Don’t wing your next interview. I help engineers, product managers and other tech professionals give confident answers in English, in behavioral and technical interviews alike, the kind that make an interviewer think “this person has done it before”.
Book a free consultationFrom €450 for 5 sessions · Full program: 25 sessions, €1,875 · The 30-minute consultation is free · Tell me your interview date and I’ll plan around it
Previous roles
Clients’ subsequent employers
The first group refers to my own work history; the second to clients’ hiring outcomes. These companies do not endorse this coaching practice. My work history · Client accounts.
Most people who come to me are strong at their jobs. What goes wrong is how that experience comes across in 45 minutes, often in a second language.
Most people I coach have done impressive work. The problem is explaining it in a few minutes, in a second language, while someone takes notes. We turn your projects into short answers that show your judgment and your impact, and practice them until they hold up under follow-up questions.
Hiring for a team or funding a program? Have a look at my corporate programs.
Your company can pay. I invoice your company directly and sign a contract if you need one, for any bundle: from €450 for 5 sessions to €1,875 for the full program (25 sessions). Self-employed or on a contract? I can invoice your business instead.
€450 / 5 sessions
The bigger the bundle, the less you pay per session. 25 sessions is the full program: two a week for about 12 weeks.
Interviewing for a staff, principal, director or VP role? Senior interviews are part of my leadership & executive coaching, where we use my Executive Edge program: from €750 for 5 sessions.
Book a free consultationWe start from the actual role and your interview date, not a generic list of questions. In the first session we assess where you are, set clear goals for the interview and build a plan with results you can measure. It’s a structured plan, not one-off interview prep.
We look at the role, the interview stage, the date, and where your profile and the job don’t quite match yet.
You build your PAR stories, your pitch and answers to the questions you’re most likely to get.
I run full mock interviews (behavioral, technical or panel), as close to the real thing as I can make them.
We tighten your structure, pacing and tone, especially when the follow-up questions get harder.
Final-round preparation, the questions you ask them, and what to say when the offer comes in.
Every interview I prepare clients for has the same five parts. Interviewers push hard on specifics, so each part is built on your real results, not general claims.
Before anything else, we find the one skill you bring that this role needs and other candidates don’t, and learn to say it in one clear sentence.
Your answer to “Tell me about yourself” works as a pitch: who you are, your edge, and how it connects to what the company is trying to achieve.
Problem, action, result, with real numbers: revenue for commercial roles, technical results such as speed, cost or reliability for engineers. We prepare the follow-up questions too.
We test your system design logic: does the solution make sense step by step, and can you defend each trade-off out loud? We can also practice coding exercises, with and without AI tools. I’m not an engineer, so I don’t grade your code. I check how clearly you explain your thinking, which is what the interviewer hears.
Two or three questions at the end that get the interviewer talking about the team’s real problems, so your last answer shows how you would solve them. They get sharper in later rounds with the hiring manager.
Across all five, I teach you to be more strategic: to explain why your work mattered to the business, which trade-offs you weighed and what you would do next. In my experience, that’s what companies value most in senior candidates.
When you sign up for a full program in communication, interview or leadership coaching, I personally set these up for you, so you can practice and apply between sessions.
If your English isn’t ready for interviews yet, I guide you until it is: clear answers under pressure, at your pace.
A strategy for where to apply, who to talk to and how to get referrals, built around your market.
From the recruiter screen to the final round, we prepare for each one as it comes.
Your first months in the new role: meetings, updates and building trust with your manager.
Visibility, senior stakeholders and the conversations that lead to a promotion.
A leadership session for when you want management and executives to listen: visibility, executive presence and commanding the room.
PAR gives your answers a shape interviewers at international companies expect. You’ll keep using it after you’re hired, in status updates and presentations.
The situation or challenge, in a sentence or two. Keep it specific.
What you did and decided, and why. Say “I”, not “we”.
What changed, with numbers if you have them. This is the part they write down.
“We had a lot of problems with our releases, so the team worked on the pipeline for a while. After that, things went much better and everyone was happier.”
Who did what? What changed, and by how much? The interviewer has nothing to write down.
Short, specific and clearly yours. This is the answer they remember.
I made up this example to show the method. It isn’t a client’s answer.
The offer is the start, not the finish. In your first months your new team forms its view of you: in your first stand-ups, your first presentation, the first time you disagree with a senior colleague. All of it in English, often in a new country.
When your interview sessions end, we can plan those first months together and keep working on the situations you actually face at work.
From €300 for 5 sessions, for the meetings, presentations and conversations of your new job.
See communication coachingTechnical interviews test how you think out loud. I’ve seen strong engineers lose offers because their thinking was hard to follow. Interviewers are watching how you reason and weigh trade-offs, as well as whether you get to the answer.
You already have the technical depth. I help you get it across.
I don’t teach algorithms or system design itself. The technical knowledge is yours. I work on how you communicate it.
| Moment | What you can say |
|---|---|
| Before you design anything | “Before I start, can I check the expected scale and the main constraint?” |
| Comparing options | “There are two reasonable options here. The trade-off is latency versus cost.” |
| Committing to a choice | “I’d choose X because of Y. If Z mattered more, I’d switch to…” |
| Getting back on track | “Let me step back and summarize the approach so far.” |
| Describing your role | “I owned the migration plan and made the call to roll out in two phases.” |
Clients have landed six-figure senior roles and passed competitive interviews in English. Here are five of them; I’ve left their names out, and results depend on the job market and on your work.
United States
Belgrade, Serbia
Spain
Germany
Chicago, United States
★★★★★“After many attempts at finding the right teacher on Preply, I finally found one I’m truly satisfied with. Mark is an exceptional teacher with deep technical knowledge. He inspires, encourages, and helps me excel in job interviews. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to break into the tech industry and improve their conversational and business English.”
★★★★★“Mark is an awesome teacher. He has it all perfectly structured and organized, with a highly professional method tailored exactly to my needs. On top of that, his technical background and real cases are directly aligned with my goals. Highly recommended!”
★★★★★“Mark is an excellent tutor with deep knowledge of the business world. In every lesson, I learn new words and expressions …”
★★★★★“I've been learning with Mark to boost my technical English and get ready for IT job interviews, and it’s been great. The lessons are really focused on what I need, whether it's learning new words or just getting better at speaking fluently. … His tips have definitely made me more confident when talking about tech stuff in English.”
★★★★★“… his work experience helped me find a job as a programmer”
Clarify the task before proposing a solution: who the users are, what they need to do, which constraints matter and what is outside the scope. Summarise your understanding and ask for confirmation. For example: “Before I start, is this tool for customers or for internal staff?” In mock interviews we practice these questions and explaining trade-offs aloud. I coach the communication; you bring the system design knowledge.
Say clearly where your experience ends, ask a clarifying question and explain the approach you would take to investigate. Connect to relevant experience without claiming expertise you do not have. After the interview, separate missing knowledge from difficulty explaining what you know. I help you practice the answer and the follow-up questions; technical study or an engineering mentor may be needed for the knowledge gap.
Be specific about what you owned: the problem definition, design choices, instructions, review, tests and corrections. Explain one decision you changed or one issue you caught, why it mattered and what happened next. Separate AI output from your own judgment and be ready to discuss the implementation. Follow the employer’s rules on AI use in any assessment. We practice a concise project story with follow-up questions about your contribution.
Keep it to about a minute and make it about the job: who you are now, one or two results that fit this role, and why you’re interested. “I’m a backend engineer with six years in payments. Most recently I led the move to a new billing system that cut failed payments. I’m looking for a team where I can work closer to the product, which is why this role caught my eye.” We write yours together and practice it until it sounds like you, not memorized.
Preparation, more than speed. Most interview questions fall into a handful of types, so we build a small bank of your own stories in the PAR format and practice telling each one in under two minutes. When you already know your examples, you only need to choose one, not invent it in a second language. Mock interviews then make it feel familiar.
Use the results you can point to, even without a big number: fewer bugs reaching customers, a faster release, a process the whole team now uses, a problem nobody else could reproduce. Put each one in a short story: the problem, what you did, what changed. “Most recently, we had a bug that appeared only on some devices. I isolated the variables, found the cause, and we haven’t seen it since.” We build three or four of these for your interviews.
Name it before they do, then turn it into a reason to hire you: “I’ve spent years on the agency side, so I know what good research looks like from the inside, and what clients struggle to get from it.” Then give one short example that proves it. Hiding the gap makes it look bigger. We practice the follow-up questions too, because interviewers usually push on this point.
Usually it isn’t one bad answer. When several strong candidates reach the final round, small things decide: an opening that ties you to their goals, stories that end with a result and a number, saying “I” about your own work, and questions at the end that show you’ve already thought about their problems. We go through your recent interviews (a recording helps, if you have one), find the pattern, and run mock interviews on exactly those points.
Yes. In my experience the accent is rarely the main issue. What counts more is how you answer: the point first, then the detail; your own results said with confidence, not modesty; small talk at the start; and knowing how much to say before you stop. That’s the sales pitch part of an interview, and it can be learned. We practice it in mock interviews until it feels natural, and we work on the sounds and stress that actually get in the way of being understood. The goal is to be clear, not to erase your accent.
It depends on your timeline. If your interview is next week, a few focused sessions on your stories and one mock interview make a real difference. With more time, we can also work on your CV, LinkedIn and job-search strategy.
Your CV and the job description, if you have one. Tell me your interview date when you book, so I can plan the preparation around it.
Yes, they’re the heart of it. Behavioral, technical or panel format, followed by specific feedback on what you said, how you said it, your pacing and your confidence.
No. I focus on how you communicate your technical thinking: structure, clarity, trade-offs, clarifying questions and behavioral answers. The technical knowledge is yours.
Yes. We work on what to say, how to answer counter-offers and low offers, and how to write the follow-up emails.
After every session you get a written summary: what we practiced, your answers with better versions, the words you were looking for, and what to prepare next. Your stories and mock interview feedback stay in one folder, so you can review them the night before. You also get the AI practice partner I built for my clients, which runs in your own ChatGPT account, with review prompts, quizzes, flashcards and a tough mode that pushes back on your answers. See how it works.
Yes, on Google Meet. My booking calendar shows the available times in your own time zone.
Read the week-by-week plan below, or download the full program guide with the method and the prices as a PDF. They’re free.
The 12-week program for your next role: CV, LinkedIn, strategy, PAR stories, two mock interviews and negotiation, or career coaching for a promotion or a change of direction.
Download PDF: Interview & career programRead it online: Interview & career programMy leadership program: twelve weeks for managers, directors and VPs on presence, influence and cross-cultural leadership, with a capstone project or senior interviews and negotiation.
Download PDF: Leadership programRead it online: Leadership program| Week | Session | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 1 | Diagnostic & strategy | Career audit, target market selection, gap analysis between your profile and your target role | Personal 12-week action plan and target market list |
| WK 2 | CV overhaul | European vs. US formats, impact statements, applicant tracking systems, what recruiters look for, photo or no photo by market | A fully rewritten CV, ready to send |
| WK 3 | LinkedIn transformation | Headline, About, experience, keyword strategy, “Open to Work” tactics by country | An optimized LinkedIn profile, live |
| WK 4 | Job search strategy & tools | Where to apply by market, timing, applying early, referral strategy | Active job tracker and top 10 target companies |
| WK 5 | Your professional story | The Hook and PAR, a 2-minute pitch, “Tell me about yourself” without sounding rehearsed | A recorded 2-minute pitch, reviewed live |
| WK 6 | Behavioral interviews | PAR stories for conflict, feedback, failure and leadership; directness, tone and pacing under pressure | Five battle-tested PAR stories |
| WK 7 | Technical & role-specific interviews | System design language, trade-offs, clarifying questions, explaining complex ideas simply | An interview language cheat sheet for your role |
| WK 8 | Mock interview · Round 1 | A full 45-minute mock interview, recorded, with live coaching on language, cadence, confidence and content | Recording and written feedback report |
| WK 9 | Recruiter & hiring manager outreach | Cold messages that work, finding the right contact, asking for referrals, small talk | Ten outreach messages drafted and reviewed |
| WK 10 | Hiring culture by market | German formality, Dutch directness, US enthusiasm, UK understatement and the red flags to avoid | A cheat sheet for your target market |
| WK 11 | Mock interview · Round 2 + negotiation | A harder mock; salary negotiation language, counter-offers, handling low offers | Negotiation script and a second recording |
| WK 12 | Offer & next steps | Evaluating offers, closing the negotiation, onboarding English, your first 90 days | A 90-day onboarding plan |
| Week | Session | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 1 | Diagnostic & leadership audit | Where you’re losing ground: communication audit, career gap analysis, cultural values and identity mapping, a strengths inventory of what you bring that others don’t, your leadership brand | Written leadership audit and 12-week plan |
| WK 2 | Communication power & presence | Video analysis of your style; PAR for executive storytelling; directness, cadence and pacing; imposter syndrome tied to accent | A recorded 3-minute executive introduction, reviewed live |
| WK 3 | Western corporate culture | Flat hierarchies, candid feedback, meeting dynamics, humor and small talk as tools | A map of your organization’s informal power structure |
| WK 4 | Influence & stakeholders | Influence without authority, managing up, self-advocacy in reviews, finding sponsors as well as mentors | Stakeholder influence map and self-advocacy talking points |
| Week | Session | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 5 | High-stakes communication | Presenting to boards and the C-suite, hostile questions, pitching your ideas, body language under pressure | A recorded 5-minute executive update with feedback |
| WK 6 | Panel interviews | Tone, cadence and structure with several interviewers; VP and Director behavioral questions | Five executive-level PAR stories and a mock panel segment |
| WK 7 | Career architecture & visibility | A 1-, 3- and 5-year roadmap, LinkedIn for senior leaders, thought leadership, navigating bias | A one-page career vision and a senior LinkedIn rewrite |
| WK 8 | Resilience & sustainable leadership | Code-switching fatigue, belonging, your personal board of directors, leading authentically across cultures | Energy audit and a personal board of directors (3–5 names) |
| Week | Session | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 9 | Executive job search | Headhunters, executive recruiters, board networks, warm introductions, executive job boards by market | Target company list and recruiter outreach strategy |
| WK 10 | Mock panel interview | A full simulated panel for a Director or VP role, recorded, with coaching on every answer | Recording and written debrief |
| WK 11 | Senior negotiation | Total compensation, equity conversations, counter-offers, what to ask before you sign | Negotiation playbook and counter-offer script |
| WK 12 | Integration & 90-day launch | Your leadership principles, a 90-day plan for the new role, accountability after the program | Leadership manifesto and 90-day onboarding plan |
If you’re growing in your current role rather than looking for a new one, weeks 9 to 11 become a real leadership project and cross-cultural team leadership instead of the job search, the mock panel and negotiation:
| Week | Session | Focus | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|---|
| WK 9–10 | Capstone leadership project | Define a real business challenge; weekly coaching on execution and stakeholders; a mid-point review of progress and pivots | A completed project, documented decisions and a final presentation |
| WK 11 | Cross-cultural team leadership | Cultural intelligence assessment; conflict role-plays; psychological safety; inclusive meeting facilitation | One new inclusive practice, tried with your team |
Week 12 stays the same for both tracks: your leadership manifesto, a short 360° feedback loop and a 90-day plan.
Your goal, your deadline and the situations you want to handle better. About 30 minutes.
You get my honest view of where you are now, and a plan with the number of sessions and the price.
There’s no obligation. You decide afterwards whether you want to go ahead.
Career coaching →Common interview questions →Starting with me? Before your first session →