The part most tech candidates underestimate
The technical rounds are hard. Most people preparing for Google or Atlassian spend nearly all their time on them — and very little on the behavioral and leadership rounds that carry equal weight at senior levels.
These rounds have a specific structure. Google uses a competency-based format. Atlassian has its own values-based framework. Amazon's Leadership Principles shape every interview. None of these are things you can wing with generic STAR answers.
I work specifically on the non-technical rounds — behavioral, leadership, "tell me about a time" — because that's where prepared engineers lose offers they should have gotten.
What we focus on together
Translating technical work
The impact you had as an engineer or PM is often clearer to you than to a non-technical hiring manager. We build the bridge between what you built and why it mattered.
Leadership and influence
Senior tech roles require evidence of cross-functional leadership. We build stories around influence without authority, technical disagreements, and team impact.
Framework alignment
Google's competency model, Amazon's Leadership Principles, Atlassian values — each requires a different approach. We map your experience to the specific framework you're being assessed against.
"I'd been through the Google loop twice before. Third time with specific preparation on the behavioral rounds and I finally got through. The work on leadership stories made the difference."
Individual results may vary.
Questions about tech interview prep
Do you help with coding or system design rounds?
No. My focus is the non-technical rounds — behavioral, leadership, values-based, and "tell me about a time" questions. There are excellent resources for technical interview prep; I cover the part that's harder to self-prepare.
Which firms have you prepared candidates for?
Google, Atlassian, Canva, Atlassian, NAB Tech, Commonwealth Bank digital teams, and various scale-up companies in Melbourne. The frameworks differ between firms and we tailor accordingly.
I'm a software engineer who struggles to talk about my work. Is that common?
Very. Technical people are often precise — which is a strength — but interviews reward people who can talk about impact and context, not just what they implemented. That's a skill and it's learnable.
What if I'm going for a PM role, not engineering?
Same principles apply, different stories. PM interviews at top tech firms put heavy weight on cross-functional leadership, product thinking, and stakeholder management — all coachable.
I have a final round in two weeks. Is that enough time?
Two weeks is workable. We'd focus on the most likely question types for your role and firm, build two or three strong impact stories, and do a full mock in the second week.
Can sessions be done online?
Yes. Most of my tech clients are remote-first anyway. Zoom sessions work well, and since most final-round tech interviews are also online, it's good practice.
Preparing for a tech interview loop?
Book a free 15-minute call to discuss which rounds you need to focus on and how to approach them.
Talk to Cooper