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
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
The “Super-Story”: Increasing Your Impact by Doing Less
This is Part 8 of my 9-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
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
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
Reading Between the Lines: Identifying What Matters Most
This is Part 3 of my 9-part series: The Behavioral Interview Game Plan. [View the Full Series Roadmap] When you look at a job description, it can feel like a long list of demands. But I like to look at it differently: it’s actually a “cheat sheet” the company is giving you! It tells you exactly what they value and what they’ll likely ask you about during your behavioral interview. In this step of our […]