engineering principles. It may include questions related to modern programming languages, cloud architectures, and database technologies, reflecting the technical competencies necessary for the role.

3. In-Person Interview

The in-person interview typically involves multiple rounds with various team members, including the director of engineering, project managers, and product managers. Each interview lasts approximately 45 minutes to an hour. During these sessions, you will be asked to elaborate on your past projects, particularly focusing on your leadership experiences, problem-solving approaches, and how you define success in your work. Expect to discuss your technical expertise in areas such as serverless technology, CI/CD practices, and system optimization.

4. Final Interview

The final interview often includes a wrap-up session with a senior leader, such as the head of product. This is a chance to discuss your overall fit within the team and the company, as well as to address any remaining questions from both sides. This stage may also involve a deeper dive into your technical leadership experience and your vision for contributing to Business Wire's engineering efforts.

As you prepare for your interviews, consider the specific skills and experiences that align with the role, as these will be central to the discussions. Next, let’s explore the types of questions you might encounter during the interview process.

Here are some tips to help you excel in your interview.

Understand the Company’s Mission and Values

Before your interview, take the time to familiarize yourself with Business Wire's mission to redefine how organizations connect with their audiences. Understanding their commitment to accuracy and reliability in press release distribution will help you align your responses with their core values. Be prepared to discuss how your personal values and work ethic resonate with their mission, and think of examples from your past experiences that demonstrate this alignment.

Prepare for Technical Depth

Given the emphasis on cloud engineering and modern technology stacks, ensure you are well-versed in the specific technologies mentioned in the job description, such as serverless architectures and various database technologies. Brush up on your knowledge of Python, Go Lang, and Node.js, as well as your experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with these technologies and how you have applied them in previous projects.

Showcase Leadership Experience

As the role requires technical leadership, be prepared to discuss your experience leading teams and projects. Think of specific instances where you guided a team through challenges, defined success metrics, and ensured project deliverables were met. Highlight your ability to mentor junior engineers and foster a collaborative environment, as this will resonate well with the interviewers.

Be Ready for Behavioral Questions

Expect behavioral questions that explore your problem-solving skills and how you handle constraints. Prepare to share detailed stories about past projects, focusing on the challenges you faced, the decisions you made, and the outcomes. Use the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method to structure your responses, ensuring you convey your thought process clearly.

Emphasize Collaboration Skills

Collaboration is key in this role, as you will be working closely with product managers, designers, and infrastructure teams. Be prepared to discuss how you have successfully collaborated with cross-functional teams in the past. Highlight your communication skills and your ability to translate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders, as this will demonstrate your ability to bridge gaps between teams.

Prepare for Code Reviews and Design Discussions

Since the role involves performing code reviews and monitoring engineering designs, be ready to discuss your approach to code quality and maintainability. Think about how you provide constructive feedback and ensure adherence to coding standards. You may also be asked to participate in a design discussion, so be prepared to articulate your design choices and the rationale behind them.

Practice Problem-Solving on the Spot

During the interview, you may be presented with technical problems to solve in real-time. Practice coding challenges and system design problems beforehand to build your confidence. Focus on articulating your thought process as you work through these problems, as interviewers will be interested in how you approach challenges, not just the final solution.

Follow Up with Insightful Questions

At the end of the interview, you will likely have the opportunity to ask questions. Use this time to demonstrate your interest in the role and the company. Ask about the team dynamics, the challenges they are currently facing with the architecture modernization effort, or how success is measured in this role. This will not only show your enthusiasm but also help you gauge if the company is the right fit for you.

By following these tips and preparing thoroughly, you will position yourself as a strong candidate for the Software Engineer role at Business Wire. Good luck!

In this section, we’ll review the various interview questions that might be asked during a Software Engineer interview at Business Wire. The interview process will likely focus on your technical expertise, problem-solving abilities, and experience in leading engineering projects. Be prepared to discuss your past projects in detail, particularly those that demonstrate your leadership and technical skills.

Technical Skills

1. Can you describe a project where you transitioned a legacy system to a modern architecture?

This question assesses your experience with system modernization, which is crucial for the role.

How to Answer

Discuss the specific challenges you faced during the transition, the technologies you used, and how you ensured minimal disruption to existing services.

Example

“In my previous role, I led a project to migrate a monolithic application to a microservices architecture. We faced challenges with data consistency and service communication, which I addressed by implementing an event-driven architecture using AWS Lambda and SQS. This transition improved our deployment frequency and reduced downtime significantly.”

2. What is your experience with serverless architectures?

This question evaluates your familiarity with modern cloud technologies.

How to Answer

Highlight specific serverless technologies you have worked with and the benefits they provided in your projects.

Example

“I have extensive experience with AWS Lambda, which I used to build a scalable backend for a web application. This allowed us to reduce costs significantly since we only paid for the compute time we used, and it simplified our deployment process.”

3. How do you ensure code quality and maintainability in your projects?

This question focuses on your approach to software development best practices.

How to Answer

Discuss your strategies for code reviews, testing, and documentation.

Example

“I implement a rigorous code review process where every piece of code is reviewed by at least one other engineer. Additionally, I advocate for writing unit tests and maintaining comprehensive documentation to ensure that the codebase remains understandable and maintainable over time.”

4. Describe a time when you identified a performance bottleneck in an application. How did you resolve it?

This question tests your problem-solving skills and technical acumen.

How to Answer

Explain the steps you took to identify the bottleneck and the solutions you implemented.

Example

“I noticed that our application was experiencing latency issues during peak usage. After profiling the application, I identified that a specific database query was causing delays. I optimized the query and added appropriate indexing, which reduced the response time by over 50%.”

5. What cloud platforms have you worked with, and how did you leverage them in your projects?

This question assesses your experience with cloud technologies, which is essential for the role.

How to Answer

Mention specific cloud platforms and the services you utilized to enhance your projects.

Example

“I have worked extensively with AWS, utilizing services like EC2 for compute resources, S3 for storage, and RDS for database management. In one project, I used AWS CloudFormation to automate our infrastructure deployment, which improved our deployment speed and consistency.”

Leadership and Collaboration

1. Can you provide an example of a time you led a team through a challenging project?

This question evaluates your leadership skills and ability to manage teams.

How to Answer

Discuss the project, your role, and how you motivated your team to overcome challenges.

Example

“I led a team of six engineers on a project to develop a new feature under a tight deadline. I organized daily stand-ups to ensure everyone was aligned and encouraged open communication. By fostering a collaborative environment, we successfully delivered the feature on time and received positive feedback from stakeholders.”

2. How do you handle conflicts within your team?

This question assesses your conflict resolution skills.

How to Answer

Explain your approach to resolving conflicts and maintaining team harmony.

Example

“When conflicts arise, I prefer to address them directly by facilitating a discussion between the parties involved. I encourage each person to express their viewpoint and work together to find a compromise. This approach has helped maintain a positive team dynamic and foster collaboration.”

3. Describe your experience collaborating with product managers and other stakeholders.

This question focuses on your ability to work cross-functionally.

How to Answer

Highlight your communication skills and how you ensure alignment with stakeholders.

Example

“I regularly collaborate with product managers to understand user requirements and translate them into technical specifications. I also involve stakeholders in the development process by providing regular updates and seeking their feedback, which helps ensure that the final product meets their expectations.”

4. How do you prioritize tasks when managing multiple projects?

This question evaluates your organizational skills and ability to manage time effectively.

How to Answer

Discuss your methods for prioritization and time management.

Example

“I use a combination of Agile methodologies and prioritization frameworks like the Eisenhower Matrix to manage my tasks. By assessing the urgency and importance of each task, I can focus on high-impact activities while ensuring that all projects progress smoothly.”

5. What strategies do you use to mentor junior engineers?

This question assesses your commitment to team development and knowledge sharing.

How to Answer

Explain your mentoring approach and how you support junior team members.

Example

“I believe in hands-on mentoring, so I often pair program with junior engineers to help them learn best practices. I also encourage them to take ownership of small projects, providing guidance and feedback along the way to build their confidence and skills.”