Your work is invisible
You built the thing. But your resume says 'developed backend services' like every other engineer.
For software engineers who are ready to level up
You're a strong engineer. Your career materials don't show it.
Stop getting passed over for roles you could crush.
- Get clear on Senior vs Staff vs Principal — and what it takes
- A resume that shows scope and impact, not just technologies
- Interview prep that makes system design feel natural
Get My Level-Up Strategy
For backend, frontend, full-stack, and platform engineers.
Only 3 senior/staff engineering spots left this month
21 days
Average time to first interview
$47K
Average salary increase negotiated
89%
Land offers within 60 days
Steve J. Ngoumnai
Founder, Head Career Coach
The problem
Great code doesn't sell itself
If it did, you wouldn't be stuck.
System design feels like a test
You can design systems all day at work. But in interviews, you freeze or ramble.
Imposter syndrome is real
You wonder if you're actually Staff-level or if you've just been lucky.
Sound familiar?
The engineer's job search reality
These are the conversations we have every day with engineers just like you.
"I've been at this level for 3 years"
You watch engineers with half your experience get promoted. You're delivering, but somehow your impact isn't visible to the people making decisions. You know you're operating at the next level — you just can't prove it on paper.
"My resume is just a list of technologies"
React, TypeScript, AWS, Kubernetes. You've listed every framework and tool. But so has everyone else. Your resume looks like every other Senior Engineer's — and that's the problem.
"I freeze in system design interviews"
At work, you design systems confidently. But in interviews, with someone watching you draw boxes, your mind goes blank. You second-guess everything and run out of time before getting to the good stuff.
"I don't know how to describe my impact"
You shipped a feature that millions use. You refactored a codebase that saved the team hours every week. But when someone asks 'what did you accomplish?', you draw a blank or undersell it completely.
"I always take the first offer"
You've never negotiated a job offer. The thought of asking for more makes you uncomfortable. So you accept what's given — even when you suspect it's below market.
"I'm not sure if I'm Staff material"
Imposter syndrome is loud. You've seen Staff engineers and wonder if you're really at that level. Maybe you got lucky. Maybe you're not ready. That doubt is holding you back from even trying.
If any of this sounds like you — you're not alone. This is exactly what we help engineers fix, every single day.
Success Stories
People who made the leap
from 147+ professionals
Raymond B.
Senior Software Engineer · Google
"I'd been stuck at L5 for three years. After six weeks with Askia, I had three onsites and closed at L6 with a $350K package. The system design prep alone was worth it—I walked in..."
Sasha L.
Product Engineer · Meta
"Before Askia, I was getting ghosted after every phone screen. We rewrote my resume to lead with impact, and within two weeks I had five recruiter calls scheduled. The difference..."
Neil R.
Software Engineer · Amazon
"I was ready to accept their first offer—I had no idea how to negotiate without seeming greedy. We mapped out my leverage, practiced the exact script, and I ended up $45K higher..."
Alina K.
Senior Product Manager · Microsoft
"My background was all over the place—B2B, B2C, different industries. Askia helped me find the throughline that made it all make sense. Three interviewers said I was the most..."
Jordan T.
Data Scientist · Netflix
"I had five years of scattered projects and no clear story. After one session, we turned it into a narrative about driving decisions with data. The feedback in interviews went from..."
Priya S.
Product Designer · Apple
"The portfolio review was honest—almost too honest. But we cut three projects and rebuilt my walkthrough from scratch. When I presented it, the hiring manager said it was the..."
Miguel A.
Staff Engineer · Stripe
"I was applying to 40+ jobs a week with maybe one callback. We stopped the spray-and-pray approach, built an outreach system, and within a month I had warm intros to three of my..."
Tara J.
Growth PM · Airbnb
"My response rate went from 8% to 22% after repositioning my LinkedIn headline and summary. Same experience, totally different framing. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I..."
Kevin D.
Frontend Engineer · Shopify
"Four months of silence on LinkedIn. Then we overhauled my profile and resume together—within a week I had my first inbound message from a recruiter at a company I'd been eyeing...."
Rina M.
Solutions Architect · Salesforce
"I kept getting rejected for leadership roles because I sounded too technical. Askia helped me reframe everything around strategic impact. The hiring manager later told me my..."
Evan P.
Design Manager · Adobe
"I'd ramble for five minutes on every behavioral question. After three mock sessions, I had tight two-minute stories with clear structure. The interviewers started nodding along..."
Camila V.
Product Analyst · Uber
"I was offered a lateral move initially. After we built my case for promotion—concrete metrics, leadership examples, market data—I countered and got the senior title with a $38K..."
Omar H.
Platform Engineer · Spotify
"Cold outreach was getting me nowhere—maybe one reply for every 50 messages. Askia gave me a template that actually worked. Three weeks later, I had coffee chats with engineers at..."
Lena Q.
Product Designer · Figma
"I'd failed three final rounds in a row and was starting to think something was fundamentally wrong with me. After six mock interviews with Askia, I understood exactly where I was..."
Miles S.
Backend Engineer · Notion
"I was burning out applying to everything. Askia helped me build a system—targeted companies, warm outreach, weekly check-ins. It felt sustainable for the first time. Landed an..."
Isabelle C.
Engineering Manager · Atlassian
"Transitioning from IC to manager felt impossible—I kept getting passed over. Askia helped me articulate my leadership impact in a way that made sense to hiring committees. Within..."
Noah G.
Developer Advocate · GitHub
"My answers were all over the place—five minutes on something that needed thirty seconds. Askia gave me a framework: setup, action, result, reflection. Now every story has punch...."
Hannah W.
Customer Success Lead · Slack
"I was interviewing at six companies simultaneously and losing track of everything. Askia helped me prioritize, prep smarter, and close the one I actually wanted. Turned three..."
Diego R.
Security Engineer · Zoom
"I'd never negotiated before and was terrified of losing the offer. We role-played the conversation three times until I felt bulletproof. Asked for $35K more than they offered. They..."
Maya N.
Technical Program Manager · Oracle
"The resume rewrite made me realize I'd been underselling myself for years. We quantified everything—scope, team size, business impact. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I'd..."
Vikram P.
Machine Learning Engineer · NVIDIA
"I kept getting stuck explaining technical details instead of business outcomes. Askia taught me to lead with the 'so what'—revenue impact, time saved, decisions enabled. The shift..."
Lauren D.
Product Manager · LinkedIn
"I was getting callbacks but bombing final rounds. Turns out I was answering questions like an IC, not a PM. After three sessions focused on strategic framing, I went 3-for-3 on..."
Arjun S.
Backend Engineer · Snowflake
"System design interviews terrified me. Askia broke it down into a repeatable framework—requirements, estimation, architecture, trade-offs. Practiced it until it felt natural...."
Chloe H.
Data Analyst · Pinterest
"Everyone kept telling me I needed more experience to break into tech. Askia showed me how to position my non-tech background as an asset—different perspectives, fresh thinking. Got..."
Marcus J.
DevOps Engineer · Databricks
"My resume was a wall of tools and technologies. Askia helped me rewrite it around reliability outcomes—uptime improved, incidents reduced, deployments accelerated. Started getting..."
Sofia R.
Mobile Engineer · DoorDash
"I'd wing it in behavioral interviews and hope for the best. Askia made me build a story bank—eight polished examples I could adapt to any question. Now I walk in knowing exactly..."
Amir K.
Product Designer · Dropbox
"My portfolio was a random collection of projects. Askia helped me curate it around a clear theme—systems thinking and user advocacy. The hiring manager said it was the most..."
Grace T.
Analytics Lead · Intuit
"I was great at SQL but terrible at explaining why my analysis mattered. Askia taught me to frame everything as business decisions enabled. Now I lead with impact, and executives..."
Diego M.
FinTech Engineer · PayPal
"I had no idea what I was worth. Askia pulled comp data, helped me set a target, and coached me through the conversation. Ended up $40K above my initial expectation with better..."
Riya V.
Growth Engineer · Coinbase
"I was applying everywhere and getting nowhere. Askia made me pick 15 target companies, research them properly, and tailor my approach. Closed two offers from that list within six..."
Raymond B.
Senior Software Engineer · Google
"I'd been stuck at L5 for three years. After six weeks with Askia, I had three onsites and closed at L6 with a $350K package. The system design prep alone was worth it—I walked in..."
Sasha L.
Product Engineer · Meta
"Before Askia, I was getting ghosted after every phone screen. We rewrote my resume to lead with impact, and within two weeks I had five recruiter calls scheduled. The difference..."
Neil R.
Software Engineer · Amazon
"I was ready to accept their first offer—I had no idea how to negotiate without seeming greedy. We mapped out my leverage, practiced the exact script, and I ended up $45K higher..."
Alina K.
Senior Product Manager · Microsoft
"My background was all over the place—B2B, B2C, different industries. Askia helped me find the throughline that made it all make sense. Three interviewers said I was the most..."
Jordan T.
Data Scientist · Netflix
"I had five years of scattered projects and no clear story. After one session, we turned it into a narrative about driving decisions with data. The feedback in interviews went from..."
Priya S.
Product Designer · Apple
"The portfolio review was honest—almost too honest. But we cut three projects and rebuilt my walkthrough from scratch. When I presented it, the hiring manager said it was the..."
Miguel A.
Staff Engineer · Stripe
"I was applying to 40+ jobs a week with maybe one callback. We stopped the spray-and-pray approach, built an outreach system, and within a month I had warm intros to three of my..."
Tara J.
Growth PM · Airbnb
"My response rate went from 8% to 22% after repositioning my LinkedIn headline and summary. Same experience, totally different framing. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I..."
Kevin D.
Frontend Engineer · Shopify
"Four months of silence on LinkedIn. Then we overhauled my profile and resume together—within a week I had my first inbound message from a recruiter at a company I'd been eyeing...."
Rina M.
Solutions Architect · Salesforce
"I kept getting rejected for leadership roles because I sounded too technical. Askia helped me reframe everything around strategic impact. The hiring manager later told me my..."
Evan P.
Design Manager · Adobe
"I'd ramble for five minutes on every behavioral question. After three mock sessions, I had tight two-minute stories with clear structure. The interviewers started nodding along..."
Camila V.
Product Analyst · Uber
"I was offered a lateral move initially. After we built my case for promotion—concrete metrics, leadership examples, market data—I countered and got the senior title with a $38K..."
Omar H.
Platform Engineer · Spotify
"Cold outreach was getting me nowhere—maybe one reply for every 50 messages. Askia gave me a template that actually worked. Three weeks later, I had coffee chats with engineers at..."
Lena Q.
Product Designer · Figma
"I'd failed three final rounds in a row and was starting to think something was fundamentally wrong with me. After six mock interviews with Askia, I understood exactly where I was..."
Miles S.
Backend Engineer · Notion
"I was burning out applying to everything. Askia helped me build a system—targeted companies, warm outreach, weekly check-ins. It felt sustainable for the first time. Landed an..."
Isabelle C.
Engineering Manager · Atlassian
"Transitioning from IC to manager felt impossible—I kept getting passed over. Askia helped me articulate my leadership impact in a way that made sense to hiring committees. Within..."
Noah G.
Developer Advocate · GitHub
"My answers were all over the place—five minutes on something that needed thirty seconds. Askia gave me a framework: setup, action, result, reflection. Now every story has punch...."
Hannah W.
Customer Success Lead · Slack
"I was interviewing at six companies simultaneously and losing track of everything. Askia helped me prioritize, prep smarter, and close the one I actually wanted. Turned three..."
Diego R.
Security Engineer · Zoom
"I'd never negotiated before and was terrified of losing the offer. We role-played the conversation three times until I felt bulletproof. Asked for $35K more than they offered. They..."
Maya N.
Technical Program Manager · Oracle
"The resume rewrite made me realize I'd been underselling myself for years. We quantified everything—scope, team size, business impact. Recruiters started reaching out for roles I'd..."
Vikram P.
Machine Learning Engineer · NVIDIA
"I kept getting stuck explaining technical details instead of business outcomes. Askia taught me to lead with the 'so what'—revenue impact, time saved, decisions enabled. The shift..."
Lauren D.
Product Manager · LinkedIn
"I was getting callbacks but bombing final rounds. Turns out I was answering questions like an IC, not a PM. After three sessions focused on strategic framing, I went 3-for-3 on..."
Arjun S.
Backend Engineer · Snowflake
"System design interviews terrified me. Askia broke it down into a repeatable framework—requirements, estimation, architecture, trade-offs. Practiced it until it felt natural...."
Chloe H.
Data Analyst · Pinterest
"Everyone kept telling me I needed more experience to break into tech. Askia showed me how to position my non-tech background as an asset—different perspectives, fresh thinking. Got..."
Marcus J.
DevOps Engineer · Databricks
"My resume was a wall of tools and technologies. Askia helped me rewrite it around reliability outcomes—uptime improved, incidents reduced, deployments accelerated. Started getting..."
Sofia R.
Mobile Engineer · DoorDash
"I'd wing it in behavioral interviews and hope for the best. Askia made me build a story bank—eight polished examples I could adapt to any question. Now I walk in knowing exactly..."
Amir K.
Product Designer · Dropbox
"My portfolio was a random collection of projects. Askia helped me curate it around a clear theme—systems thinking and user advocacy. The hiring manager said it was the most..."
Grace T.
Analytics Lead · Intuit
"I was great at SQL but terrible at explaining why my analysis mattered. Askia taught me to frame everything as business decisions enabled. Now I lead with impact, and executives..."
Diego M.
FinTech Engineer · PayPal
"I had no idea what I was worth. Askia pulled comp data, helped me set a target, and coached me through the conversation. Ended up $40K above my initial expectation with better..."
Riya V.
Growth Engineer · Coinbase
"I was applying everywhere and getting nowhere. Askia made me pick 15 target companies, research them properly, and tailor my approach. Closed two offers from that list within six..."
Ready to accelerate your career?
Book a free strategy call and leave with a clear action plan.
How It Works
How we get you there
1
Get clear on your level
We figure out where you actually are, where you should be targeting, and what the gap looks like.
2
Rebuild your story
Your resume, LinkedIn, and pitch get overhauled to show scope and impact, not just tasks.
3
Nail the interviews
System design frameworks, behavioral story bank, and practice until it feels natural.
Deliverables
What you actually get
Not vague coaching. Concrete deliverables.
Level Clarity
Know exactly what your target level looks like and how to demonstrate it.
Materials That Land
Resume and LinkedIn that make your impact impossible to miss.
Interview Confidence
System design frameworks and behavioral stories that work.
Your Coach
Steve's been in your code reviews
I spent a decade as an engineering leader, hiring and promoting engineers at every level. I've reviewed hundreds of system design interviews and know exactly what separates a Senior from a Staff. Now I help engineers stop underselling their scope and land the level they deserve.
100+ engineers coached
Staff+ level-ups this year
$58K avg. comp increase
This is for you if
You've got the skills but aren't getting the recognition.
- You're a Senior engineer eyeing Staff or Principal
- You've been at the same level too long
- You're getting interviews but not offers
- System design or behavioral interviews trip you up
This probably isn't for you if
We're focused on leveling up, not starting out.
- You're still building foundational engineering skills
- You just want someone to apply to jobs for you
- You're looking for LeetCode prep (we focus on the rest)
Questions engineers usually ask
Straight answers.
Do you help with system design interviews?
Yes. We build frameworks for approaching any problem — not memorized solutions, but actual thinking patterns. We practice until you can walk through designs confidently, handle follow-ups, and make trade-offs out loud without freezing.
Can you help me go from Senior to Staff?
That's one of our most common engagements. The jump from Senior to Staff is about demonstrating scope, influence, and technical leadership — not just writing more code. We help you identify the Staff-level work you're already doing and articulate it clearly.
What about LeetCode and algorithm prep?
We don't do algorithm prep — there are great resources for that (LeetCode, NeetCode, etc.). We focus on everything else that determines whether you get the offer: positioning, system design, behavioral interviews, and negotiation. Those areas are often the difference between a rejection and a $400K offer.
I'm a frontend/backend/full-stack engineer. Does that matter?
The principles are the same across specialties. We tailor the specifics to your domain — a frontend system design interview is different from a distributed systems interview. We meet you where you are.
How long until I see results?
Most clients start landing interviews within 2-3 weeks once their materials are dialed in. The full search timeline depends on your target (FAANG vs. startup, etc.) and how aggressively you're searching. We help you build a sustainable system, not a desperate spray-and-pray approach.
Do you help with salary negotiation?
Yes, and this is often where we add the most value. Engineers routinely leave $50-100K on the table because they don't know their leverage or how to ask. We help you understand the comp bands, prepare your ask, and handle the back-and-forth with confidence.
What if I'm not sure if I should be targeting Senior or Staff?
That's exactly what our initial strategy call is for. We'll look at your actual work, scope, and influence to calibrate where you should be targeting. Many engineers are surprised to learn they're already operating at the next level — they just need to prove it.
I keep getting rejected after final rounds. Can you help?
Final round rejections are usually about leveling or culture fit signals, not technical ability. We dig into your interview stories, how you're presenting yourself, and what signals you might be unintentionally sending. Often it's a fixable positioning problem.
Do you work with engineers at FAANG companies?
About 40% of our clients are currently at or targeting FAANG. We understand the leveling systems, interview processes, and what it takes to stand out in those environments. We also work with engineers at startups, mid-size companies, and those making the transition between.
What's different about your approach vs. other coaching?
I spent a decade as an engineering leader doing the actual hiring. I know what separates a candidate we fight to hire from one who gets passed over. This isn't theory — it's pattern matching from hundreds of hiring decisions and interviews.
How much does this cost?
Coaching engagements range from focused resume work to comprehensive search support. The free strategy call is where we figure out what you actually need. Most clients see ROI of 10-50x their investment in their first negotiated offer.
What if I'm an international engineer / need visa sponsorship?
We work with engineers globally. The positioning principles are the same, though we adapt for regional market differences. For visa sponsorship, we help you navigate which companies sponsor and how to position yourself to be worth the extra paperwork.
"Within 3 weeks I had 4 interviews lined up. Steve completely changed how I talk about my work."
★★★★★ — Marcus T., Senior Engineer → Staff at FAANGEvery week you wait, a junior with better positioning lands the Staff role
You've already earned it. Let's make sure your resume and interviews prove it.
Join 147+ professionals who've accelerated their careers
Claim My Level-Up Strategy
Only 4 spots left this week
✓ Leave with a clear action plan or get a second session free
