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 […]
Communication
From Dread to Delivery: The Feedback Model This xGoogle Engineering Manager Used
If I’m being completely honest, giving feedback used to be one of my least favorite parts of being a manager. In fact, when I first joined Google, I dreaded it. I was worried about sounding like I was attacking my team or, worse, ruining a good working relationship. But as a leader, avoiding feedback is—to put it mildly—suboptimal. I realized that to help my team grow, I had to grow first. After attending several workshops […]
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 […]
Anxiety - Imposter Syndrome - Mental Health - Stress
Imposter Syndrome for Engineers: Lessons from a Google EM
I’ll start by staying I am not a therapist nor a mental health professional. I am a technologist and I’m sharing my own lived experience in this post. These are topics come up frequently in my coaching sessions. It can be in the context of interviews. The day-to-day grind of the tech industry. The uncertainty of the job market. General chaos. Constant curve balls from leads. AI. Everywhere. Anything. Everything. My Own Journey I’ve had […]
Career Planning - Mental Health
Debugging Your Career: What Makes You Tick?
In any high-functioning system, performance depends on the quality of inputs. In your career, those inputs are your motivators. Whether you are an Individual Contributor (IC) or a Manager, a lack of visibility into what actually matters leads to vague, unactionable career conversations. The Concept: Personalized Impact Over my 25-year career in tech—including 6.5 years at Google—I moved away from ‘one size fits all’ leadership style toward a framework I call Personalized Impact. I realized […]
Career Planning - Experience - Resume
The Gold Standard: Optimizing Your Resume for Maximum Impact
When a recruiter or hiring manager looks at your resume, they spend an average of six seconds scanning it before making a decision. In today’s market, they are busier than ever and overwhelmed with applications. They aren’t going to “dig” into your history to find the value—you have to hand it to them. Your goal is to make your resume easy to read and even easier to parse. If a hiring manager has to work […]
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 […]
Portfolio - Resume
How to Build a Software Engineering Portfolio with Real-World Industry Signals
Looking for a way to build your software engineering portfolio with no experience? Job simulations are short, company-backed projects that allow you to complete real-world tasks from firms like Lyft and JP Morgan—proving your skills to recruiters before you even land an interview. These are tasks that can be completed in a few hours and cover a wide array of topics across various tech stacks. Real-world Tasks: Solve tickets involving debugging, system design, or building […]
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.” […]