When I retired early after a career leading engineering teams at Google and beyond, I knew I wasn’t done with the work that had become most rewarding to me: coaching. While I was still at Google, I started a coaching practice to help engineers and leaders navigate the unique pressures of high-growth tech. I saw firsthand how a single shift in strategy could help an engineer overcome imposter syndrome or turn a new manager into […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
The xGoogle EM’s Guide: A 9-Step Roadmap to Acing Your Tech Behavioral Interview
Preparing for a behavioral interview coaching for tech shouldn’t feel like an impossible task. Whether you are aiming for a role at a FAANG company or a fast-growing startup, the secret to success isn’t just “having experience”—it’s knowing how to communicate that experience with clarity, impact, and a growth mindset. I’ve designed this 9-part series to take you from feeling overwhelmed by a job description to feeling completely “Job Ready.” Think of this roadmap as […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
Why I Upgraded My Storytelling Framework: Introducing STAR(L)
As I was prepping the launch of my coaching site, I had a bit of an “aha!” moment. While the standard STAR method is great, I stumbled across an evolved version that packs a much bigger punch: STAR(L). I’ve decided to officially update my guidance for behavioral interviews to incorporate this structure. Why? Because as a hiring manager, I am looking for more than just a list of completed tasks. I am looking for humility […]
Coding Interviews - Interviewing
The 4 Types of Coding Interviews: A Field Guide
If you’re preparing for a technical role, you’ve probably spent hours on LeetCode. But here is the catch: not every company uses the “traditional” algorithmic approach. In my time as an Engineering Manager at Google and beyond, I’ve seen the “coding interview” evolve into four distinct styles. Knowing which one you’re walking into is the best way to lower your heart rate and sharpen your prep. Let’s break down the landscape. 1. The “Traditional” Algorithmic […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
The Final Walkthrough: Finding Your Voice
This is Part 9 of my 9-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] We’ve done the heavy lifting together. We’ve analyzed the job, mapped out your wins, and built your “Super-Stories” using the STAR(L) method. Now comes the part that truly brings it all together: Practice. It might feel a little silly at first, but practicing out loud is the best way to move from being “prepared” to being “fluent.” […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
The “Super-Story”: Increasing Your Impact by Doing Less
This is Part 1 of my 8-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] One of the most common mistakes I see in behavioral interview prep is trying to memorize too much. There is a lot of “mental overhead” that comes with keeping twenty different stories in your head. It’s stressful, and it often leads to shorter, less detailed answers. Instead, I want to show you how to build a “Super-Story.” […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
Telling Your Story with Impact: The STAR(L) Method
This is Part 7 of my 9-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] When you’re in the middle of an interview, it’s easy for a story to wander. You might start with a great technical detail but forget to mention the outcome. To help you stay on track and feel confident, I recommend using the STAR(L) method. It’s a simple framework to ensure your stories are clear, concise, and impactful: […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
Quality Over Quantity: Simplifying Your Story Library
This is Part 6 of my 9-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] One of the biggest hurdles in tech behavioral interviews is the feeling that you need a different story for every single question. But here’s something I always tell the people I coach: it’s much better to have a few “Super-Stories” that are rich in detail than a dozen short ones that are hard to remember. By combining […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
Finding Your Wins: Mapping Your Experiences to the Goal
This is Part 5 of my 9-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] Now we get to the heart of our preparation: finding your stories. Sometimes, when we’re asked to talk about our past work, our minds go blank. We think, “I was just doing my job—was that really a ‘scenario’?” My advice? Yes, it was! Every bug you fixed and every collaboration with a designer is a “win” that demonstrates […]
Behavioral Interviews - Interviewing
Simplifying the Goal: Your Interview Checklist
This is Part 4 of my 9-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] After analyzing the job description, it’s common to feel a little overwhelmed by all the different things an interviewer might ask. But here’s a secret: many of those requirements overlap. By simplifying the list, we can make your preparation feel much more manageable. We’ve taken all the “signals” we identified in our last post and narrowed them […]