Making a Killer First Impression in Interviews

Hosted by Alex Kliotzkin and Uzair Khan

What you'll learn

You'll learn how to give an impressive introduction

Highlight your most impressive experience, controlling the interview narrative for further talking points.

You'll learn how to tie your motivations to the role

Connect your personal motivations with the role to show you're the perfect fit and passionate leader.

You'll know which red flags to avoid

Avoid common pitfalls that can hurt your chances, ensuring you present yourself as the right candidate.

Why this topic matters

First impressions matter. Especially in Engineering Manager interviews, where the decision maker is a Director+ and they make up their minds fast. So you want to start off with strong, relevant talking points to set the tone for the rest of the conversation. It’s crucial to demonstrate your leadership and judgment from the start—because that’s what will make or break your offer.

You'll learn from

Alex Kliotzkin

Director of Engineering and Career Coach

Alex is an experienced tech leader with 17+ years of international experience in big tech and startups.

Alongside his full-time job as a Director of Engineering, Alex pursues his passion for helping engineers grow as a Career & Leadership Coach, having coached 30+ engineers into leadership roles.

A graduate of University of Waterloo, Alex worked for 11 years at Qualcomm in San Diego, before relocating to Munich, Germany, where he now resides.

Uzair Khan

Engineering Manager at Stripe and ex-Amazon Bar Raiser

  • Current Engineering Manager at Stripe.
  • Formerly an Engineering Manager at Amazon for 5 years.
  • Ex-Amazon Bar Raiser with over 250 interviews conducted at Amazon.
  • More than 20 years of experience in Software Development.
  • 10 years of engineering management experience spanning roles as Engineering Manager, Director, and VP of Engineering.
  • Successfully trained, managed, and promoted numerous Engineering Managers throughout his career.
  • Bachelors of Software Engineering from the University of Waterloo, Class of 2007.


See all products from Alex Kliotzkin

Alex's clients got offers from:

Amazon
Meta
Microsoft
Oracle
Qualcomm

Go deeper with a course

Acing Engineering Manager Interviews
Alex Kliotzkin and Uzair Khan
View syllabus